How important is it for ya'll to not look down at either your strumming hand or fretting hand when you play?
I'm on Hodge's Margaritaville lesson right now and I can get it to where I can play while making glances at my picking hand, but I'm wondering if it would be necessary to try and make myself learn to play the entire thing without looking and without any mistakes. Normally this isn't much of a problem for me, but the alternating baseline throws me off for some reason.
"Like the coldest winter chill. Heaven beside you. Hell within." -Jerry Cantrell
In my experience, looking down (using the side dots) isn't a problem.... looking down (using the fretboard markers) is! A glance now and then is only natural - but make sure you're not tipping the guitar to see where your hands are.
Checking fret position is fine, and just takes a moment - checking to see if you're on the right strings will throw off your technique, and it's something you should be able to feel with confidence.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
Checking fret position is fine, and just takes a moment - checking to see if you're on the right strings will throw off your technique, and it's something you should be able to feel with confidence.
Really? That sucks. Because I've never had a problem with fretting. But your probably right. I think the tuff part is to gain that confidence though. You miss one string and it's crushed instantly. Then doubting yourself aways makes you hit the wrong string, ALWAYS. It's a wicked downward spiral.
"Like the coldest winter chill. Heaven beside you. Hell within." -Jerry Cantrell
it comes with time, if you still have troubles at some parts then it's better to look down to prevent mistakes...that way your muscle memory learns it the correct way so you'll be able to play it without a glance in the future.
It is good to start looking away as soon as you can.
Something things I can do blindfolded, some things I glance at the fretboard for and same with picking...some things are automatic and some things I still have to look.
Like mention earlier, looking away comes with time.
If it was easy it wouldn't be worth doing.
Everybody has to look at times. If you are going from a chord at the 3rd fret to a chord at the 12th, you probably want to look. But just look long enough to make the change and then look up again. You don't want to be glued with your head down all the time.
Even the best look. Eric Clapton is famous for closing his eyes, tilting his head back and playing a sweet solo.
But he looks sometimes. :D
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
