Hoya Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 I've been making a conscious effort lately to practice playing guitar with my eyes closed - and I'm really bad at it! When I play, I don't have to necessarily stare at the fret board, but it needs to be somewhere in my peripheral vision or I get tend to get lost. Do any of you have this "issue"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 I try to not look, but some times I need to. If I'm on the couch just noodling, its often with my eyes closed. But any serious playing, I have to glance at it. NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Ermm, not much.. I need to look sometimes but I will often sit and play and say watch TV at the same time :) When I was in a band we used to turn the lights off in the practice room just for a laugh... sometimes we got it spot on, sometimes we didn't but it was always funny :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Depends on how complicated the part is. Years ago I used to practice in the dark on purpose. These days I close my eyes often when performing - not consciously, but it seems to happen. But if it's a tricky part that involves moving a bunch of frets I will be looking for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Done it (both ways) for years! And...I'm still BAD! And, not as in "Bad=Good" either! One advantage is, that you can't see the faces people make, with your eyes closed! But, of course they can see your "faces," just fine. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Yes, I certainly have a higher percentage when looking. Without looking I'm usually ok in the first position. Gets more difficult down the neck. Find I just have to break it down and learn it by measure, through repetition. With a familiar song. Tangent... I've found a beneficial part of my "practicing" (supplemental to real practicing) is sitting on the couch watching a TV show I'm interested in and letting my semi-subconscious play the guitar. I find I'm much more creative that way than if I sit down and try to be creative. I hope, over time, the couch potato TV noodling enables me to get in touch with my creative side. Of course, the real risk is the only "creative" thing that might come of it is inventing a cup holder/capo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoya Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 Yes, I certainly have a higher percentage when looking. Without looking I'm usually ok in the first position. Gets more difficult down the neck. Find I just have to break it down and learn it by measure, through repetition. With a familiar song. Tangent... I've found a beneficial part of my "practicing" (supplemental to real practicing) is sitting on the couch watching a TV show I'm interested in and letting my semi-subconscious play the guitar. I find I'm much more creative that way than if I sit down and try to be creative. I hope, over time, the couch potato TV noodling enables me to get in touch with my creative side. Of course, the real risk is the only "creative" thing that might come of it is inventing a cup holder/capo. Thanks for your input everyone. A couple of you mentioned playing guitar while watching TV. This is one of my favorite things to do! Great time to practice and justify watching the tube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I practice while walking around the house, preferably in the morning. It's as good as eyes closed. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I do not claim to be an even "good" guitar player, but I do practice a lot. My knowledge of music and playing guitar far exceeds my ability to play. Doesn't stop me from playing. I have learned a LOT of scales. When I practice them, I practice them in two string groups, one shape beside another, vertically sixth string to first and back; then two string groups through all five shapes horizontally up and back down the neck. It has taken me years to learn major, pentatonic, blues, melodic minor, and harmonic minor scales like this. I highly recommend doing this. My point in saying this is not to blow my own horn. Like I said, I'm still only a mediocre player at best. But it is amazing how well you can learn the fretboard and hear intervals when you practice like this. And you'd be amazed how easy it is to play with your eyes closed, especially if you connect shapes horizontally. In fact, playing with your eyes closed may help to improve your playing by forcing you to focus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 ... letting my semi-subconscious play the guitar. I think this is something important. I tend to be very analytical about my own playing and try to "think" it too much. The best things happen when I just let go and "feel" it. Took me years to learn that, and I still struggle with it. I really think the best artists just "feel" their way through things. Those of us without those gifts are always trying to "think" them through - to less than stellar results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I think this is something important. I tend to be very analytical about my own playing and try to "think" it too much. The best things happen when I just let go and "feel" it. Took me years to learn that, and I still struggle with it. I really think the best artists just "feel" their way through things. Those of us without those gifts are always trying to "think" them through - to less than stellar results. Man, this really deserves a thread of its own. Thinking v. intuitive playing, and where does the music come from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoya Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 I do not claim to be an even "good" guitar player, but I do practice a lot. My knowledge of music and playing guitar far exceeds my ability to play. Doesn't stop me from playing. I have learned a LOT of scales. When I practice them, I practice them in two string groups, one shape beside another, vertically sixth string to first and back; then two string groups through all five shapes horizontally up and back down the neck. It has taken me years to learn major, pentatonic, blues, melodic minor, and harmonic minor scales like this. I highly recommend doing this. My point in saying this is not to blow my own horn. Like I said, I'm still only a mediocre player at best. But it is amazing how well you can learn the fretboard and hear intervals when you practice like this. And you'd be amazed how easy it is to play with your eyes closed, especially if you connect shapes horizontally. In fact, playing with your eyes closed may help to improve your playing by forcing you to focus. zigzag you sound a lot like the way I play too. I see the shapes and know my way up and down the neck pretty well when the scales connect. But when I have to jump up a few steps on the neck I have to look. So I've been closing my eyes and focusing on the distance. I think I might be building new synapses! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EastEnder Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Deleted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy60 Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 i only play with my eyes closed when i'm a bit wasted. at that point, eyes are useless and ears get sensitive.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 ... When I was in a band we used to turn the lights off in the practice room just for a laugh... sometimes we got it spot on, sometimes we didn't but it was always funny :) We still do this in all of my bands sometimes. It is always funny and casually embarassing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I find that if I switch between LP; Strat and Tele I'm pretty much lost for the first 20 mins or so but leaving that discussion aside for the time being... It depends to a very large extent on what I'm playing. Some stuff is so ingrained that there's no need to look - especially if it's largely chord-work or finger-picking stuff below, say, the 7th fret. Single-note stuff? Depends what I'm playing. Again if I'm doing pieces I've played for yonks it's mostly down to muscle-memory and such. Above the 7th I'd keep half-an-eye on where I start but unless I'm making it up as I go along I pretty much know where I am and where I'm going. Most of the time when playing single-note phrases, however, I have absolutely no idea about what I'm going to play next. In this situation I'd look at the pretty shapes on the 'board and try to remember what they mean. These days I find I use the side markers as much as the ones on the 'board but I still like to know where I am if I'm going 'big steps' into the unknown. But I always prefer to keep my eyes open; even if I know the piece like the back of my hand. And on the rare occasion when I've done 'open mic' I've needed to watch the other players to help me guess what is going to happen next! P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimi Mac Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Sometimes I need to look for chord changes or a lick that I have to slide into or some such thing, but I often close my eyes or look around the room and I like to look at my drummer and catch his eye and we smile at each other alot having fun... I make funny faces at him if I mess-up or if someone else does and we laugh during a tune... Sometimes I catch myself looking down out of habit. Considering my terribly thinning hair, it's not a good position/look for me, and I try to avoid it... At this veteran age I don't really get any stage fright any more. Sometimes I'm a little keyed up before a gig but I'm never scared or nervous on-stage any more... I had terrible stage-fright and butterflies when I was young and would play on-stage or in-front of people... I used to have to pound-down a few beers to build-up some liquid courage before a gig. Now if I'm feeling it (the tune/mood/groove) I often close my eyes... I also find I simply lose my sight during a performance and don't see anything. I'm lost somewhere in my head and I may be staring out and away but I'm not seeing anything... I'm totally and completely within the music/moment... I film alot of my practice sessions in my studio and play them back and find I have a habit of looking up and to the left alot and I can tell when I'm in that zone and literally am blind to my surroundings even though my eyes can be open at the time... I never tried purposely to close my eyes to play, I just let the music carry me away... Open or closed in those moments I am utterly unaware and unable to see my hands on the guitar... It's a piquant phenomenon for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I can play my tennis racquet just as good with my eyes opened or closed. If you think I can't play guitar you should see me playing tennis! [lol] All kidding aside, I never even tried to, fortunately I guess. Playing tennis, that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I guess I do this a lot.. I only need to peek at the neck if I'm heading for a landing zone well up the neck from where I'm playing at an given moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvinator Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Playing on the couch I start to doze off, so, yes, my eyes are closed. Generally for a half-hour or so. Then I wake up, which, at 68, is surprising in itself. EE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drog Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I usually don' t need to look, unless I am doing a large jump (ex. 2 - 12). Besides, I need to read those lyrics that I keep forgetting, so no time to look at my guitar, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darling67 Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Generally, I play with some sort of visual contact on the fretboard. But there are times, of course, when I pretty much know where my hands are and what's going to come out of the amp, with my eyes either closed or staring off into the abyss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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