Feeling guilty ,fret markers.

[red rooster]

Was trying to play something the other day and it was jumping all over the neck so basically i was getting a bit lost so i found some sticky dots and numberd my frets 1 to 12 the stickers are behind the neck nobody can see then except me the difference to my speed,being able to find the notes im looking for is so much more quicker im now hitting the notes right and there sounding like the should ie not humming ,ringing etc im able to concentrate more on gettint the notes sharp getting my fingers in the right position,but lol my daughter who i take classes with (shes only 12) says im cheating and is giving me a slagging should i take them off.dots that is honestly they make a hell of a difference to my playing.cheers stuart.

[cheddatom]

It's not clear, are you playing fretless?

[Number6]

I'm just worried that the 'Using music stands in a covers band' thread Pro's will see this.....

[skidder652003]

[quote name='Number6' timestamp='1418056229' post='2626366']
I'm just worried that the 'Using music stands in a covers band' thread Pro's will see this.....
[/quote]

[Lw.]

Assuming you're on an unlined fretless I'd say the stickers are fine for while you're getting yourself up to speed but I'd be wary about becoming reliant on them. Definitely ween yourself of them as soon as possible once you've got to where you want to be.

[chris_b]

Joe Jackson played guitar on one number, except he couldn't play guitar. He made one chord shape and stuck coloured tape on the back of the neck where his thumb should go. He just learnt which colours came next.

Moral of the story; you do what you have to do for the song.

[Gareth Hughes]

Irregardless of what type of bass it - fretless, upright, etc - my opinion is keep them on if you feel it helps you play the way you feel comfortable. I've been through the wars with the arguments for and against and it's all redundant in my opinion. Guitars have dots to guide us, pianos have black keys to guide us, we have eyes to guide us. To paraphrase something I read in 'Bass Player' a while ago on the subject of putting white markers on an upright neck - "the people that hire me don't care how I find the right note."

[Diablo]

once you get used to playing whichever way helps, then try playing familiar songs you know well but with your eyes closed or looking out of the window. Keep doing it and eventually you'll find your fingers will fall in the right places without looking or needing marker dots.

Cheers,
Rich

[EssentialTension]

If you can have frets then you can have fret markers.

[Paul S]

If it helps, keep them. I don't get this 'find your way around the frets with your eyes closed' business as half the pro players I see playing in bands watch closely what they are doing.

[KevB]

I still have the white tape I put on 2 of the pedals on my PK-5's so I would always know at least where D and G were In truth part of the reason they stayed there was they all became virtually invisible at one gig when I had to put them on a brown carpet...

[seashell]

I saw a bloke playing a bass similarly marked up at an open mic recently. He sounded really good, and I had no idea his bass had these marks on until he showed me, as they were behind the neck (similar to how the OP describes it). In some ways it sounds like a good idea - it certainly worked for the guy I saw.

You'd come unstuck though if you were having a go on someone else's bass. Or if you were trying to do BV's. It wouldn't work for me for that reason. I look too much at the fretboard as it is, and it does limit which songs I can attempt BV's on.

[Count Bassy]

I used to do this with All Right Now, for the big jump up the fretboard in the chorus. Don't need it now for that one as I've got used to doing it without, but it was invaluable at the time, especially on a darkish stage.
AND I did it fairly recently for a version of 16 tons where I jump around a bit, and I jump up to the G at 10th fret of the A string. My main problem here is that I have a tendency to get drawn to a fret marker, ie I tend to end up at the 9th fret if I'm not careful - again hopefully only temporarily. I find this playing Johhny B Goode in Bb as well - can end hitting the A instead.

So its OK by me !!!

[xilddx]

[quote name='Lw.' timestamp='1418056308' post='2626370']
Assuming you're on an unlined fretless I'd say the stickers are fine for while you're getting yourself up to speed but I'd be wary about becoming reliant on them. Definitely ween yourself of them as soon as possible once you've got to where you want to be.
[/quote]

It's fine. Things like that are useful for getting your muscle memory sorted for shifting positions.

As for reliance, have you tried playing a classical guitar, or some instrument with no markers at all on the board or sides? Or play without looking at the board? It's difficult.

[Lw.]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1418062475' post='2626462']


It's fine. Things like that are useful for getting your muscle memory sorted for shifting positions.

As for reliance, have you tried playing a classical guitar, or some instrument with no markers at all on the board or sides? Or play without looking at the board? It's difficult.
[/quote]

Yes that's my point; they're alright for learning but better to move away from in the long run IMO.

I've done a few gigs playing finger style double bass if that counts? It was harder than a fretted bass but couldn't really judge as they were simple bluesy tunes. It was harder the next time I used it (communal double bass) as some idiot had drawn fret lines on the side (with a Biro), most of which were in the wrong place!

[Les]

If it helps use them, who cares. I did it ages ago when I got my first classical guitar with no markers at all. Used tippex actually, scraped it off when I didn't need it anymore..


Les

[smoke]

well this topic made me feel a bit better about wanting to put the stickers on my upright ... hahaha Played Stagg for a couple years now and that comes with some of the frets marked. Though they are all a bit off, I got used to it completely that the fact they were all half a finger too far down didn't bother me at all. Now jumped on the Yamaha with no markers, oh my goodness!!!! lol

[chrismuzz]

Lots of basses with "blank" fretboards have tiny dot markers on the side anyway... Could be worse, you could use LEDs!

Edited December 8, 2014 by chrismuzz

[chrismuzz]

[quote name='smoke' timestamp='1418065863' post='2626516']
well this topic made me feel a bit better about wanting to put the stickers on my upright ...
[/quote]

My uncle is an excellent semi-pro bass player of about 40 years and has stickers on the back of his EUB!

[EssentialTension]

Edgar Meyer has dots for some of his favourite notes.

Edited December 8, 2014 by EssentialTension

[xilddx]

[quote name='Lw.' timestamp='1418064440' post='2626491']
Yes that's my point; they're alright for learning but better to move away from in the long run IMO.

I've done a few gigs playing finger style double bass if that counts? It was harder than a fretted bass but couldn't really judge as they were simple bluesy tunes. It was harder the next time I used it (communal double bass) as some idiot had drawn fret lines on the side (with a Biro), most of which were in the wrong place!
[/quote]

But this is my point, if you develop the muscle memory by using markers, you may be more quickly able to get to that point where you don't have to look at the board at all.

Everyone is different. I barely know anyone who doesn't need markers of some sort, and just because they are some manky stickers on the back doesn't mean they are any more of a crutch than the dots on the side or your fancy mop inlays on the board. Whatever facilitates learning and memory for the student is the prime concern. And people have different ways of learning, have a look at Kolb's learning styles if you're interested.

[leschirons]

I've just had the brass side dots on my Status drilled out and refilled with white. Couldn't see a damn thing in low light so, to the OP, why not, if it works, it works.

[stingrayPete1977]

There is a knot near the G on the side of my double bass neck, I tend to work around that, lol

[gelfin]

If it's any comfort I have labelled all the notes on my Taurus bass pedals. Does help on a dark stage.

[taunton-hobbit]

I can't see the problem - it's a cue, nothing more, nothing less - if it 'helps' you play 'better' (or gives you more confidence) then so what?
It's the end result that matters, not how you get there............