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Black and white pianokey guitar fretboard

a black and white fretboard like the piano keyboard (see link)
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(formerly Ebony and Ivory fretboard for the Guitar)

This can be done pretty cheaply by putting strips of white tape on a dark fretboard. Or it could be done really expensively by making the actual fretboard out of the same material piano keys are made out of. Ideally each fret would be changable so you could change tunings.

The frets on the fretboard, or the space between the frets, where your finger would press down to get a certain note, say a C, would be colored the same way they are on a piano, so, the space between the second and third fret on the second lowest string of the guitar, which sounds like C, would be white like it is on the piano, and the space between the third and fourth fret which sounds C# would be black, etc. The patterns work out pretty understandably this way except for on the upper two strings because of the different interval between the G and B string, but it is still be nice to be able to look anywhere on the guitar neck and know that you could hit white frets and get a diatonic C sound

JesusHChrist, Feb 08 2005

Here's a picture http://gatesof.tvheaven.com/photo2.html
piano key fretboard [JesusHChrist, Feb 08 2005]

Keyboard guitar http://www.ke-musik...mages/Pic/AX7ny.jpg
Keyboard guitar [BartJan, Feb 09 2005]

A bit about the chromatic scale for [Loris]. http://en.wikipedia...ki/Physics_of_music
See particularly the bit marked "The temperate scale". Not just "wierd traditional rubbish". [angel, Feb 09 2005]

Advanced Polymer Fretboard http://www.optekmus...lymer_fretboard.htm
with LEDs. Shows you chords and your fave solos too! [kmlabs, Feb 16 2005]

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       Hopefully it'd be reclaimed trophy ivory or plastic.
bristolz, Feb 08 2005
  

       You can get reclaimed trophy ivory keys made, yes, but no "new" ivory keys. I don't particularly like ivory but probably just because I am not used to playing ivory. It has a distinct feel--much grippier than Thuringer or plastic. I take advantage of the slickness of the plastic in my technic but some pianists resolutely prefer ivory. If I had a 1920s era Steinway with the original ivories intact you can bet I wouldn't change the keys to plastic, though.
bristolz, Feb 08 2005
  

       I was thinking more about the look of the black and white keys than the feel of the actual material. This way you could look at the fretboard and play in c major just by fingering all the white frets.
JesusHChrist, Feb 08 2005
  

       My friend has a neat idea with guitars. I won't say what it is, though.
DesertFox, Feb 08 2005
  

       //you could look at the fretboard and play in c major just by fingering all the white frets//   

       On which string?
Shz, Feb 08 2005
  

       on whatever string your fingers were pressing against a white fret on.
JesusHChrist, Feb 08 2005
  

       I'm confused. Is each fret both black and white (striped)?
Shz, Feb 08 2005
  

       Here's a picture (see link). I appologize for not explaining very well, I seem to have a problem with words. What I mean is that the frets on the fretboard, or the space between the frets, where your finger would press down to get a certain note, say a C, would be colored the same way they are on a piano, so, the space between the second and third fret on the second lowest string of the guitar, which sounds like C, would be white like it is on the piano, and the space between the third and fourth fret which sounds C# would be black, etc. The patterns work out pretty understandably this way except for on the upper two strings because of the different interval between the G and B string, but it would still be nice to be able to look anywhere on the guitar neck and know that you could hit white frets and get a diatonic C sound.
JesusHChrist, Feb 08 2005
  

       It doesn't make it simpler but it makes learning the neck more visual - more like learning the piano.
JesusHChrist, Feb 08 2005
  

       originally called the ebony guitar, or something.
DesertFox, Feb 08 2005
  

       I see. Thank you Jesus.
Shz, Feb 09 2005
  

       wow, i think i just learned how to play the guitar. nice.
changokun, Feb 09 2005
  

       Neat... never seen that before.   

       So now instead of people getting kicked out of the music store for playing Stairway to Heaven, they'll be booted for playing knuckles or Jump on the guitar.
Giblet, Feb 09 2005
  

       Thanks chango, it nice that someone gets it.
JesusHChrist, Feb 09 2005
  

       This mainly helps you when you play in the key of C. Maybe you could make interchangable overlays to swap when you're going to play a song in a different key. It would highlight the notes in the scale of the key you're in.
robinism, Feb 09 2005
  

       \\This mainly helps you when you play in the key of C.\\ Piano players can play by sight in keys with odd visual patterns like d flat major. You arent exactly looking straight at the neck on a guitar though.
JesusHChrist, Feb 09 2005
  

       Not quite ... the idea of having six strings is that you can finger two octaves jumping across strings, with the left hand in one position.   

       The pattern of white-black-white -black-white-white etc would work only for one string, and therefore be of use only if you were playing a single stringed guitar.
neelandan, Feb 09 2005
  

       neelandan, see the link for a picture
JesusHChrist, Feb 09 2005
  

       For some reason the link will show me every picture except that one.
neelandan's right, though--it'd be more like 6 pianos, starting on (not in) different keys, each ranging an octave and a half or so.
yabba do yabba dabba, Feb 09 2005
  

       [neelandan], That was pointed out already, and answered nicely.   

       The value of these markings (as I see it) is ease of learning. It’s simple to learn music on a piano, and it’s easier to learn guitar if you know piano / music. This makes the transition even smoother by visibly mapping piano keys to the fretboard.   

       Ooh, fretboard keymap, light ‘em up...
Shz, Feb 09 2005
  

       Hmm try the link now, I put up the picture in a bunch of different formats, I'm having trouble getting my Macintosh to save graphics as .jpg or.gif
JesusHChrist, Feb 09 2005
  

       Reminds me of the eighties keyboard worn like a guitar. See link.
BartJan, Feb 09 2005
  

       I never understood why there isn't a black piano key between each white pair. Are some semitone notes unplayable or is there a half-tone between each pair, white-black or white-white?   

       Sorry this is a bit off-topic.
Loris, Feb 09 2005
  

       There is a half tone between each pair.
robinism, Feb 09 2005
  

       //There is a half tone between each pair.//   

       Thanks robinism.
Thats just twisted then. Although on reflection I'd have said that for the alternative, too. No wonder I never liked music lessons. Too much wierd traditional rubbish.
Loris, Feb 09 2005
  

       Loris: that is a good idea, to make a keyboard with just black note, white note, black note, white note all the way up, 6 white notes and 6 black notes per octave. It would certainly make it easier to transpose from key to key - you would only have to learn two keys. I think the reason the notes on a piano are arranged that way is to make it easier to learn, assuming that you are going to be playing in the modes that are made up of either all black or all white keys at first.
JesusHChrist, Feb 09 2005
  

       "make a keyboard with just black note, white note, black note, white note all the way up,"   

       But then how would you find middle C? You would need some kind of fretboard overlay.
robinism, Feb 09 2005
  

       "too much weird traditional rubbish"   

       I think it's more based on the most harmonious intervals, based on the mathmatical relationship of the frequencies. Not just tradition.
robinism, Feb 09 2005
  

       >>But then how would you find middle C?>> I guess in that case you would have to do it more by ear -- which would be a good reason to just have 12 white notes in a row, octave after octave, hard to learn the fingerings though. The greatest thing guitar distortion is that it exagerates the way notes naturally resonate with eachother -- so you can hear what natural tuning is rather than the tempered way our instruments are tuned.
JesusHChrist, Feb 09 2005
  

       >>But then how would you find middle C?>> um, well, as long as we're throwing out the same old rubbish conventions... print LETTERS on the damn keys.   

       i just wish i could give ya another bun.
changokun, Feb 14 2005
  

       - Jesus H Christ!.Stop talking shite!
gnomethang, Feb 15 2005
  

       Thanks chango -- its pretty easy to set your guitar up like this -- just get some tape the opposite color to your fret board and lay it out under the strings. Its a whole different way of playing and learning.
JesusHChrist, Feb 15 2005
  

       You'll regret using tape on your fretboard.
yabba do yabba dabba, Feb 16 2005
  

       I'm sure I remember reading years and years ago about a "learner guitar" that had LEDs embedded in the fretboard, which would light up to show you any note in any key/scale/mode you asked it to. Handy for Steve Vai enthusiasts trying to learn the E-flat Phrygian diminished 9th Mixolydian mode (or something)... actually, handy for all learners. See link.   

       Bun, btw - great idea - and yes, I get the black/white thing, different colours at one fret depending on the string - although I'm with [yabba] - don't put tape on your fretboard!
kmlabs, Feb 16 2005
  

       really? what happens if you put tape on the fretboard? It wouldn't effect the sound would it?
JesusHChrist, Feb 16 2005
  

       It would actually affect the sound, but the effect would be barely discernible. It would also affect the ease with which your fingers moved on the board, and if you eventually remove the tape, the adhesive residue would also do so, as well as damaging the finish.
angel, Feb 16 2005
  

       And if don't eventually remove the tape, you'll eventually wear through it.
yabba do yabba dabba, Feb 16 2005
  

       Mega bun. I learnt (and I use that word in the loosest possible sense) the guitar after learning (there's that word again) the piano. This would have been a help.   

       [changokan] - did you actually do this, and if so, how?
wagster, Feb 16 2005
  


 

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