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Joined: Jan 2011
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Apprentice
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Does anybody use one of these? http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FG507NAor its electric kin? I've been stuck in the same place on the geetar for years. I can hold my own rhythmically and have a decent knowledge of basic folk/rock chords. I accompany myself regularly but would like to add leads and fills to my playing. Do you feel the Fretlight would help with learning these skills? How about traditional flat-picking? Does it work well with BIAB? Is it just a gimmick?
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PG Music Staff
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Yes, the Fretlight is a great tool to help learn the guitar. With Band-in-a-Box, you can send all of the guitar information to the Fretlight so that you see it played on the actual Fretlight, which has LED lights on the fretboard. You can see a video of it as used in Band-in-a-Box here http://www.pgmusic.com/videos.bbwin.htm (search for the word Fretlight on that page to find the video Or go to Fretlight.com for more info.
Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
PG Music Inc.
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Mr. Rearden, if you live near Colorado Springs, I know someone who is looking to unload their Fretlight, last time I talked to him. Send me a PM, and I will contact him to see if he is still considering selling it.
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I have to discount the opinion of the salesman.
Customer looking for a new vehicle: "If I put a hitch on this Chevy Sonic will it pull my fishing boat?"
Salesman: "Putting a hitch on it will allow you to pull just about anything."
Unspoken addendum: "...about two feet in six hours"
I'm sure Peter is proficient at the instrument and its fretboard without the use of the Fretlight.
Perhaps I asked the wrong question.
As I said, I'm stuck. And from what I've read on other forums, it is a common place to be stuck at (see above).
Has anyone actually used one of these, with or without BIAB, as a bonafide learning tool?
Has anyone actually used one of these to increase their knowledge / skill?
What is your experience with this tool?
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Back in "my day" when we had to walk uphill both ways, in 6 feet of snow.....
We learned on basic acoustic guitars.... if we were fortunate, we had an electric guitar and amp as well....
All kidding aside....
While today's technology can make it easier to learn some things, it still comes down to YOU doing the hard work and putting in the hours over the months and years to become proficient. There is no substitute or short cut to that.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 09/30/14 04:09 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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I am already in enough trouble around here to provide an opinion. But I can answer your questions.
No
No
None
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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I am already in enough trouble around here to provide an opinion. But I can answer your questions.
No
No
None I don't know if I particularly care for your tone there Danny Boy. You aren't ranting, are you? 
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Believe me, I am applying the highest level of constraint possible.
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Maybe it's just me (and it probably is) but I was a little disappointed to see this latest update. It kinda struck me as taking BIAB down a notch or two, moving it from a real musical tool to well...a toy. I guess it would appeal to a broader demographic and from that standpoint it's a good marketing move. But for me, I had a sinking feel that maybe I'm getting old and that this might mean a marked change in the direction of an app that I love.
Win11, Intel i7 7700K 4.2Ghz, 32Gb RAM, 2x1Tb HD, 500Gb NVMe, BIAB/RB 2026, MOTU 828MK3 audio, MOTU Midi Express, Yamaha Montage 7, DX7II, TX802, Motif XS Rack, Roland Fantom XR Rack, Oberheim Matrix 1000, VoiceLive3 Extreme, Kontakt 6, SampleTank 4.3
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Geez. ... No need for all the doom and gloom. While most of us old farts may look down our nose at a product like Fretlight, the younger generation probably looks at it and thinks its really cool.
If it helps people learn to play, that's a good thing. And since its mostly going to be younger folks who would buy Fretlight, then that opens up a whole new group of potential customers for BIAB.
PG is smart to embrace it. Lighten up already.
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I think Fretlight is a great thing. Not for me, though - at this point, I'm happy just to stay in tune for four sets.
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My sons and friends spent hours and hours with guitar hero on the Nintendo .... oh, nevermind.
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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My sons and friends spent hours and hours with guitar hero on the Nintendo .... oh, nevermind. Go ahead......dig that hole deeper! 
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While today's technology can make it easier to learn some things, it still comes down to YOU doing the hard work and putting in the hours over the months and years to become proficient. There is no substitute or short cut to that.
Agreed. However, I have always had a divide when trying to apply the TAB found in lesson books to the fretboard. Modern tab programs like Guitar Pro and BIAB make this a bit better by allowing you to listen while it is played, but I still have to transfer to the fretboard. I was thinking this might be the tool to help me correct the disconnect. I realize it will not happen without me.
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My sons and friends spent hours and hours with guitar hero on the Nintendo ....
Yes, that is what I am trying to circumvent. Is this just a plaything? That is why I was looking for a qualified opinion (i.e. an opinion from someone who has used one; and not from someone selling). The fact that none of the responses are from someone who has actually played the thing... well, I'm not sure what that indicates.... However, there seems to be a bias (albeit not a qualified one) against the device. I am not trying to ruffle feathers here... seems like there's a hornets' nest being kicked about the thread (please excuse the mixed metaphor). This guitar is on sale for another day at Sweetwater. Bearing in mind BIAB supported the device, I thought there would be those whom have had experience with it.
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Sorry if it looked like I was messin with you. Just working out my own issues (with the help others here...).
But I do see what you are trying to do, cause I have spent the last 25 years doing something similar, trying to find a way to move ever forward with the guitar. I can tell you I bought and used almost every gizmo I could over the years. Even had a gadget which I squeezed in my hand to make my fingers stronger. I bought them all. Even BIAB! Some lasted (BIAB) but many are now in the bottom of my closet. Or sold for pennies on the dollar at a garage sale. Did they make me a better guitar player. I would have to say yes cause they keep me working at it all these years and I had fun doing it. If I was starting out again I would be first in line for a fretline. Why? Because it looks neat and I would have fun with it. But looking back much of the money may have been better spent on lessons with a pro. You Decide.
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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PRearden, sorry I do not have direct experience to share. But I have watched their videos and based on what I have seen this looks like a great product because it is built on A REAL GUITAR! The Guitar Hero comment was way off base because that device is simply a video game controller while this is A REAL GUITAR. You will almost certainly benefit from having the frets light up as you learn a new song or riff because you will not need to look back and forth from a page or screen and back to the guitar. And the fact that it is supported by BIAB is simply awesome!
The only concern I would have is the quality of the guitar itself. If it is cheaply made and will not hold tuning that would render it troublesome or possibly useless. BUT, given the vast improvements in quality for fairly cheap Chinese guitars nowadays I suspect they have based this product on a decent guitar that will play nicely in addition to having the fretlight feature.
My advice? If you wanna improve on guitar and can afford this right now grab it and enjoy it!!!
Last edited by JohnJohnJohn; 09/30/14 01:32 PM.
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If you do get one, you might want to also get a copy of GuitarPro 6 for Fretlight with it. Guitar Pro is a good program. I have versions 4 and 5, but not for Fretlight.. http://www.fretlight.com/software/gp6frToday is the last day for free GP6 with it at Sweetwater.
Last edited by bobcflatpicker; 09/30/14 01:50 PM.
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Mr. Rearden,
Tab by itself can be a distraction to learning the fretboard and note names. I was one of those that played guitar for 20+ years without really learning the fretboard. It wasn't until I started playing bass guitar, when I basically HAD to learn the fretboard.
How did I learn it? I made myself a bunch of flashcards that I kept in my backpack and quizzed myself with any down-time that I had. So, now I know the bottom 4 and top e strings on guitar without even thinking about it. Tablature did not help because I didn't force myself to learn notation at the same time as tablature telling me exactly what string/fret to push down.
Tab and 'moving tab' (which is really what fretlight is) will help you to play the correct notes, but it will not help you to learn the note names all by itself. You will have to discipline yourself to learn the note names/staff position while using the fretlight.
Again, I have a friend that is ready to unload his strat-style fretlight. It's not a bad quality instrument, but it is a lower quality instrument than if you spent the same money on a non-fretlight instrument. That's my opinion after just holding it and playing it un-plugged. Would light-up keys help you to learn to play piano better? The same can be asked about the fretlight. It's likely a bit better of a learning tool than the light-up keys keyboards, because you do have a more complicated situation with the non-linear layout of a guitar keyboard as compared to linear piano-style keyboards.
What is your learning style - is it visual, oral, tactile, etc? It could be that this might be just the ticket, or just another source of frustration for you.
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
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Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
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Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
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Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
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