Meaning & use
a fret
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Meanings
nouncountabletechnicalmusic
One of the thin metal bars across the neck of a guitar or similar instrument.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a' or 'the' and add 's' for the plural: the first three frets.
Patterns
- press a string on a fret
- the first fret
- move up a fret
Place your finger just behind the second fret.
The guitar has twenty-two frets.
He slid his hand up the frets to play the high note.
noununcountableold-fashionedformal
A state of worry or unhappiness about something.
Grammar: Uncountable in this older use; usually appears in phrases like 'in a fret'.
Patterns
- in a fret about something
She was in a fret about the missing letter.
He spent the whole evening in a fret over the decision.
Word forms
| plural | frets |
|---|
Common combinations
- press the string behind the fret
- To get a clear note, press the string just behind the fret.
- the first fret
- That chord uses the first fret on the top string.
- fret wire
- The repair shop replaced the worn fret wire.
- fretboard
- His fingers moved quickly along the fretboard.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ridge
- A ridge is any raised line; a fret is specifically a raised bar on a musical instrument.
Word family
Commonly confused: a fret or fret? a fret or fretwork?
a fret vs fret
The noun 'fret' (a bar on a guitar) is different from the verb 'fret' (to worry). Context makes the meaning clear.
a fret vs fretwork
'Fretwork' means decorative patterns cut into wood or metal, not the bars on an instrument.
Practice
To play a clear note on the guitar, put your finger just behind the ___.
Choose one answer.
You press the string behind the fret to change the note. The string is what vibrates; the neck is the whole long part; the bridge holds the strings at the body.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a fret”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.