how can ilearn to play with out looking at my bass?

[amy_bass_inger]

hey there. i have only been playing a few months but how can i learn to play my bass without looking at it. when i try my fingers go to the wrong fret and i get that buzzing sound which i now count as an alarm telling me im doing summut wrong. please help!

[Joe Nerve]

keep practicing.

the longer and more you play the easier it will become. your musicles will begin to memorize where the frets are.

you can also shut all the lights and just keep on goin till you get it right.

[JimK]

Practice in front of a mirror...

[Matthew Bryson]

The first two words from Joe pretty much nailed it.

Based on this here:

Originally posted by amy_bass_inger
when i try (looking away) my fingers go to the wrong fret and i get that buzzing sound which i now count as an alarm telling me im doing summut wrong.

It sounds to me like your brain is already figuring it out wether you realize it or not.

[nanookanono]

AS one year beginner too, this what I feel about your problem.

For the first day, I learn bass reading F key whith partitions from my teacher Bruno Chaza.
(Nice to know on http://brunochaza.free.fr/homepage.htm )

I got so much work looking the page, I could'nt do anything else, as looking a mirror or drinking some beer for example

So I play sitting down, for the wild look on stage
I'll wait further.

Best regards
Sylvain ( nanookanono )

[brianrost]

Looking at the neck is ONLY a problem if you need to sight read music...can't look at the music and neck both!

Other than that, if you can play your ass off who cares if you look at the neck

[wulf]

Having to look at the neck also prevents you from having any eye contact with the rest of the band or the audience.

Actually, the best solution is probably to work on reading music (even if it's only to the level of jamming through chord charts... although going beyond that would be advisable). That way you learn to play without having to watch what you're doing and you develop another useful skill to boot.

Wulf

[bassplayer7]

try playing nothing but scales in different positions for about 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour a day. This will 'train' your hand to go just where you want it to go, and there's the added plus of memorizing the note locations on your fingerboard.

just my opinion, it worked for me!

[bassmantele]

Get your metronome out. Set it for much slower than you would normally play. Then play one scale or arpeggio over and over. Play it perfectly, no buzz, perfect time, perfect tone. When you start to feel it's too easy to go on playing, then sneak your eyes away. How did you do? Gradually, you'll start making fewer errors when you look away. Then come back in a few years and tell us how you're doing.

[nonsqtr]

Close your eyes. Seriously. That's the fastest way to learn to feel your way around the fingerboard and neck.

It's especially helpful with a fretless.

When you're first starting, it helps to divide your time equally between playing alone, and playing along with the radio (or your favorite CD, or whatever).

[kirbywrx]

Originally posted by JimK
Practice in front of a mirror...

Ill second that. I cant tell weather or not there was sarcasm in that post or not, but it really helps