Or FRIGGIN GO SEE !

On my HarpejjiK24...

HarpejjiK24.....now the wife wants one, so add $5k to my eventual losses....no interest in the Stick, but I'm dying to make music with her.

I'll be quite honest, I have no idea where the notes are on any instrument outside of a few names of strings, since I play by ear as opposed to notes or written down music BUT to me it is ultra important to know your fingerboard inside and out - know all the octaves, know all the relationships between and with [in my case...] the sounds that are made at each fret location.

I realize this could be viewed as a huge handicap, but for me when I spent quite a bit of time in studios in NYC during the early/mid 1990s, the fact that I saw and heard things from a different approach, a different angle - since my playing would be based on what I thought sounded right, or what I thought would work - as opposed to knowing the correct notes - this enabled me to have, so I was told anyway... a very adventurous, original style on the electric bass, which also displayed much feeling and emotion.

These days, I love playing my mid 1980s Ironwood, in Classic tuning - but as to what I am doing with it, that I could not tell you - except that to me it sounds most pleasing

So, my answer to you is if you want to learn the notes, if you see yourself wanting to play covers... then this is probably necessary, but to me if you are seeking to be a player with a more unique, individual original voice, then to me anyway... I think it's more important to really know your instrument inside and out from a sonic standpoint vs written/notes/etc.... and don't be afraid to think outside the box !!

Either way, Play and Have Fun.