Has anyone made a fretboard that looks like this?

[hard truth]

Has anyone anywhere ever make a guitar fretboard that shows the black and white notes in a manner similar to a piano keyboard? I think it would be helpful for new players, esp. those who already play a keyboard or already read music.

[Scott Fraser]

That would confuse the hell out of me. But I suppose if you learn on it, it might make sense.

[CEB]

What the .....? ð

[KuruPrionz]

I've been a guitar tech for almost 50 years and that's the first time I've seen this concept.

 

Bear in mind that there are 5 places on a 20 fret neck where you can play Middle C.

Guitars are truly not like keyboards in more ways than one.

 

To play a major scale on the keyboard and play it in all keys, you must learn many different fingerings.

To play a major scale on a fretboard, you can learn one fingering and simply move it up and down the fretboard, the fingering will not change unless you change strings and sometimes not even then, depending.

 

So in some ways, learning the guitar is much simpler than learning the piano. On the other hand, reading music on the guitar is much more complex than it is on piano, partly because most notes have more than one location (but not all of them) and there are things that can be done on a guitar that cannot be done on a piano, stretching strings, tapping, slide guitar etc.

 

Anything anybody wants to try is fine with me. I know my fretboard, all of it. And I know plenty of patterns/variations/chord shapes all over the neck. Singer wants to change keys? On it, right here and now. Transposing is not a problem is you think in terms of shapes rather than linearly.

[Sharkman]

That fretboard would only work if you always played in standard EADGBE tuning. As soon as you did an open chord tuning, DADGAD, dropped D, or anything else, it becomes a confusing mess.

[Larryz]

Having played keys, I understand the concept that may help a beginning guitar/piano player learn the notes on the fretboard. Having played guitar, I would not consider buying a guitar with that color coded fretboard. I can play with or without fret markers on the guitar fretboard. I rely more on the dots at the top edge of the fretboard. I do not rely on note names (except on the 6th and 5th string bass roots for chords) and I am more of a pattern player on both scales and chords. I can figure out the note names on any string at any fret, but I do not rely on them. My guitar playing is more involved with intervals, ear training and kinesthetic awareness than note names...On the keyboard I can instantly recognize all of the notes by names on sight and would not need that layout concept on a guitar fretboard...but if Hard Truth likes it for looks, I say go for it (if you can find one or have one made for you).

[desertbluesman]

I understand the concept that may help a beginning guitar/piano player learn the notes on the fretboard. Having played guitar, I would not consider buying a guitar with that color coded fretboard. I can play with or without fret markers on the guitar fretboard. I rely more on the dots at the top edge of the fretboard. I do not rely on note names (except on the 6th and 5th string bass roots for chords) and I am more of a pattern player on both scales and chords. I can figure out the note names on any string at any fret, but I do not rely on them. My guitar playing is more involved with intervals, ear training and kinesthetic awareness than note names...On the keyboard I can instantly recognize all of the notes by names on sight and would not need that layout concept on a guitar fretboard...but if Hard Truth likes it for looks, I say go for it (if you can find one or have one made for you).

 

What Larryz said above +1 (Except the Having played keys)(I have messed with a MIDI keyboard for recording MIDI notes in step time, but I would not call that playing)

[Winston Psmith]

The first thing I thought of was one of Michael Schenker's B&W Flying V's.

 

I really can't see the point of this? IMHO, it adds a visually confusing element to the fretboard, with little benefit, if any. On any Guitar with dot markers, much less Mother-of-Pearl trapezoid inlays, you already have a pretty good "map" of where the notes are, in Standard Tuning.

 

I also play Keyboard Synths, and I can tell you that when moving through different Key Signatures on the Guitar, the fingering largely remains the same as you move up or down by some interval or number of frets. Every Piano/Keyboard scale involves a slightly different approach to fingering, because of the raised black keys for the Sharps and Flats.

[Scott Fraser]

I think it's a keyboardist's solution to a guitarist's non-problem. We have fret markers to tell us where we are. We also are known to alter tunings, which would render this scheme useless & no longer correct.

[Chip McDonald]

That is not necessary is it...?

[bbqbob]

Has anyone anywhere ever make a guitar fretboard that shows the black and white notes in a manner similar to a piano keyboard? I think it would be helpful for new players, esp. those who already play a keyboard or already read music.

...WTF?

Let me look again...WTF? Now I'm really confused! LOL!

[Larryz]

This may help BBQ: Think of a piano and then pick any string on a guitar to compare it to. (i.e., 6th string open E is a white key on the piano, 6th string 1st fret F is a white key on the piano, 6th string 2nd fret F# Gb is a black key on the piano, 6th string 3rd fret G is a white key on the piano, 6th string 4th fret G# Ab is a black key on the piano, 6th string 5th fret A is a white key on the piano, and so on)... The black keys on the piano are all sharps and flats.

[skipclone 1]

That is not necessary is it...?

 

Wow-Chip McDonald! a voice from the classic forum days returns-been a while!

I hope all has been well.

[skipclone 1]

Or not...