Low light playing

[Roscoe1]

Hello to all. Question: What have you all done for lighting when gigging in low light situations? I play in a duo and most of the time I am seated on a stool when playing the acoustic and singing. When it gets dark and in some low light venues, I need to see my fret board better. I thought about attaching an adjustable reading lamp to my mic stand directed downward at my guitar. I was hoping that you all may have a better suggestion. Thank you.

[Pnewsom]

Practice with in the dark until you no longer need to see your fret board.

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by Pnewsom

Practice with in the dark until you no longer need to see your fret board.

This is wonderful advice. Looking at the frets keeps you from making eye contact with the audience, which is honestly what you ought to be doing, especially when you're singing.

For many of us, looking at the fret board is just a bad habit. We perform that way because we practice that way. It's a natural thing to look at the frets when you're first working out a song, but then there needs to be a second level of learning a song where you are no longer watching your fingers.

[MThomson]

Considering these for a custom guitar - glow in the dark fretboard markers

https://luminlay.com/

[rmp]

go with a Miners Helmet! you'll be all the rage!

[Chipotle]

The side dots are more important than anything on the face of the fretboard. My gigging guitar has super-tiny side markers that vanish in low light, so I installed larger dots with decals. You can probably find glow-in-the-dark side marker dots too, as well as get larger and/or glow-in-the-dark markers permanently installed as well.

The only other thing I can think of is bringing along another stand and a light for yourself. If you play small venues with one speaker high and behind, you might be able to mount a light to that.

[jseth]

Well, a bit of ambient lighting would be just the thing... I've seen folks use candles, sometimes in decorative bags placed around the stage... of course, some "real" lighting would work, but,,, too much of pita for me to deal with...

I use my side markers a lot - I'm 69 and the yes are still good, but not as good as they once were! Funny, I had James Goodall build me a sweet little Grand Concert; I had all the woods figured out and I decided that I "didn't need" fretboard position markers... after all, I've been playing forever, I'm pretty darned good at it, I don't have to look at my fretboard when I play (normally)...

Come to find out that, in low light? I had a heck of a time with that aspect of that guitar. It was "just enough different" from my main guitar of 35 years that I was thrown off entirely when it got too dark!

Anyway... use your position markers if you have to - always better to have the feel and touch dialed in so well that looking at your fretboard isn't all that necessary...

[hotroad]

There are all kinds of lighting that attaches to your mic or music stand. The lighting is focused and strong enough to light up music or your guitar neck if needed without blinding you. I use two of them on my music stand or accessories or mic stand. Just google musician lights. Orchestra and ensemble musicians use them all the time.

[rllink]

A friend that I've sang with has a little light that is on his music stand. He keeps the stand low and to one side, just to look at it he needs to. The glow from the light is cool from the audience view and he can change the colors. I use a tablet in much the same manner, low and to the side. I get the same effect from the screen. I don't look at the fretboard or the tablet all the time, but it is good to have that reference.

[Kitkatjoe]

Originally Posted by Roscoe1

Hello to all. Question: What have you all done for lighting when gigging in low light situations? I play in a duo and most of the time I am seated on a stool when playing the acoustic and singing. When it gets dark and in some low light venues, I need to see my fret board better. I thought about attaching an adjustable reading lamp to my mic stand directed downward at my guitar. I was hoping that you all may have a better suggestion. Thank you.

Could you get where you don’t need to look at the fretboard as much?

[Roscoe1]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

This is wonderful advice. Looking at the frets keeps you from making eye contact with the audience, which is honestly what you ought to be doing, especially when you're singing.

For many of us, looking at the fret board is just a bad habit. We perform that way because we practice that way. It's a natural thing to look at the frets when you're first working out a song, but then there needs to be a second level of learning a song where you are no longer watching your fingers.

I agree it's great advice. I actually used to do that (practice in the dark). I do not have an issue until I have to move very quickly up the neck to take a solo. That's when I like to see where I am going. Watching my fret hand is not an issue until I slide way up for the solo (although, I do tend to watch my left hand when I play bass). Once I am there, I am fine. It happened to me twice on one song last weekend......and it was actually on my Telecaster with a mahogany fret board. I guess it's the reassurance of being able to see now that I made a couple boo-boos.....haha. Thank you for the response.

[Roscoe1]

Originally Posted by Kitkatjoe

Could you get where you don’t need to look at the fretboard as much?

I don't look at the fret board until I have to take a solo. Then I do tend to look at the fret board until the solo is over sometimes.....depends on how fast the solo is (I think). Thanks for the reply.

[Roscoe1]

Originally Posted by rllink

A friend that I've sang with has a little light that is on his music stand. He keeps the stand low and to one side, just to look at it he needs to. The glow from the light is cool from the audience view and he can change the colors. I use a tablet in much the same manner, low and to the side. I get the same effect from the screen. I don't look at the fretboard or the tablet all the time, but it is good to have that reference.

This was kind of my idea too. I could clip a small reading light to the stand my mixing board is on. Thank you for the reply.

[Roscoe1]

Originally Posted by hotroad

There are all kinds of lighting that attaches to your mic or music stand. The lighting is focused and strong enough to light up music or your guitar neck if needed without blinding you. I use two of them on my music stand or accessories or mic stand. Just google musician lights. Orchestra and ensemble musicians use them all the time.

Thank you.....this may be a better option for me than a reading light.

[fitness1]

Picked up one of these a while back - a great option for many scenarios....probably work great for your needs.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1