Playing eyes closed

[bolophonic]

I have always been kind of a board-gazer, but I have strived to make improvements in the last few years. Part of that has involved playing unplugged in the dark after my wife and kids are in bed.

As far as live performances go, I generally try to choreograph my lines so that I can stare out at the audience during the simpler parts and peek at the frets when something flashy or complex pops up, so it doesn't look like I'm still learning my own bass lines.

 

[T_Bone_TL]

Ms. Blue took it up a notch last year, with positive results.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

I used to do it all the time, but as I sang more and more I found that's just not possible. Can't be singing into a mic while looking down at the neck.

 

[mrcbass]

I'm pretty guilty of this, which is the main reason I like having the drummer on my left. I'm getting better and doing BG vocals will really forces me get out of the habit - at least a little. I play fretless in my jazz project, so it's pretty important. I dusted my fretted bass of for my new cover/bar band project because of the vocal work.

I do find that looking at the fret board helps to keep me a little focused on mundane lines, but I find that I close my eyes when singing and playing sometimes just to cut down the sensory input from the eyes - focusing on a bass line and keeping my voice in tune requires every ounce of concentration I've got.

But it really is amazing some of the lines that I play with out looking sometimes - and equally amazing how I can't do it with some simple lines.

 

[Gaolee]

Synching up with the best butt in the room is all the incentive I needed to look up.

 

[fhm555]

I occasionally watch my left hand but never my right, even though my right is subject to move from up on the fretboard to just behind the bridge pickup, often multiple times in the same song, but i never need to look at.

 

[Bob_Ross]

One of the most memorable moments -- and important lessons -- when I was an undergrad in music school was when an ensemble teacher turned out the lights in the room where the band was playing. The first time he did it a trainwreck ensued. Then he talked about how we need to be able to feel our way around our instruments, develop the body-awareness/muscle-memory necessary to play in darkness so that it would free our minds from visual distraction, yadda-yadda-yadda...

...and then he added "Plus, most lighting directors are idiots, so this will happen at least once per show."

 

[rtslinger]

Sorry I thought this was a thread about playing with your eyes closed
at which point I would be guilty of for years

1980

today ha ha ha

 

[MJ5150]

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

==What topics should be posted here?==

This forum is for non-music-related discussion. Any discussions regarding music, even if it doesn’t pertain to the bass, '''belong in another forum'''. If no other forums fit your music-related thread, it belongs in Miscellaneous[BG] and not in Off Topic[BG].

Source: =-=-=-=OFF TOPIC FORUM RULES: READ BEFORE YOU POST=-=-=-=

-Mike

 

[Magthegrate]

==What topics should be posted here?==

This forum is for non-music-related discussion. Any discussions regarding music, even if it doesn’t pertain to the bass, '''belong in another forum'''. If no other forums fit your music-related thread, it belongs in Miscellaneous[BG] and not in Off Topic[BG].

Source: =-=-=-=OFF TOPIC FORUM RULES: READ BEFORE YOU POST=-=-=-=

-Mike

Point taken. I shall accepting my beating with a bowed head. No excuse, but it was late at night, I wasn't exactly in a thinking state of mind, and I knew it wasn't a serious discussion so this seemed a good spot.

If any admin wants to move it miscellaneous, I wouldn't be offended. Or it can die a slow death here

 

[S-Bigbottom]

I never look at my frets, I have angled frets and my claw just naturally lands where it needs to be.
Will occasionally glance at the markers on the top of the neck as a quick reference, but once the bass is picked up I never see the frets until it is back on its stand.

Now with them weird parallel frets I look, them things are not natural.

 

[EatS1stBassist]

When I was young I practiced with my eyes closed. In case I would have to sing. Helped with hearing. Listening without distractions. Got in an argument with bl over it. He said it looked like I was sleeping. Being able to play without looking served me well one night when my bass stopped working. I had to run home and grab the only other bass I had at the time a Fretless. With zero hours on Fretless I was able to play the gig with no mistakes. Listening/hearing.

 

[mohrds]

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

Nonsense! Whiskey improves everything!

 

[mohrds]

I used to do it all the time, but as I sang more and more I found that's just not possible. Can't be singing into a mic while looking down at the neck.

You can if you use a headset

 

[two fingers]

I used to do it all the time, but as I sang more and more I found that's just not possible. Can't be singing into a mic while looking down at the neck.

This exactly. Singing broke my habit of board gazing. These days, I'm singing lead or backups so often I rarely get to look at the board.

Recently, at a rehearsal, I broke out my 5 string P bass (doesn't get much love these days). About an hour in I looked down and said to myself "Crap! I almost forgot I was playing the P bass!"

 

[TolerancEJ]

You don't need to close your eyes. Looking around the crowd / room is fine too.

This is somewhat safe too. Who knows? Maybe you'll need to duck a beer bottle thrown toward the starge. You won't see that coming if you're staring at the fretboard.

 

[Biggbass]

If you sweat hard enough playing with closed eyes is a necessity.

 

[Bassball Fever]

I was lucky in this regard. When I started I was dealing with a facial paralysis and couldn't open my eyes without using my finger. So I played with my eyes closed. I made an attachment for my glasses last year so I could start using both hands and see at the same time. They do slip once in a while, so my eyes will be closed until I can adjust them again.

 

[beans-on-toast]

Listening with your eyes closed helps you to concentrate.