When playing the bass do you look back and forth at the fretboard and pickup area? I understand that you look at the fretboard to make sure the left hand is using proper technique and placement. I find myself having to look at the pickup area to make sure I am plucking the correct strings that coincide with my left hand. My neck is starting to hurt from repeatly moving it from left to right. How does one learn how to pluck/strum the correct strings without looking at the pickup area of bass? For example, I'm able to pluck without looking at pickup area if I am going from strings E to A or D to G because it is the next string down or up but having to go from E to D or G to A is tough without looking. I appreciate any tips for a newbie bass player. Thanks.

Hi, try practising in front of a mirror, one of those long ones is best. That way you can check both hand positions without looking down all the time.

When you look down your head is slumped forward and that's a bad posture to get into. With the mirror you can see what you're doing and also keep your head up.