Just a basic beginner banjo question please.
How much of the neck and frets are actually visible while playing ??
I realize occasionally physical composition may affect your sight line
but typically, how much of the fretboard is visible to most players ??
Fret Vision/Location
Not much, I play sitting down always have so I tilt my banjo slight towards my body whilst learning a tune but I tend not to look at the neck once I have learned it.
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I think I need more information. Are you talking about how visible is the fretboard if you play standing up? In which case, not much, which is why you use the dots on the side of the neck.
Now, if you’re talking about how many frets you can see in your direct line of sight, the answer is also “Not much.” I figure if you’re watching your fret hand, you have about 3 to 5 frets worth of focus on the low end and 7 to 10 on the high end. That being said, this is exactly why it’s so important to learn a song so well that your eyes lead your fret hand. A perfect example of that is when I learned Red Wing. I noticed that the slide from the 7th fret to the 15th fret became smoother when my eyes were already looking at the 15th fret before the slide.
But I may be answering a question you didn’t ask, so I’ll stop here and wait for clarification.
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I tended to create fretting challenges by rolling my banjo to see the fretboard. When I ordered my smaller traveling banjo (which hangs on the wall and is played the most) I asked for a blank fretboard and just side markers. That really helped with keeping my eyes on the side dots with a resultant better position for fretting.
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Hey Mark, you did in fact answer my question.
I just wanted to clarify that not seeing the fretboard is (normal) and, as you noted,
the visual part of it is minimal.
The side dots help quite a bit but I seem to get hung up on identifying the frets
between the dots.
As such, I am considering putting temporary side markings (pinstripe) at each fret
so I can more clearly identify the position of the fret and help me to develop the proper finger/hand position.
Currently, I seem to be positioning more in the center of the fret area than close to the fret. I can instantly tell when this happens as the tone is disrupted and when I check, sure enough I’m not in the correct position.
Thanks so much for your input. Much appreciated.
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Thanks to all for your input and advice. 
Hopefully the temporary side markers will assist me in developing appropriate
fretting positions.
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Can someone please walk me thru the method for uploading a photo into a forum
discussion ? I’m not much of a techie but I would like to share a pic of the side dots I installed
to help me with fret location.
Hopefully, it may assist other beginners with the same challenge.
Thanks so much.
@kooseman Watch this video: https://www.loom.com/share/8a482be6b18b478cb6709b07301ed931?sid=cf837357-43f5-47c9-acf5-bd798df0136a
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Thanks Ben. Easy enough once you know how.
Here is the pic of the side dots I installed on my banjo neck.
It did take some time (labor of love) and a fairly steady hand/good eye.
However, if anyone is really interested just drop me a PM and I can
walk you thru the process & materials needed.
Well worth the time and effort for sure.
The dots adhere nicely, are removable, and will not harm the finish in any way.
Best of all, as you see, it provides a more visible fret location for beginners and 'ol timers like me with vision concerns. 
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