Hi I was wondering where I should be looking when I am picking individual strings (I am using a pick). I try to focus my eyes on my left hand to see what strings I am pressing down but then I can't see my right hand, which makes me pick the wrong string or miss the string. Alternatively, if I focus my eyes on my right hand then my left hand cannot accurately fret the correct string. I know this is hard to explain. Am I being clear? Any advice on this? Thanks.
Hi I was wondering where I should be looking when I am picking individual strings (I am using a pick). I try to focus my eyes on my left hand to see what strings I am pressing down but then I can't see my right hand, which makes me pick the wrong string or miss the string. Alternatively, if I focus my eyes on my right hand then my left hand cannot accurately fret the correct string. I know this is hard to explain. Am I being clear? Any advice on this? Thanks.
i was just thinking the very same thing!
i have no answers... only the same question. :D
You really want to reach the point where you can play correct notes without looking - because if you have to look, you run into the problem you describe: your eyes can't be in two places at once. On top of that, needing to look means you'll angle the face of the guitar (so you can see what you're doing) which puts you in a bad position - at best, it limits your fretting hand reach, and at worst you can strain your wrist.
One drill I have students do is to look at a point in front of you, and call out random numbers from 1 to 6. Whatever number you call, pick that string. After a few minutes a day, you'll be finding the proper string every time - and that'll be really handy when you get into cross-picking.
The fretting hand is even easier - just play some scales. At first, go up and down the scale; after you can fret the notes cleanly in order without looking, start playing them in intervals like thirds - that gets you moving from string to string.
3-4 weeks invested in developing these skills will pay off in spades for you down the road.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
Hey there and Welcome to GN.
Ultimately your goal is to look up and your audience.. real or imaginary be it the girls/guys in your posters, your dogs or 40000 screaming fans... :)
How do you get there?
Finger Exercises... Practice.... Finger Exercises and more exercises.
I know that seems to be the mantra in this forum, only because its true.
With finger exercises of any combination over all six strings your hands and muscle memory will.....very quickly..... know where all those strings are and you'll be able to get the feel of where you are. Be it on the High E string or the G String or the D string.
I remember when I first noticed that I wasn't looking where I was picking anymore.... That was a big hurdle for me and I didn't even realize it. I just realized that I was playing for my dog and I watched her the whole time... :) When I was done I sat back and went WOW... how'd I do that.
<scratching my head> Honestly I didn't think about it, I just played. But that came after hours and hours of doing the drills and practice, practice practice. :)
Keep it up.. you'll get there :)
Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing. - Wernher Von Braun (1912-1977)
Hi I was wondering where I should be looking when I am picking individual strings (I am using a pick). I try to focus my eyes on my left hand to see what strings I am pressing down but then I can't see my right hand, which makes me pick the wrong string or miss the string. Alternatively, if I focus my eyes on my right hand then my left hand cannot accurately fret the correct string. I know this is hard to explain. Am I being clear? Any advice on this? Thanks.
You should be looking at whatever needs more help at that time. Practise enough and you won't need to look most of the time. You could try practicing the fretting hand's movements and the pick hand's movements seperately though.
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I too remember having this problem.
String skipping is an art, just like finger picking
What I did when practising was to continually play the piece I was learning, not worrying whether or not I miss fretted with the left hand.
Then after time I seemed to learn the layout (distance between the strings) of the guitar and was able to concentrate more on the fretting.
Yeah I occasionally hit a wrong note and still do today a bit but the more you practise the better and easier it gets.
So I guess its the same old story "Practise makes perfect"
Be excellent to each other & party on dudes!
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=686668
This, and many other aspects of playing guitar, will become second nature - with enough practice. I know that you will hear it a million times, but it is so true. There really is no secret short cut to play like <insert your personal guitar god here>.
Thanks for the fast responses :) This is a great forum. I will be visiting here often hopefully. :)
