Press with just enough force to let the note ring clearly, and that’s it!  Guitar necks come with different heights of fret wire and there  are advantages and disadvantages to both tall and short frets. A neck with short frets lets the fretboard wood stop your finger from pressing any harder – but if  you rely on that, you may already be pressing too hard. Not pressing too hard on the string allows your fingers to work more efficiently, and that means faster, smoother movement. That is essential for playing the way you want to sound, with good tone, in tune and in time.

Taller frets (or a scalloped fretboard)  make string bending fairly easy. There’s plenty of space between the string and the fingerboard to let you get a good grip. Hammer-ons, pull-offs and the like are also easier. Taller frets might lead to intonation issues though from players pushing too hard (with no fingerboard to stop them) and making the note sharper than intended.  I’ve read that going to taller frets also can present a bit of a learning curve for many players. You’ll generally get longer wear out of a taller fret and you can have it dressed more often, although a fret made with harder metal (stainless steel instead of nickel) might solve that problem.

A medium-height  fret is probably a better […]