Studying or practicing Ear Training?  If you're a musician, you should be.  You'll find my Palm software Ear Trainer invaluable.  Also, I teach guitar lessons in Orange County, CA.  (See OCGuitarLessons.com)

(7 Playing Strings Plus 12 Sympathetic Strings)
Scalloped Frets
 
 
Seeing a video of John McLaughlin, who's had much influence on me, playing his scalloped-fretted guitar with his acoustic group, Shakti, made me curious what that was like; so I took a jig-saw, a file and some sandpaper to my acoustic's fretboard:

It was an incredibly sloppy job, but it worked.  It's a little more efficient to not be wasting a little energy flattening the flesh of the fingertip against the fretboard--all the pressure goes to the string, even if you're not pressing right behind the fret--but the most significant difference is experienced when doing bends:  You can get your fingertip positioned perfectly alongside the string to push or pull it, meanwhile experiencing none of the usual friction against the fretboard.
 

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