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Thread: Dots or no dots

  1. #26
    Henry Lawton hank's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dots or no dots

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    I considered tridium gas markers but settled for glow dots in green.
    "A sudden clash of thunder, the mind doors burst open, and lo, there sits old man Buddha-nature in all his homeliness."
    CHAO-PIEN

  2. #27
    Mandolin user MontanaMatt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dots or no dots

    I had the glowing StewMac dots installed at one point, but the didn't glow much, faded after a few short minutes. If I was famous and could have a contract rider that provided a uv light at every show, they would be the bomb. I removed them and switched to pearl dots on the side.
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  4. #28
    Registered User Denman John's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dots or no dots

    I like the clean look of a fretboard without any dots, but my mandolin has dots on the fretboard and side. I do use them when playing up the neck if I’m honest and like someone above mentioned, they are good when playing with other players. I had a guitar that had side markers, but no fretboard dots that I really liked. The side dots were enough to use as markers and adapted fairly quickly. With that said, I am quite picky about the size of the fretboard dots and colour if they are going to be there. For me, simple is better.
    ... not all those who wander are lost ...

  5. #29
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dots or no dots

    Quote Originally Posted by DoubleE View Post
    What an interesting question. I think I mostly use muscle memory, but I think when I move up the neck and need to check position I lean over and look at my fingers and see where they are on the fretboard.
    I don't think muscle memory and using the dots need be antithetical. To me it is a little like driving - having muscle memory is important, but so are maps.

    I don't have any kind of goal to play without using dots. I don't think there is anything great or accomplished about not looking or flying blind. Of course we need to be able to look away, in order to read, or engage the audience or jam mates, but looking down for reference, when sliding, or when improvising, or whenever you feel like it, is fine by me.
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  7. #30
    Henry Lawton hank's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dots or no dots

    I guess I’m gonna need to put my UV flashlight under my fretting arm when needed.
    "A sudden clash of thunder, the mind doors burst open, and lo, there sits old man Buddha-nature in all his homeliness."
    CHAO-PIEN

  8. #31
    Registered User Sevelos's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dots or no dots

    On my Romanian mandolin I don't have dots on the side, only on the fretboard. As I played this mandolin most of my life, I am used to leaning forward and looking at the fretboard. On my classical guitars, there are no dots on the fretboard, only on the side.

    On my Greek bouzoukis, there are decorations/dots on the fretboard and on the sides. Unlike the mandolin, this is an instrument with a very long neck, and it is hard to slide around without looking as the distances could be large, so visibility of the dots is important.
    My bouzouki teacher says to look at the dots only on the top of the neck. However, with age I became far-sighted and it is sometimes hard for me to see the dots on top of the neck as they are too close to me. On the other hand, the decorations on the fretboard are made of abalone, and quite often they reflect light and then it is hard to see them.
    So - I think that it good to have dots on the top of the fretboard and on the side. It will help to navigate in any "weather" (light condition).
    BTW - on one of my bouzoukis I glued black tape over the dots on the fretboard in order to practice playing without seeing them.

  9. #32
    Innocent Bystander JeffD's Avatar
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    Default Re: Dots or no dots

    The dot on the fifth fret marks home base for third position, and the octave for the open string below. I kind of visualize it as the Mississippi River. It is the internal coast line whose cities we had to be able to recite, in grade school. South to north it is CGDA, which is gigantic for me when reading in third position. It is also an octave above the open string below, very helpful when improvising.

    The tenth fret marker is the third position of third position, in a way. It it is to third position what third position is to first position. It is the octave of third position home base on the string below.

    When I do an index finger the tenth fret, the marker on the 15th fret becomes important, in the exact same way. It is the edge of the playground above, being that it is the octave of the tenth fret of the string below.

    The seventh fret marks the same tone of the open string above, just as the 12 fret marks the same tone as the third position next string up. Also useful relationships when caught up in the nose bleed frets.

    This is just one way of mapping out the fretboard using the dots. There are others of course. And their discovery is great fun. It all depends on your strategy in moving up the neck.

    For FFcP the dots only help you know what key you are in if you forget, because the whole gem of FFcP is that you are more concerned about where you are in the FFcP configuration, than where you are on the fret board.

    I don't mean to give a lesson. I am the last one to do so. I am only showing that the dots are there to be used, and not a crutch as might be implied. And while they do decorate the instrument, they are hardly mere decoration.

    Of course one doesn't have to use the dots, and that's fine too. Violinistic players can negotiate the territory just fine by feel, and often do, bless'em.
    A talent for trivializin' the momentous and complicatin' the obvious.

    The entire staff
    funny....

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