What are fretboard dots (markers) for? Eric Blackmon's answer

[jzucker]

With dots, they do exactly the same than anyone.
If there were in another place it would be exactly the same.
Do you play better on a black guitar or on a pink one ?

You're gas-lighting. Dots are not like an instrument's color.


i prefer dots on the fingerboard (and lines on my fretless). I don't look 100% of the time but feel more comfortable with big jumps, particularly in the upper registers when I have a dot as a reference.

[Christian Miller]

For me I think the main thing is that there are fretboard indicators on the side of the neck.

one of the leading jazz players on my local scene couldn’t get on with a Selmer type guitar on the basis it had the fretboard dots on 3 5 7 and 10 (as is traditional for this kind of guitar.)

I once did a Tedesco* and tippexed dots on the side of my classical’s neck. I’m not too proud to admit it; I kept playing in the wrong key and didn’t want to screw up a nice gig that I was paid for. I am not Tommy, but I am a working player who wants to get the music right. The reality is no one’s checking my instrument for dots lol, but they will definitely notice when I play a semitone out haha. Call me a cheat, but that’s life in the trenches.

I think unless forum members maintaining that dots are for n00bs are better musicians than ole Tommy, they might possibly be judgemental bedroom players talking out their botty holes, but that’s just, like, my opinion maaaaann.

If you trained under a Yepes student or something from age 6 on trad Spanish guitar, and dots are unnecessary for you, good on ya, but not every good guitar player has that type of background, nor is that training necessarily relevant to other areas of music and guitar playing.

*I think it was Tommy in the story iirc, correct me if not

[jzucker]

For me I think the main thing is that there are fretboard indicators on the side of the neck.

one of the leading jazz players on my local scene couldn’t get on with a Selmer type guitar on the basis it had the fretboard dots on 3 5 7 and 10 (as is traditional for this kind of guitar.)

I once did a Tedesco* and tippexed dots on the side of my classical’s neck. I’m not too proud to admit it; I kept playing in the wrong key and didn’t want to screw up a nice gig that I was paid for. I am not Tommy, but I am a working player who wants to get the music right. The reality is no one’s checking my instrument for dots lol, but they will definitely notice when I play a semitone out haha. Call me a cheat, but that’s life in the trenches.

I think unless forum members maintaining that dots are for n00bs are better musicians than ole Tommy, they might possibly be judgemental bedroom players talking out their botty holes, but that’s just, like, my opinion maaaaann.

If you trained under a Yepes student or something from age 6 on trad Spanish guitar, and dots are unnecessary for you, good on ya, but not every good guitar player has that type of background, nor is that training necessarily relevant to other areas of music and guitar playing.

*I think it was Tommy in the story iirc, correct me if not

I have a vision problem and neck fusion so I can't see the side dots very well and can't turn my head enough when playing above the 15th fret. My fretless bass has 26 lines. I'm glad it has face dots.

Again, more power to folks who don't need them but when metheny, benson, scofield, richard bona and gary willis have custom instruments made, they aren't embarrassed to have dots or lines (in the case of fretless) so I think we can all relax here and let folks use dots if they want them. Don't think the music is any less significant when there are dots.

[DawgBone]

You're gas-lighting. Dots are not like an instrument's color.


i prefer dots on the fingerboard (and lines on my fretless). I don't look 100% of the time but feel more comfortable with big jumps, particularly in the upper registers when I have a dot as a reference.

I think he was enjoying a little too much french wine while posting last night.

[Alter]

Especially if one plays many different instruments, with different dimensions, where the neck meets the body wherever... you do need some way of finding the fret fast. And small side dots aren't always visible live, so I prefer fretboard marks.

I have enough trouble navigating the electronics with different guitars.. Especially this where builders put left hand pots in left handed guitars, so you end up with some of them turning clockwise and some counter clockwise...

[Lionelsax]

I think he was enjoying a little too much french wine while posting last night.

The only thing I know is that Ritchie Blackmore had some problems in his career because a dot always missed on his guitar.

[rsclosson]

I think another reason for the 10th position dot (or at least an advantage) is that gypsy jazz tunes, being guitar based, are mostly in guitar keys. American jazz, if that is a correct name for it, tends toward flat keys to accommodate the trumpet and sax players.

Frankly, I really like the 10th fret dot. I put a tiny piece of copper tape on the side position of the 10th fret of all my archtop and electric guitars. It’s totally reversible and a great reference point for me.

Not gonna watch that, but why do gypsy jazz guitars often have a marker at the 10th, not 9th, fret? Looks weird to me.

[Lionelsax]

American jazz, if that is a correct name for it, tends toward flat keys to accommodate the trumpet and sax players.

C# F# B E G# C#
Yes, really flat keys indeed, trumpet and sax players feel really accommodated when guitarists stop trying to understand what Bb and Eb instruments are.

[rsclosson]

C# F# B E G# C#
Yes, really flat keys indeed, trumpet and sax players feel really accommodated when guitarists stop trying to understand what Bb and Eb instruments are.

Not quite sure what you were getting at. I play both tenor and alto sax, and flat keys on concert instruments put the horn players at an advantage. When playing in rock bands, I got proficient in guitar keys like F# and C#. In jazz, the flat keys put me more often in C, F, and G. A little easier to navigate on sax.

[Jimmy Smith]

The premise in the video is obviously false. I doubt it's the dorian pentatonic scale. However, I like how he's nice and friendly. Nodes seems like a good explanation. I also think it's just a logical way to layout guide points to get your bearings on fret numbers.

[Lionelsax]

Not quite sure what you were getting at. I play both tenor and alto sax, and flat keys on concert instruments put the horn players at an advantage. When playing in rock bands, I got proficient in guitar keys like F# and C#. In jazz, the flat keys put me more often in C, F, and G. A little easier to navigate on sax.

So what ? What's the problem ?
Man, you were talking about the dot on the 9th fret. If you can't understand what you wrote...
When I played in rock bands, I never told them to play in flat keys.
If a sax player can't play the blues scale in all keys... I'd rather he stay at home.

[rsclosson]

So what ? What's the problem ?
Man, you were talking about the dot on the 9th fret. If you can't understand what you wrote...
When I played in rock bands, I never told them to play in flat keys.
If a sax player can't play the blues scale in all keys... I'd rather he stay at home.

Why are you so hostile?? I was merely explaining a possible reason for the 10th fret vs the 9th fret. I was not complaining or saying I cannot play in any key. And I certainly was not asking for or expecting an argument.

You don't know me or my experience which is long and quite varied and I assure you that the blues scale in any key is not a problem for me. I have NEVER asked anybody to change keys to accommodate my playing. Perhaps you need to re read my posts and try to understand what I was saying instead of looking for a fight.

This is my last response to you.

[Lionelsax]

Why are you so hostile?? I was merely explaining a possible reason for the 10th fret vs the 9th fret. I was not complaining or saying I cannot play in any key. And I certainly was not asking for or expecting an argument.

You don't know me or my experience which is long and quite varied and I assure you that the blues scale in any key is not a problem for me. I have NEVER asked anybody to change keys to accommodate my playing. Perhaps you need to re read my posts and try to understand what I was saying instead of looking for a fight.

This is my last response to you.

No, I'm not hostile ! Not at all !
I was pulling your leg.
The dot on 9th... Read again what you wrote

[rsclosson]

No, I'm not hostile ! Not at all !
I was pulling your leg.
The dot on 9th... Read again what you wrote

My apologies. The “leg pulling” doesn’t always come well across in writing. I like the 10th fret dot on my gypsy jazz guitar and found a way to temporarily add it on my other guitars. Just offering a theory.

[Christian Miller]

I’m not quite getting my head around this idea

[Lionelsax]

OK !
I play the game !

X
12
9
7
5
3

From low to high : G D A E B
From high to low : B E A D G

Relationships between 4ths and 5ths



_______________________________________


With dot on 10th
On the E string : G A B D E
On the A string : C D E G A
On the D string : F G A C D

No altered basses...
C Major...

I'm not an expert in numerology.

____________________________________
The first one is harmonic (9th) and chromatic mind....

The second is diatonic (10th) or kind of...
G Major E minor
C Major A minor
F Major D minor

It works like a three row diatonic accordion...

[PMB]

Two of the best arguments for dots on guitar necks are Steve Cropper's intros for 'Knock on Wood' and 'In The Midnight Hour'. He wrote them by following the dots in ascending and descending order respectively (with that same 10th fret adjustment as the barre chords are E, G, A, B & D).

[Guy In Lyon]

Not gonna watch that, but why do gypsy jazz guitars often have a marker at the 10th, not 9th, fret?

Because Django Reinhardt only had two working fingers on his left hand.

[Jerzy]

Ridiculous question.

[Christian Miller]

Because, La France!

[KingKong]

Because, La France!

Honestly from a fellow Brit this is the most likely explanation.

The French are notorious for doing things just to be different to the English.

On a different note, seriously this thread has descended into idiocy.

"I'm a fucking amazing guitarist me, look I play with NO fret markers!"

Ridiculous.

[jzucker]

Honestly from a fellow Brit this is the most likely explanation.

The French are notorious for doing things just to be different to the English.

On a different note, seriously this thread has descended into idiocy.

"I'm a fucking amazing guitarist me, look I play with NO fret markers!"

Ridiculous.

it reminds me of some of the political discussions where people go absolutely bonkers that someone would chose a lifestyle different than theirs and feel the need to deride and outlaw something just because others don't chose the same thing.

Is it possible to simply solve the problem by outlawing fretboard inlays and lines (on fretless) ?

[Vihar]

My Ibanez Jet King has no dots. It's got triangles on the fretboard, because it was designed to play only triads.

[Christian Miller]

Honestly from a fellow Brit this is the most likely explanation.

The French are notorious for doing things just to be different to the English.

yes not like all those famous English guitar builders of the interwar period like Gibson, Epiphone and Martin!

those daft Frenchies, what what.

[KingKong]

yes not like all those famous English guitar builders of the interwar period like Gibson, Epiphone and Martin!

those daft Frenchies, what what.

English/ Americans are considered a common culture in many ways by Europeans, 'anglo Saxons' they call us, even though a lot of Americans and British aren't of Anglo Saxon descent.

I'm surprised they haven't brought in EU regulations about this, to standardise the fret market positions!