Playing Guitar Without Looking?

**djangoles** · 06-03-2011, 11:33 AM

So I have a pretty big gig coming up in a few weeks....the catch is I and my other bandmates have to wear masks, (it's a Eyes Wide Shut type gig, hahaha, just kidding...) no, but it is a costume party.

Anyhow the masks we decided on are very difficult to see out of and I know it's going to be dark and hot at the gig, so looking at the fretboard is not an option (I'm a fretboard starer). Luckily I know the tunes very well and there are not too many difficult sections...

To get to my point, I started practicing the set with the mask on the other night, in the dark and no AC... (I live on the 6th FL in NYC and it's been pretty hot lately.) After the initial disorientation I started to get really comfortable and was playing lines and ideas I normally wouldn't have. So I'm starting to think this may be a good thing and may just start to do it all the time, no looking at patterns and shapes, just ears. Anyone else have this type of awakening (sans mask obviously)???

**mr. beaumont** · 06-03-2011, 12:06 PM

It's cliche, but you know i'm "feeling it" when the eyes close, the head tilts slightly skyward, and the mouth hangs open a little.

**hot ford coupe** · 06-03-2011, 12:28 PM

I never look at the fretboard when I'm playing. It's just too disgusting to look at.

**djangoles** · 06-03-2011, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by hot ford coupe

I never look at the fretboard when I'm playing. It's just too disgusting to look at.

i had someone say the other day "you should clean your guitar, it's filthy"....my reply " Why? I like it dirty"

**hot ford coupe** · 06-03-2011, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by djangoles

i had someone say the other day "you should clean your guitar, it's filthy"....my reply " Why? I like it dirty"

In my case, the guitar is clean but the sight of my fingers always going tin the wrong place and getting tangled up makes me sick so I don't look,

**lindydanny** · 06-03-2011, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

It's cliche, but you know i'm "feeling it" when the eyes close, the head tilts slightly skyward, and the mouth hangs open a little.

And then a couple of shakes and I wash my hands...

Seriously, though, I've heard that playing without looking is an important thing. And I say thing rather than technique because I really don't know what to call it. I would assume that shutting doing one sense would open up others.

~DB

**hot ford coupe** · 06-03-2011, 03:02 PM

One reason I try to play without looking at the board is because I usually play out of a book. I never needed to memorize the songs and it's convenient to have the words in front of me. When I look at the guitar, I can't see my music and I lose my place. Same thing when I'm trying to practice my sight reading.

**ingreen** · 06-03-2011, 04:26 PM

I don't look because my left hand is uglier than my right ... *

* stolen from a comedy bit I heard decades ago that was built around this idea.

**docbop** · 06-03-2011, 05:10 PM

I got into practice/playing in the dark at night before I would go to bed. I started after a Joe Diorio clinic on creativity. As Joe put it helps you develop a feel for your instrument as well and keeping you from playing familiar patterns. It helps with playing what you hear in your head because you start developing that "feel" moving around in intervals/sounds. You also think more about phrasing. Plus it really is relaxing and its just you and the sound.

So lots of benefits to practice and just playing in the dark.

**wizard3739** · 06-03-2011, 05:56 PM

The last guitar I bought was a Sadowsky Jim Hall signature model. It does not have fret markers and that worried me for a while. In truth it was a benefit for me because It soon became comfortable for me to play and associate the fretboard with sound and not markers. I also began to rely more on playing by ear and I seem to get better improv lines that way.

wiz

**MarkRhodes** · 06-03-2011, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by hot ford coupe

One reason I try to play without looking at the board is because I usually play out of a book. I never needed to memorize the songs and it's convenient to have the words in front of me. When I look at the guitar, I can't see my music and I lose my place. Same thing when I'm trying to practice my sight reading.

Yeah, I know about that. Since I write songs, I don't have about sheet music for them (--I always put off writing them down on manuscript paper, but I force myself to now and then, though even then, I don't look at them to play from, unless I've totally forgotten an intro or something and then I just need a glance.) But when learning tunes from the Real Book (or solos from Mickey Baker) I've got to play while reading---it's taken some getting used to, let me tell you. I'll be better off when I get this down.

**jazzbow** · 06-05-2011, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by wizard3739

The last guitar I bought was a Sadowsky Jim Hall signature model. It does not have fret markers and that worried me for a while. In truth it was a benefit for me because It soon became comfortable for me to play and associate the fretboard with sound and not markers. I also began to rely more on playing by ear and I seem to get better improv lines that way.

wiz

+ 1 on that one, me guitar has no fretboard markers just side dots. When I'm at a session and I say to the other guitarist 'Play this' I forget there is no reference points from his aspect and he fluffs all over the place

**jazzbow** · 06-05-2011, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by lindydanny

I've heard that playing without looking is an important thing. And I say thing rather than technique because I really don't know what to call it. I would assume that shutting doing one sense would open up others.

~DB

I can verify this with a few beginners I have on my books, it seems there is a nano-second delay between sight, sound and syncopation which in turn leads to a bum note! If I write down in tab or chord boxes the piece we're working on and get them to look at it as they play this then all is smooth. With one guy I make him practice strumming patterns with his eyes closed he plays really well and as soon as he looks at his hands then it's all over.
Always trust your ears first.

**Reg** · 06-05-2011, 12:21 PM

As some point... eyes need to get off neck... looks really bad and when you sightread... it really becomes a problem....

**ronjazz** · 06-05-2011, 10:16 PM

Practicing and playing in the dark is a good start. Playing without looking at the neck is necessary for good sight-reading, but, more importantly, for following a leader or conductor.

TommyD · 06-08-2011, 12:09 AM

If you go to your gig and do your regular thing - looking at the fret board - even though you can't see it, chances are that your muscle memory combined with your regular posture, guitar-position, etc, will see you through. You may surprise yourself.
Tommy_