Hey guys,

I got an inspiration in my sleepless state.

As many of you might experience, the parts of the Stick that are closest to your eyes are the easiest, most familiar, and probably the easiest to imagine away from the instrument. Conversely, the highest frets are not only farther away, but angled quite a bit, so the patterns I've learned are slanted and harder to see on the instrument.

When we look at chords and modes on charts, we see them flat out on the page or screen, conveniently displayed for our edification. What if - and here's the BIG idea, guys - we rotated those charts in 3-D space to match our view of the instrument? Flatten them out, angle them down. Then, when looking at the chart, it matches.

What do y'all think? I should be able to cook up something in After Effects that works...

R

Worth a try, but (speaking only for myself), I don't rely on sight to establish patterns.

Yes I do look at the fretboard frequently (PS I'm utterly new to the Stick so I'm referring to electric bass, which is my primary instrument), but that's more to make sure I'm in the right place on the neck than to establish patterns.

For me, navigating the fretboard's patterns and relationships comes from visualization and muscle memory.

Having said that, hearkening back to when I was a beginner, I do recall needing to look constantly at my fingering.

a few years ago the eye doc said
"how old are you?" -- I answered 45 -- he asked "how long you been in denial?"
as he mentioned, our eyes are good for running around a savanna for about 35 years

long story short about to roll over to 50...things bout 30cm away are where I see clearly. up close looks like a Monet.


it would be pretty fun to give me an "as seen" TAB by putting vaseline on the left side of the corona wire in my printer

I feel ya. I come from a classic[al] guit background and those things don't even have markers.
It's weird - without sheet music, you look, but it can be kind of more an attention focus posture than actually visually referencing

Sometimes, after taking the Stick off of me, I hike it up on my left shoulder and play the highest frets, with the instrument inches from my face, using just my right hand of course. I play better that way, I swear, with more imaginative patterns.

R

You could try to practice in front of a mirror. I am 55 and my eyes are not the best. Using a mirror helps me a lot, alternating with playing with my eyes closed - and cheating from time to time

Ever since I was a kid (and I'm 54 now) I haven't seen anything clearly that's further from my face than about 6 inches. Therefore, I wear strong glasses. And, with my glasses on I can't see anything closer to my face than about 10 inches (and that's through the bifocal section).

When I look at the Stick near my face (with glasses on) I can't see it well - partly because it's out of focus and partly because the bottom of my glasses is in the way. If I take my glasses off I could see the neck near my face, but nothing else.

So, I like the mirror idea... I might have to try that.

BUT, do your thing, man! If it helps you, it's worthwhile.

Close your eyes and I'll kiss you. Listen, Bruce Lee once said, feeul.

Don't think