The dots on the fretboard help you to see quickly where you are. They are called fret markers. There are usually dots at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 15th frets. Double dots at the 12th and 24th frets show the octaves. It is useful if the fret markers are replicated on the side of the neck.
Do Fret Markers Stick Out Of The Fretboard?
Fret markers should not sit any higher than the fretboard. They will interfere with playing if they are not at the same level or below the face of the fretboard.
Why Have Fret Markers On The Edge Of The Guitar Neck?
As a beginner guitar player you will need to look where you are on the neck. When you know the instrument better, you will have a better sense of where you are by feel alone.
To get a good position for playing, ideally the fretboard should be pointing away from your body. This means that you cannot easily see the fret markers. This is why you’ll find it’s much easier if they are also marked on the side of the neck.
If your guitar does not have fret markers marked on the side of the neck, use stickers or a permanent marker to apply dots to the correct positions. I use some tiny sticky craft dots I had in the craft room. Whilst you could try pyrography on an unvarnished neck, a varnished neck is not suitable for this method.
It will really help you, especially in the beginning, to have the fret markers marked on the side of the neck so if there aren’t any, temporarily mark them yourself.
Why Is It Useful To Have Dots At The 5th And 7th Frets?
Knowing at a glance where the 5th and 7th frets are is really helpful when playing guitar, especially one in open tuning. This is because playing on the open strings and then fretting the 5th and 7th frets gives you three important chords that all link together.
I will explain this for open G tuning, that is G D G:
- Strumming the open strings gives you a G chord.
- Fretting the 5th string and strumming gives you a C chord.
- Strumming whilst you are fretting the 7th fret gives you a D chord.
Using just these three chords can enable you to play many songs.. 12- bar blues is based on these three chords.
Play 12- Bar Blues Using The 5th And 7th Fret Markers
- Count to yourself in fours like this: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4. Each of these groups of four is called a bar.
- Accent the 1 as you strum. Practise on the open strings until you can keep a steady beat with an accent on the first beat of each bar (the 1)
- After 4 bars of 1 2 3 4 on the open strings, change to strumming 2 bars of 1 2 3 4 whilst fretting on the 5th fret.
- Then play 2 bars of 1 2 3 4 on the open strings
- Then for the final four bars, play as you count 1 2 3 4 on the 7th fret, 1 2 3 4 on the 5th fret, 1 2 3 4 on the open strings and 1 2 3 4 on the 7th fret
Here is a summary of that information ( remember to count 1 2 3 4 for each box which represents a bar) :
| open strings | open strings * | open strings | open strings |
| 5th fret | 5th fret | open strings | open strings |
| 7th fret | 5th fret | open strings | 7th fret |
* This can also be played on the 5th fret. Try this when you have mastered the easier version.
Why Are The Double Dot Fret Markers Useful?
The double dot markers indicate an octave. It’s very useful to know where the octave is. Not only will it help you to play up an octave, but also to navigate further up the neck.
If your guitar has 24 frets or more, you will have 2 sets of double dots. This is fairly unusual for a cigar box guitar.
What Is An Octave?
An octave is an example of a musical interval. This is the difference, which our ears can detect, between the pitches of two different notes. The difference in pitch for an octave up is caused by a doubling of the speed of the sound vibrations.
This is easier to understand if you consider a guitar string.
- The higher octave note has a string that vibrates twice as fast as the lower octave.
- The vibrating part of the string is half as long for the higher octave as the lower octave.
What Does An Octave Sound Like?
As a beginner guitarist, you may not know what an octave sounds like so I will explain using the cigar box guitar tuned to G D G:
- If you play the bottom (lowest and thickest) string of your cigar box guitar without holding down any frets, you will play a G.
- Play the unfretted top string and that is also a G.
- These are both the note G, but are an octave apart.
- Fret the bottom string at the 12th fret and compare it to the open top string and you will find that they are the same note.
Why Is The 12th Fret On The Guitar Important?
A guitar string makes a note of a certain pitch depending on the length of the part of the string that vibrates. The vibrating part of the guitar string is either between the nut and the bridge or the fretting finger (or slide) and the bridge.
The 12th fret of a guitar string is exactly half way between the nut and the bridge. So fretting on the 12th fret halves the length of the string vibrating. When you half the string length, the pitch is one octave higher.
How Are Fret Markers Made?
Fret markers are often made of a contrasting wood, plastic or mother of pearl.
For a handmade guitar you can either mark fret markers with a pen, paint or pyrography or use anything which you can cut and sink into the fretboard.
For a pen, use a permanent marker rather than a biro. Use a fine paintbrush and a steady hand if painting.
Pyrography is the use of a hot implement to burn a dark mark on the wood. You can buy specialist tools or use a soldering iron.
If you use flat headed nails with very short shanks , you may need to saw off the shank. Also small buttons can be used if they are quite thin.
You can use dowelling or anything with a similar shape that can be sliced into a disc.
You can buy mother of pearl or resin inlays specially designed for the job.
How Are Fret Markers Attached To The Neck?
Decide where you will place the fret markers and mark them with a pencil. Double check that you have marked them correctly because this is a step that is difficult to undo if you get it wrong.
- You will need to carefully drill a hole slightly deeper than the thickness of the marker.
- Take care not to make the hole too big and also not too deep.
- Drill a little smaller and shallower than you think you will need and test the fit. The fret marker should fit snugly and the top should not protrude above the fretboard.
- When you are sure that the hole is the correct size, you will probably want to add a small touch of glue to ensure that the marker is secure.
- Don’t overdo the glue or you will need to sand it back once it is dry. Too much glue may also make the fret marker sit too high.
How Can I Use Pyrography For Fret Markers?
You can use a soldering iron or specialist pyrography burner that you heat to a temperature that will leave a dark circle on the wood.
We have this kit for pyrography from a woodworking shop not far from us. It was not cheap but my husband and I enjoy making decorative wooden objects.
- Use a pencil to mark the spot you will heat.
- Don’t press too hard. You can always go over a mark if it is not dark enough.
What Can I Do If I Marked The Wrong Frets?
Although you will find it annoying, it’s not impossible to cover up this mistake. Remove the marker and fill the hole. Use wood filler or dowelling. Luckily, this can be almost invisible, especially if you make your own wood filler with PVA glue and sawdust to match the fret board.
It’s probably easiest to carefully remove the marks with sandpaper if you’ve marked the wrong frets with pyrography.
Is It Really Worth The Effort Of Adding Fret Markers?
Definitely. As a beginner, the hardest thing about learning to play up and down the fret board is knowing where you are. Fret markers will help you immensely. Add temporary ones if you are worried about damaging your instrument. I think you will find that you will soon find yourself changing temporary markings to permanent.
Further Reading
To see just how useful it is to know where you are on the guitar neck try looking at some of the chord shape diagrams: