10th fret inlay mark

10thfretBlues

"...we use visual cues to get to the right note."

Do you play a guitar with a marker on the 9th or 10th fret (if so, which one?)?

thanks.

crookedpinky

All of mine have 10th fret markers. It niw seems 'right' and I dislike 9th fret markers.

pdg

In my opinion, if you are used to the 9th fret marker and find it confusing to see a 10th fret marker, and especially if you play other styles in addition to Gypsy jazz, you should continue with the 9th fret marker. No musical purpose at all would be served by your trying to adapt; if fact, it would probably inhibit your playing. (Look at the range of guitars (even for Gypsy jazz!) that Bireli plays -- he's not worried about authenticity.)

You could keep some little circular "stickers" to use -- as a side dot -- at the 9th fret if, for some reason, you find yourself having to use a guitar with a 10th fret marker.

All arguments about which fret position marker makes the most "sense," while interesting from a learning standpoint, are beside the point for you -- you already know how to play guitar and where the notes are.

Scoredog

The only argument i can come up with for having both (which I do) is the ability to play lots of guitars comfortably on the spot in case you like to try things out.

Chiefbigeasy

@10thfretBlues

“Do you play a guitar with a marker on the 9th or 10th fret (if so, which one?)”

I should have been more clear: I am a 10th fret kinda guy.

10thfretBlues

Great!!

As a 10th fret guy, what happens when you try to play a 9th fret marked guitar?

Do you accidentally play as if the ninth were the tenth?

In other words, do you fret at the 9th expecting to hear natural tones and realize you are getting mostly flattened notes?

thanks again!

Chiefbigeasy

When I do play 9th fret marked guitars, I’m usually playing something other than Gypsy Jazz. Therefore, the style—blues, rock, folk-rock, etc.—is more focused in other parts of the neck, or the progressions and lines are simpler or more simply connected so as to guide me. I can play Allman Brothers and Stevie Ray solos all over the neck with ease on just about any guitar.

This is not to say that I’m completely flummoxed playing Gypsy Jazz on a 9th fret-marked guitar. It’s just that after studying this for years now on a Selmer or Maccaferri style guitar, it’s one less thing to think about

Lango-Django

Hey, Chief, try this... some night when you are alone in bed and can’t sleep, bring that silent guitar into your bed with you and play it in the dark.

If you are like me, amazingly enough, your fingers will somehow find their way to the very notes you want to play!

But alas, if you are like me... as soon as the lights go back on, you will forget this little midnight lesson and immediately continue to stare at your fingers as you play...

10thfretBlues

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/98991#Comment_98991

Any chance you'd explain what you dislike about 9th fret markers?

crookedpinky

It's not that I'm saying there's anthing wrong with them for other people. For me I suppose it's down to mainly playing gypsy guitars with 10th fret matkers for 10 years that I've just got used to it, it's become the expected norm. In fact in the last year or so I find that I don't need or use the markers anyway.