I'd rather look at the fret/fingerboard than throw out clams. *shrug* Audience isn't likely looking at me anyway.
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Old guys watching their left hands
- Thread starter BigLakeBass
- Start date
When I play live I like to look around at the crowd and interact with the other guys in the band... Then there's my avatar. Caught in the act!
That's why I just thump open strings like Kip Winger! You don't need to look at anything! 
Who else you gonna find around here?
You forgot “doesn’t listen to any music that came out after high school”.If you don't wear shorts, flip-flops and Hawaiian shirts and look at your fretting hand while you play your P Bass with tort and flats, are you even a talk bass member?
Whatever it takes to make the sound right, I’d take that over a “good show” any day. Besides, we’re ONLY bass players. We get little to no stage love…
I'm noodling/wanking away on my bass one day when my wife sees me and asks "Why are you looking at the fretboard?". She grew up playing violin and learned not to look at the strings as she was reading music. I didn't really have an answer other than "I've always done it unless I'm singing." She replied "I can help with that." At which point she turned off the light and closed the door on her way out of the room.
Well, I'm and "old guy" and I definitely look sometimes. Not a lot. But a quick peek, for maybe a couple of seconds every minute or so, just reassures me. Probably more psychological than anything, although if I'm playing something that has a very radical move up or down the fretboard I do prefer to watch my hand to make sure I land in the right spot.
All that said, for the 90% of the time I'm not looking at my left hand, I probably spend as much time looking at the other people in the band as I do making eye contact with the audience. Sometimes one of them will do something crazy and I don't want to miss it.
All that said, for the 90% of the time I'm not looking at my left hand, I probably spend as much time looking at the other people in the band as I do making eye contact with the audience. Sometimes one of them will do something crazy and I don't want to miss it.
JazznFunk
Supporting Member
Balance. It's about balance. On double bass, you have physical landmarks and tactile reminders of where you are, in addition to your ears. On electric bass -particularly fretless - it's a wide open freeway with few physical landmarks. While you should not STARE at the neck, occasionally you have to look to ensure you make a position shift properly and accurately. Sometimes, if you can't hear yourself on stage, a visual reference is sometimes the only thing you have to go on to guide you as a tactile/visual replacement for being able to hear well. Music can and does involve ALL of the senses at times.
You should know the tunes and your instrument well enough to where you shouldn't have to stare constantly at the neck... but I'm firmly against the absolutist notion that looking at the neck at all makes you a 'bad musician.' The end goal is to be solid, be accurate, and to present the music in the best way possible. If that means sneaking a peek at the neck to do it, so be it.
You should know the tunes and your instrument well enough to where you shouldn't have to stare constantly at the neck... but I'm firmly against the absolutist notion that looking at the neck at all makes you a 'bad musician.' The end goal is to be solid, be accurate, and to present the music in the best way possible. If that means sneaking a peek at the neck to do it, so be it.
I think we all (generally) started out looking at our left hand when playing...if there was no reason to break the habit, it can be a tough one to break. If you have to actively read charts or notation (or sing), breaking the habit of watching your left hand is really valuable. I made some specific effort to break this habit for the most part and practice landing on different notes without looking. I TRY to only look at the fretboard if I am doing a big jump (e.g. moving from third fret to some position near 12th or higher very quickly). I look where I am going, not where I am.
That said, if I do not have an audience to engage with or notes / lyrics to read, I do still find myself looking down at that fretting hand on occasion.
That said, if I do not have an audience to engage with or notes / lyrics to read, I do still find myself looking down at that fretting hand on occasion.
Lowendtech
Happily trending in my own peculiar direction.
Bassist looks like he just found out that it’s boiled Brussels sprouts for dinner.
Which is totally understandable.
Totally guilty of lookin at my mitt, but I also look at the drummers kick foot, the guitarists, the keys/horn player, the singer, and the crowd. So I don’t bother myself much about it. Mostly when a position change is coming up.
I close my eyes mostly when I play. So I am rarely looking at my fretting hand.
But if the lights go out somehow that causes issues for me. I guess I look for big position shifts but it’s subconscious or something.
I feel like a cheese ball if I force a smile for the audience, so I don’t do that. But lots of people have told me I look very happy while playing, and that’s when I am not thinking about it, so maybe not forcing it is ok.
But if the lights go out somehow that causes issues for me. I guess I look for big position shifts but it’s subconscious or something.
I feel like a cheese ball if I force a smile for the audience, so I don’t do that. But lots of people have told me I look very happy while playing, and that’s when I am not thinking about it, so maybe not forcing it is ok.
I had to break the habit because I started singing lead on a few songs. Still look when I go to the 17th fret to play the signature lick in "Bad Case of Loving You." Besides, I do a lot of eye contact with the drummer.
Geez, I'm just glad I got past needing to look at my right hand!
(And yes, I play righty)
(And yes, I play righty)
That bassist it responsible for this icon…true story. AtozBassist looks like he just found out that it’s boiled Brussels sprouts for dinner.
Which is totally understandable.
Totally guilty of lookin at my mitt, but I also look at the drummers kick foot, the guitarists, the keys/horn player, the singer, and the crowd. So I don’t bother myself much about it. Mostly when a position change is coming up.
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I used to close my eyes a lot in a blues band….
Once…when I opened them there were different people standing in front of me…ha!
