Had an idea: Fretboard grid with white/black squares like a piano

[Michedelic]

Yeah, basically on the fretboard there'd be black block or dot inlays underneath the string in positions where it's a sharp/flat note, and no inlay/white inlay on the natural notes. So on a 4 string it'd be 4 inlays next to each other per fret.

Is this useful at all? It could make it easier to learn or improvise when you have a visual representation like this.

Does anyone already make a bass like this?

Does anyone think it might just look cool?

How about putting LEDs under the entire fretboard and having lights go on for the notes you should play, like a beginner's electric piano? Maybe make the fretboard 20 feet long on the floor and you could dance on it like in "Splash?" Just saying....

Yeah…about that…

 

[fretno]

I like the look but unless it was on a table like a pedal steel it might be hard to navigate by viewing. Personally I don’t look at the fingerboard. I do use the side markers and other visual references but not the board so much.

 

[Hoochie Coochie Man]

I think I'm going to mark my fingerboard to look like the notes on a saxophone

I have marked my unlined fretless to look like the notes on a trombone.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

most electric bass fretboards have dots or blocks on them already. besides, just memorize the fretboard (like yiu did the alphabet, multiplication tables, etc) and you'll be fine

 

[Prodigus Filius]

I guess you could try this .

Alternate strings with White Inlays only for C major pitches on the lowest string.l obviously no inlay for open E1 D2 or C3 ( if 5 string) Black inlays only for the F#/Gb major pentatonic pitches on the next string. C major on the 3rd string and so on. Requires a 20 fret 5 string tuned EADGC to mark cover full range of pitches for C major that you have on a 20 fret bass tuned E standard or a 4 string 24 fretter would cover the range as well.


20 Fret 5 String Bass EADGC

E1 ( no inlay Duh) F1 G1 A1 B1 C2 D2 E2 F2 G2 A2 B2 C3
————————————-
F#/Gb1 G#Ab1 A#/Bb1 C#Db2 D#/Eb2 F#/Gb2 G#Ab2 A#/Bb2 C#Db3 D#/Eb3
—————————————

D2 (no inlay) E2 F2 G2 A2 B2 C3 D3 E3 F3 G3 A3

———————————————
G#/Ab2 A#/Bb2 C#/Db3 D#Eb3 F#/Gb3 G#/Ab3 A#/Bb3 C#/Db4 D#Eb4
—————————————
C3 ( no inlay ) D3 E3 F3 G3 A3 B3 C4 D4 E4 F4 G4

24 Fret bass EADG

E1 (no inlay) F1 G1 A1 B1 C2 D2 E2 F2 G2 A2 B2 C3 D3 E3
————————————-
F#/Gb1 G#Ab1 A#/Bb1 C#Db2 D#/Eb2 F#/Gb2 G#Ab2 A#/Bb2 C#Db3 D#/Eb3 F#/Gb3
—————————————

D2 (no inlay) E2 F2 G2 A2 B2 C3 D3 E3 F3 G3 A3 B3 C4 D4

———————————————
G#/Ab2 A#/Bb2 C#/Db3 D#Eb3 F#/Gb3 G#/Ab3 A#/Bb3 C#/Db4 D#Eb4 F#/Gb4 G#/Ab4
—————————————
Of course a different tuning would throw things out

If anyone was good with graphics or something could they show what that would look like

 

[lark_z]

Until you know what the chord is, you don't know where the important notes are. I don't care if they are sharp or flat, only about their relationship to the tonic.

 

[JakobT]

It seems to me that this is a solution in search of a problem. There is a reason that fretboards are designed the way they are - it works satisfactorily.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Yeah…about that…

Oh man! I was just kidding. Cannot believe someone actually went ahead and did that! I can see how he shifts it to show different scales, possibly different keys, that is just SO WRONG!

I had four or five bass lessons when I started at 18, and the guy did something like this for me, drew out the blues scale on a sheet in E, showing all notes on the fretboard that were "good to eat." I would say that why my development in early years was so slow. It's a terrible way to learn. I always wanted to play in E, which is not the greatest key on bass for so many reasons. It gave me no understanding of intervals or keys, or how to express chords, how to improvise or recognize key changes. To this day I disdain "learning by patterns" and avoid instruction along these lines.

 

[Swamp_Ronin]

Seems to be the classic solution in search of a problem.

almost every single piece of gear that comes out, i think "People will do absolutely anything in their power to not learn how to play music" haha.

 

[BassicJazzy]

almost every single piece of gear that comes out, i think "People will do absolutely anything in their power to not learn how to play music" haha.

There is a teacher on YouTube, former Berkley guy, Jim Stinnett, who is dead now five years but his channel is still up, thankfully because he's great. He often says players come to him wanting to jump straight into advanced jazz without knowing the basics, or without wanting to practice. Just get straight to the meat. Obviously, this doesn't work out well. People are lazy, want immediate gratification. I too am lazy, but I know success won't come tomorrow. Maybe by this weekend?

 

[DanDBassist]

Wouldn't every kèy have different flats or sharps? I don't see how this could work. Maybe I misunderstood the OP's intention.

 

[Malak the Mad]

There is a teacher on YouTube, former Berkley guy, Jim Stinnett, who is dead now five years but his channel is still up, thankfully because he's great. He often says players come to him wanting to jump straight into advanced jazz without knowing the basics, or without wanting to practice. Just get straight to the meat. Obviously, this doesn't work out well. People are lazy, want immediate gratification. I too am lazy, but I know success won't come tomorrow. Maybe by this weekend?

An old saying from my art-student days; "You have to learn the rules, first, before you break them."

Dunno if it originated in the world of art or not, but either way, it fits all sorts of professional situations.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Wouldn't every kèy have different flats or sharps? I don't see how this could work. Maybe I misunderstood the OP's intention.

Of course.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

The Harpejji does this but with far more strings than a bass.

 

[Akiyama]

It seems to me that this is a solution in search of a problem. There is a reason that fretboards are designed the way they are - it works satisfactorily.

Yep. The best compromise is probably the classic Keytar.