Fret Markers - Help or Hinder?

Subject: Fret Markers - Help or Hinder?
From: Lowden Jameswright
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 11:05 AM

Reading through contributions to the "Practice, practice, practice" debate made me think of the time I assumed it would be easy for me to play a guitar piece I'd learned on a classical guitar (without fret markers) simply because I was now using a guitar with "dots" to guide me. To my surprise (and embarrassment) I couldn't play it. It had nothing to do with different fingerboard width or number of frets to the body - they were the same.

Looking at the "dots" interfered with my brain - I'd actually learned to play the piece with my eyes closed.

Maybe all guitars should be built without fret-markers!?

Subject: RE: Fret Markers - Help or Hinder?
From: catspaw49
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 11:18 AM

.............uh.......................yeah.......................that's uh, well.............yeah............................Listen, just let me ask you straight up her...........What are you using? I mean in terms of narcotics.....Do you have more? Can you send me some?


Spaw

Subject: RE: Fret Markers - Help or Hinder?
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 11:30 AM

And if it makes me play as good as you, can I have some too please Lowden?

Subject: RE: Fret Markers - Help or Hinder?
From: catspaw49
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 11:34 AM

See? This could be a whole new business for you!


Spaw

Subject: RE: Fret Markers - Help or Hinder?
From: Will Fly
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 11:49 AM

None of my acoustic guitars have fret markers on the face of the fretboard - just tiny dots on the edge. Handy for complex instrumentals - just as a reminder - but of little consequence if I'm singing as I tend to look at the audience, not my guitar.

Subject: RE: Fret Markers - Help or Hinder?
From: GUEST,Tony
Date: 26 Apr 11 - 01:13 PM

When I switched from steel-string to classical I was lost without the dots. Maybe it's the same thing, just a question of what I was used to, but I feel I need them when I jump from a low position to a high one, e.g. C at the first fret to C at the next fret after the 3rd set of dots (whatever number that is). Maybe real classical guitarists don't do that, or do it so much that they can easily count 8 or 10 frets up, or maybe don't even have to look at the fret board. Anyway, I added the dots.

And of course my tzoura, with several frets above the second octave (i.e. 28 or more total), would be completely unmanageable without the dots.

Subject: RE: Fret Markers - Help or Hinder?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 27 Apr 11 - 02:40 AM

When I turned up with my hammered dulcimer at the group lesson, they were nonplussed that I had stuck tiny letters to name the notes for the strings. I found it made life easier.

Subject: RE: Fret Markers - Help or Hinder?
From: Little Robyn
Date: 27 Apr 11 - 02:47 AM

It depends on what song you're playing - mostly I don't even look at the fingerboard but if it's something with a jump up to say the 5th fret, it's very useful to see exactly where you are and where you're going and not have to do a mental calculation in mid song.
Robyn

Subject: RE: Fret Markers - Help or Hinder?
From: SonnyWalkman
Date: 27 Apr 11 - 03:10 AM

Most guitars seem to have markers on frets 5,7,9 & 12 but I have at least one with an additional marker on 3, so there's no fixed standard. I don't conciously use the markers but, if I put a capo on, they become confusing - so I guess I use them without realising.

A guitar where the markers move automatically when you fit a capo.... now there's an idea.

Subject: RE: Fret Markers - Help or Hinder?
From: banjoman
Date: 27 Apr 11 - 05:52 AM

I always thought that I ignored the marker dots until I bought a guitar without any and was then totally confused for a while.
For real confusion over fret marker dots, have a look at a long neck banjo where the makers seem to assume that everyone puts a capo on the 3rd fret to make it into a normal? five stringer. Without the capo it takes some getting used to.. All good fun

Subject: RE: Fret Markers - Help or Hinder?
From: Nick
Date: 27 Apr 11 - 06:20 AM

Each guitar I have is different so I'm not sure that it matters too much. Still I haven't worked out why on some guitars the dots can only be viewed from the front - is that to help the audience know where you should be putting your fingers? Or so they can work out what key you are playing in so they can join in in another one?

>>A guitar where the markers move automatically when you fit a capo.... now there's an idea.

Alternatively, if they put a marker at EVERY fret then you could play with a capo without having to recalculate

Subject: RE: Fret Markers - Help or Hinder?
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 27 Apr 11 - 06:21 AM

I never look at the fretboard when I'm playing; I find it a distraction. I couldn't even tell you if I've got fret markers on any of my guitars. The only time I would notice is probably when I'm changing the capo position.

Subject: RE: Fret Markers - Help or Hinder?
From: GUEST,crazy little woman
Date: 27 Apr 11 - 11:26 AM

Ya'll probably wouldn't approve of the blue plastic B that I have on the 4th fret of my guitar. It tells me where to head for B and Bm.

Subject: RE: Fret Markers - Help or Hinder?
From: GUEST,Betsy
Date: 27 Apr 11 - 12:31 PM

They're the only musical dots which I can understand - couldn't play without them especially when my mind wanders !