Learning any instrument is an exercise in both discipline and time, not mention the dizzying array of concepts needed before one can really start confidently jamming along with buddies.
To help, the Fret Friend eases the process of learning guitar chords by allowing players to draw them directly on its cloth overlay with a marker to add a visual element to the already sonic experience. By putting these two elements together, the team behind the Fret Friend is confident that musical padawans will not only learn faster but also retain information better as well.
The Fret Friend wraps around the guitar neck beneath the strings and tightens with velcro on its back, affecting neither the grip nor the sound produced. And when the chords in question change, previous marks wash right off. Each Fret Friend goes for $25 and is expected in September 2016. The campaign will see success by raising $25,000 by March 14th, 2016.
Over the years, the accessible visual elements in video games like Guitar Hero and Rocksmith have made the process of learning guitar much easier (theoretically in the former and practically in the latter). More options are always better, and while most seek to add a digital touch to the learning process, the Fret Friend is a breath of decidedly lo-fi air. Requiring no Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or even a smartphone needed, the product is leaps and bounds better for it.