In 2009, during what seemed like an ordinary jam session, an extraordinary idea was born. Our founder, a web developer with a passion for music, found himself improvising alongside a friend who struggled to keep up. In a flash of inspiration, he envisioned a way to bring complex music theory to those who didn’t understand it – like having the answers to advanced musical questions or, better yet, possessing cheat codes that could hack the power of music theory itself.

This epiphany marked the beginning of a 15-year journey. Over the next few years, our founder dedicated himself to creating what would become the largest dataset of music theory ever compiled. In 2012, this labor of love culminated in the release of “Interval Machine,” a prototype shared with select songwriters and musicians for testing and feedback.

2014 saw the evolution of the project into “Song Sparker,” reaching a wider audience of music enthusiasts. During this time, our founder also registered FretboardGPS.com, though the full realization of this concept would require further development. Despite the demands of work and his own music career, this side project continued to grow.

In 2016, our founder embarked on an ambitious challenge: writing and publishing a new song or jam in a different tuning six days a week for over six months. This remarkable feat caught the attention of music industry legend @TheDavidCrosby, who followed the journey with interest.

By 2019, with a comprehensive dataset spanning 4-string bass to 8-string guitar, with the help of award-winning composer and guitarist Don Ross, the project was ready for advanced development. The following year marked a significant milestone when Christopher Williams, an MIT alum, joined as CTO, bringing his technical expertise to the team.

With FretboardGPS now fully developed and a robust management team in place, we’re poised to enter our next exciting phase: preparing for the public launch of FretboardGPS, followed by a suite of related products. This marks a pivotal moment in our journey from concept to market-ready innovation.

From a moment of frustration in a jam session to a revolutionary music technology platform, Musicianly’s journey embodies the power of perseverance, innovation, and a deep love for music. As we look to the future, we remain committed to our original vision: democratizing music theory and empowering guitar players, singers, and musicians of all levels to unlock their full creative potential.