Playing eyes closed

[Magthegrate]

Posting this in off topic becuase maybe there is whiskey involved and nobody should read this.

But! my guitarist was making fun of me because, in his words, "you know, you don't actually have to look at your fretboard to play, you now?"

And he was right, when I paid attention, I was keeping my eyes glued to my fretting hand. SO! tonight, I practiced my set list wiht my eyes closed. just to (not)see if I could do it. Turns out I could! right up until I got to my cover of Santana's "smooth" then I failed miserably. I mean terribly. It moves around too much for me. but it gives me something to work on!

so point taken, every so often, don't look at your fret board. you might surprise yourself!

 

[Stumbo]

Posting this in off topic becuase maybe there is whiskey involved and nobody should read this.

But! my guitarist was making fun of me because, in his words, "you know, you don't actually have to look at your fretboard to play, you now?"

And he was right, when I paid attention, I was keeping my eyes glued to my fretting hand. SO! tonight, I practiced my set list wiht my eyes closed. just to (not)see if I could do it. Turns out I could! right up until I got to my cover of Santana's "smooth" then I failed miserably. I mean terribly. It moves around too much for me. but it gives me something to work on!

so point taken, every so often, don't look at your fret board. you might surprise yourself!

I had glued eye balls too.

Good to look up and see what's going on!

Maybe somebody is checking you out.

 

[cheapbasslovin]

Audience members like interacting with you, even if it's wierd and you feel like you're piercing each other's soul at first. Looking up will make you a better performer.

 

[blastoff99]

Oh, I gotta stare it down. I never know when someone will come along and move stuff. Like the frets. Or how the neck works. Or which strings are where. I mean, if I keep staring at it then I'll KNOW that everything's where it's supposed to be.

Although... I figured out a lot of years ago that I don't need to adjust my outside mirrors so that I can see my car while driving, and nobody's stolen my car while I'm going down the road yet, so I guess that's worked out ok. Hmmm. Now you got me thinkin' and all that.

 

[Magthegrate]

Turns out I can't play "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire eyes closed either.

But any set that includes those two songs is a win in my book anyways.

And, maybe pracitce with whiskey doesn't count as practice anyway. ha!

 

[Stumbo]

Neck Gazers United (NGU), a new TB club!

 

[TOOL460002]

It's one of those muscle memory skills you can build up but lose easily. At one point I could. Now I cant. Same with tuning. Used to be able to do it by ear. Stopped practicing. Now I'm lost without a tuner. Gonna be hard practicing with whiskey though!

 

[Stumbo]

It's one of those muscle memory skills you can build up but lose easily. At one point I could. Now I cant. Same with tuning. Used to be able to do it by ear. Stopped practicing. Now I'm lost without a tuner. Gonna be hard practicing with whiskey though!

Whiskey>muscle memory.

 

[Magthegrate]

I still adjust my mirrors so i can see my car... and I drive a fire truck. lols!

 

[Stumbo]

I still adjust my mirrors so i can see my car... and I drive a fire truck. lols!

Me too(the mirrors that is). Just the edge seems to give my brain some perspective.

 

[Magthegrate]

practicing with whisky (12 year Aberfeldy scotch actually) is just fun. I'd never try to pull that off with actual bandmates in the room!

 

[cheapbasslovin]

There's a lot of songs I can't get through all the way without a glance to reset my comfort level, but as long as you can keep your eyes up whenever your hand position is static you'll be doing fine.

 

[Jeff Scott]

my guitarist was making fun of me because, in his words, "you know, you don't actually have to look at your fretboard to play, you now?"

And he was right, when I paid attention, I was keeping my eyes glued to my fretting hand. SO! tonight, I practiced my set list wiht my eyes closed. just to (not)see if I could do it. Turns out I could!

Okay, now you're ready for that unlined fretless you been want for, like, forever.

This thread is about music, why's it in Oh Tee?

 

[Magthegrate]

Okay, now you're ready for that unlined fretless you been want for, like, forever.

This thread is about music, why's it in Oh Tee?

I have me a lined fretless, but it's a $150 byoguitar kit that I built and then (with more whiskey) took the frets out at around 1am one night with a small rubber mallet, screwdriver, and pliers. Filled it up with wood putty and sanded it the next day.

Pretty decent build, but absolute garbage pups. Maybe I'll fix that one day,

Oh Tee, becaues i tend to ramble when there's booze involved

 

[TOOL460002]

I still adjust my mirrors so i can see my car... and I drive a fire truck. lols!

Hey man, my house burned down. Do I have a law suit? I'm gonna blame mirrors and make out like a bandit!

 

[dwm74]

Not a 'pro' by any means but that is one thing I'm proficient at...playing entire songs while rarely looking at the fretboard. Especially with chords. Playing without looking is something I practice but it still comes rather easily for many songs I play.

 

[LBS-bass]

I also do this but I'm finding it harder to maintain, as I'm doing more and more shows where I need to read and follow chord charts. There's nothing worse than having a chart in front of me, playing the parts I remember by ear, and then trying to find that passage coming up that I don't remember well on the chart. This has been good training for getting my eyes away from the neck and concentrating on the chart, instead.

 

[buldog5151bass]

You are putting on a show, remember that. Nothing wrong with glancing down, but...

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Not looking at the neck or charts sometimes comes naturally and sometimes I have to tell myself to not look. Depends on how I learned the song. If I learned off of a chord chart I tend to stare at whether I need it or not.

 

[saabfender]

If you are fretboard gazing, you can't watch the drummer, making sure he's keeping it between the lines and shiny side up. And the audience can't enjoy your beautiful smile. My mom taught me the last part.