Looking at the frets VS not looking at the frets

Question

Is it a bad thing, if constantly look at the frets while playing? Some times I find by self curved over a body of the guitar so much, that my neck starts to hurt.

Seems, that some experienced players do not look at frets at all, while others do. Here is a great musician, for example, that looks at frets so close that it just doesn't look right http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShY50pxA_W4 :)

Should I get rid of this habit and try playing "blind", not looking at the frets? Will it give me some advantages?

Answer 1

If you feel comfortable looking at the frets I don't see any reason not to.

Much of the time, the more experienced the player, the more well developed their muscle memory/technique/knowledge of the instrument/personal style is, this gives them much more freedom to be aware of what going on around them; they are also partially trained to do this from spending much time playing with other players on and off stage; any band situation requires a certain amount of awareness of what the other players are doing.

The crux of it is; the more you know the instrument and the music your playing; the less you will look at the fret-board; deciding not to look at the fret board is not something you should have to do consciously, it will happen naturally as experience and confidence grow.

In the case of the guy in your link; he is clearly concentrating on not making a mistake; it would be interesting to see a clip of him on-stage or in another band type situation.

Answer 2

If you practice sitting down, you probably will look at the neck more than you would standing up, because the neck is right near your face when you're sitting down.

I would practice standing up, especially if your going to be gigging one day - you want to get used to playing like that.

Playing standing up will probably help your neck and back from getting as sore (I know my back gets sore when I play sitting down) and you will probably not tend to look at the neck as much (once you're comfortable with the material you're playing).

Answer 3

Looking at the frets is not a bad thing, but it will probably look strange for an artist on stage. Probably everyone looks more or less at the frets when practicing and learning new stuff, but when you are going to perform on stage, you should learn the material well enough so you don't have to look.

This is something that comes more naturally as your technique improves, and it is something that you don't need to learn specifically (as you would with a completely different style or something).

If your neck starts to hurt, it might be that you are too tense. Try to relax your shoulders when playing, and sit straighter. Your fretting hand will be at a sharper angle to the fret-board, but it will not strain your neck as much.

For classical guitarists, it is more common to look at the fretboard, even in concert.

Answer 4

If you want to play with others in a band you can't spend all your time looking at your hands, you need to look at your band mates to communicate. Little nods and mouthed words can go a long way when practicing, recording, or on stage.

Also if you want to make a connection with the audience you need to be able to look out into the crowd from time to time.

So whilst I don't see a problem with looking at your hands, you need to be comfortable enough to look around too.

If it's good enough for Jimi it's good enough for me...

Answer 5

When I first started, I would find myself constantly following my fingers on the fretboard. When I tried to look up, I'd miss notes. As time went on, though, I began to get the hang of it. I still do it a lot when I'm practicing, especially if I'm sitting down, but I've gotten better now so that, when I'm on stage, I look up at the audience at least every now and then. I find it hard to believe that most guitarists never look at the fretboard; I haven't met many people who could play a very intricate guitar solo without watching their fingers for most or all of it.

There are some good tips here for minimizing it, though. One more I'd like to add is playing blind. After you've practiced a lick or progression, try playing it looking up. Then try playing it with your eyes closed. It can be hard, but it's helped me to find my way around the fretboard.

Answer 6

When you first start playing you will have to look where your hands are. But the more you play the more you'll just instinctively know where they are which will allow you to look up and around.

So keep practising those songs until you don't even have to think about where your hands are.