not looking at the fretboard

[anirbaf]

hejo,

since forever I hear teachers say to not look at the fretboard or keys (on a piano). so I was just playing around with it with a tune that I know fairly well by now and it worked out surprisingly well!

I would imagine playing in a band and being able to look at the other players would be quite a good incentive, neck pain might play a role… I wonder if there’s more to it and if it’s desirable to start practising “blind” when playing a tune first time or rather get away from the fretboard only after I already memorized the tune pretty good.

I’d be interested in other player’s experience so far and what you do about it if anything (:

Fab

[recdog]

Another cool topic. I don’t think it’s correct to avoid looking at the fretboard, assuming you are not playing completely by reading sheet music. I think when you have learned a piece, you want to change fingering based on muscle memory and not based on looking where you are and going to where you can see the new position on the fretboard. When making a large jump to a higher or lower position you need to visually check that location. In general, I usually gaze away but have the fretboard in my peripheral vision. I once heard in a guitar master class an exercise to look at your right hand while thinking about what your left hand is doing and also the other way around.
-Ron

[alouisa]

I like to practice not looking at the fretboard. It gives you the option of looking to fellow players, your right hand technique, sheet music and so on.

Actually I also practice sometimes with my eyes closed. I have the idea I can feel the music more this way and it also seems to improve my muscle memory.

Greetings from the Netherlands,
Alouisa

[marni11]

I also like to practice not looking at the frets, and with my eyes closed. I’m able to do a few songs with my eyes closed, just from muscle memory, like Fur Elise, Johnny B. Goode, and a few Etudes!!

[Author]

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