Silly question for players of fretted instruments, seeing as it's the weekend: do you look at what your left hand is doing on the frets as you play?
I tend not to look, except when there's a difficult bit, such as hitting the high notes on the mandolin's E string. I'm half convinced though that looking slows me down.
I remember a time when I basically couldn't play if I was looking at my left hand. That was years ago, and it really doesn't matter to me anymore one way or another. I never need to look at it, but it doesn't mess me up if I am.
For me, I think it's just a matter of comfort with the instrument...
Not a fretted instrument, but I remember playing with my eyes closed and my mind opened at Stonehenge one Summer Solstice and thinking 'What's that lovely music, man? That fiddle sounds really nice, I wonder who that is....' I opened my eyes to see sixteen psychedelic fingers jumping, waving, dancing, and grooving around the end of the fingerboard in a hallucinogenic frenzy - then I realized it was me who was playing, and that they were my fingers. I thought I'd better close my eyes again.
IMO playing with your eyes closed is probably the best way to really get into it. Saying that, depending on the instrument I sometimes look just to be sure to lm in the right place in intricate passages, and tunes which Im still figuring out. .
Playing box I sometimes (usually when coming in on the second tune of a set in which I didnt play the first tune) need to look to find the right button to start from if its anywhere near the middle of the keyboard. Once the first note's been played theres no need to look again - its quite difficult anyway.
amhran, if you're talking specifically about mandolin (you say that's what you play in your bio), then I'd recommend getting accustomed to feeling your way around the neck as much as possible. It may help you to think in terms of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, position and so on, the way fiddlers do, and be clear about when and how you're shifting between them. It's fine to watch what you're doing at first, but eventually you want to rely on hand to ear coordination to land accurately anywhere on the fingerboard.
Curious--is this more of an issue when you're playing melody, chords, or both?
Back when I was studying classical guitar (am I still welcome here?) I would learn a tune with the lights on, then later, when I thought I knew the tune well enough, I would turn the lights off and practice it again until I had it without looking (becuase I couldn't look if I tried). I find now that I don't worry about such details anymore. If I need to look, I look. I rarely look while playing guitar, unless I'm shifting from an open chord to a 2nd position Bm, for example. I haven't been playing mandolin or banjo as long as I have guitar, but not worrying about such details like I did 20 years ago, I just do what feels good now.
I've found the secret to playing well is to be relaxed. I've also found that watching my fingers makes me concentrate too hard and therefore prevents me from relaxing. Best not to look I guess! Or at least get to the point where you don't need to look.
Take up the flute, you won't find yourself looking at your fingers unless you are in front of a mirror. By the way, I find it easier to concentrate on what I'm playing if I shut my eyes.
It's really quite amazing what fingers are able to do. It's well worth taking the time to watch them in action, to study them, & appreciate how graceful yet precise & efficient they can be. But that is aside from being at ease with your instrument.
"Take up the flute, you won't find yourself looking at your fingers unless you are in front of a mirror. By the way, I find it easier to concentrate on what I'm playing if I shut my eyes."
Woodwind instruments are a bit different, as you don't, as a rule, change position - each hole is always covered by the same finger and, if you have keys, they are positioned to be accessible by one specific finger. When playing in one position, a fretted instrument is not much different - the fingers are poised over the frets and no finger will ever shift more than one fret in either direction. When it comes to changing position, however, I usually find myself looking - if I am playing with my eyes closed, I will automatically open them for as long as necessary. (Funny thing is, I've got no dots on my mandolin fingerboard, and I quite often get it wrong even when I do look.) My co-ordination has never been that good - throwing, catching etc. - so moving my whole hand a precise distance without any visual reference is naturally a challenge for me. I marvel at string players in other genres, who spend most of their time out of first position, sliding up and down the neck with ease.... and I know I'm playing the right kind of music for me.
Thanks everyone. Yes, Will, it's the mandolin I had in mind. I don't really look when playing, just the occasional glance, but I can play perfectly well without looking. Just wondering what peoples' preferences were. Interesting answers.
amhran, my own preference is that I usually have my eyes closed when playing. But sometimes it's just as meditative to watch my fingers move around the fingerboard.
Most of the time I normally don't have to look at my fingers on the frets of my electric bass guitar unless I am playing something which is in a flat key such as B-flat or E-flat or something which has an unusual and interesting chord progression.
I think I heard Carlos Santana say that during the famous Woodstock performance he was so high on acid that his left hand looked to him like an out-of-control lizard skittering around like crazy on the fingerboard.
If I watch my hands while I am playing piano, sometimes I feel as if I am watching two five-legged spiders dancing together on the keyboard. I feel this way whether or not I am drunk or sober.
Sight playing
Sight playing
Silly question for players of fretted instruments, seeing as it's the weekend: do you look at what your left hand is doing on the frets as you play?
I tend not to look, except when there's a difficult bit, such as hitting the high notes on the mandolin's E string. I'm half convinced though that looking slows me down.
What do you think?
# Posted on October 1st 2010 by amhrán
Re: Sight playing
I remember a time when I basically couldn't play if I was looking at my left hand. That was years ago, and it really doesn't matter to me anymore one way or another. I never need to look at it, but it doesn't mess me up if I am.
For me, I think it's just a matter of comfort with the instrument...
# Posted on October 1st 2010 by Reverend
Re: Sight playing
Not a fretted instrument, but I remember playing with my eyes closed and my mind opened at Stonehenge one Summer Solstice and thinking 'What's that lovely music, man? That fiddle sounds really nice, I wonder who that is....' I opened my eyes to see sixteen psychedelic fingers jumping, waving, dancing, and grooving around the end of the fingerboard in a hallucinogenic frenzy - then I realized it was me who was playing, and that they were my fingers. I thought I'd better close my eyes again.
# Posted on October 1st 2010 by Dragut Reis
Re: Sight playing
IMO playing with your eyes closed is probably the best way to really get into it. Saying that, depending on the instrument I sometimes look just to be sure to lm in the right place in intricate passages, and tunes which Im still figuring out. .
# Posted on October 1st 2010 by piobagusfidil
Re: Sight playing
Of course you may need to cheat once in a while, but if you can't find your way around without looking, you don't know your instrument.
# Posted on October 1st 2010 by GaryAMartin
Re: Sight playing
Playing box I sometimes (usually when coming in on the second tune of a set in which I didnt play the first tune) need to look to find the right button to start from if its anywhere near the middle of the keyboard. Once the first note's been played theres no need to look again - its quite difficult anyway.
Fretted instuments - never
# Posted on October 1st 2010 by millionyears_bc
Re: Sight playing
amhran, if you're talking specifically about mandolin (you say that's what you play in your bio), then I'd recommend getting accustomed to feeling your way around the neck as much as possible. It may help you to think in terms of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, position and so on, the way fiddlers do, and be clear about when and how you're shifting between them. It's fine to watch what you're doing at first, but eventually you want to rely on hand to ear coordination to land accurately anywhere on the fingerboard.
Curious--is this more of an issue when you're playing melody, chords, or both?
# Posted on October 1st 2010 by Will Harmon
Re: Sight playing
Back when I was studying classical guitar (am I still welcome here?) I would learn a tune with the lights on, then later, when I thought I knew the tune well enough, I would turn the lights off and practice it again until I had it without looking (becuase I couldn't look if I tried). I find now that I don't worry about such details anymore. If I need to look, I look. I rarely look while playing guitar, unless I'm shifting from an open chord to a 2nd position Bm, for example. I haven't been playing mandolin or banjo as long as I have guitar, but not worrying about such details like I did 20 years ago, I just do what feels good now.
# Posted on October 2nd 2010 by magnetite
Re: Sight playing
I've found the secret to playing well is to be relaxed. I've also found that watching my fingers makes me concentrate too hard and therefore prevents me from relaxing. Best not to look I guess! Or at least get to the point where you don't need to look.
# Posted on October 2nd 2010 by sore fingers
Re: Sight playing
Take up the flute, you won't find yourself looking at your fingers unless you are in front of a mirror. By the way, I find it easier to concentrate on what I'm playing if I shut my eyes.
# Posted on October 2nd 2010 by minijackpot
Re: Sight playing
It's really quite amazing what fingers are able to do. It's well worth taking the time to watch them in action, to study them, & appreciate how graceful yet precise & efficient they can be. But that is aside from being at ease with your instrument.
# Posted on October 2nd 2010 by Ben Steen
Re: Sight playing
"Take up the flute, you won't find yourself looking at your fingers unless you are in front of a mirror. By the way, I find it easier to concentrate on what I'm playing if I shut my eyes."
Woodwind instruments are a bit different, as you don't, as a rule, change position - each hole is always covered by the same finger and, if you have keys, they are positioned to be accessible by one specific finger. When playing in one position, a fretted instrument is not much different - the fingers are poised over the frets and no finger will ever shift more than one fret in either direction. When it comes to changing position, however, I usually find myself looking - if I am playing with my eyes closed, I will automatically open them for as long as necessary. (Funny thing is, I've got no dots on my mandolin fingerboard, and I quite often get it wrong even when I do look.) My co-ordination has never been that good - throwing, catching etc. - so moving my whole hand a precise distance without any visual reference is naturally a challenge for me. I marvel at string players in other genres, who spend most of their time out of first position, sliding up and down the neck with ease.... and I know I'm playing the right kind of music for me.
# Posted on October 2nd 2010 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Sight playing
Thanks everyone. Yes, Will, it's the mandolin I had in mind. I don't really look when playing, just the occasional glance, but I can play perfectly well without looking. Just wondering what peoples' preferences were. Interesting answers.
# Posted on October 2nd 2010 by amhrán
Re: Sight playing
I'm reading this while playing The New Policeman on concertina.
# Posted on October 2nd 2010 by Phantom Button
Re: Sight playing
amhran, my own preference is that I usually have my eyes closed when playing. But sometimes it's just as meditative to watch my fingers move around the fingerboard.
# Posted on October 2nd 2010 by Will Harmon
Re: Sight playing
Most of the time I normally don't have to look at my fingers on the frets of my electric bass guitar unless I am playing something which is in a flat key such as B-flat or E-flat or something which has an unusual and interesting chord progression.
Laurence
# Posted on October 3rd 2010 by fauxcelt
Re: Sight playing
I think I heard Carlos Santana say that during the famous Woodstock performance he was so high on acid that his left hand looked to him like an out-of-control lizard skittering around like crazy on the fingerboard.
It is really amazing what your fingers can do...
# Posted on October 4th 2010 by grego
Re: Sight playing
Flute players can't look at their fingers while playing, but its really useful to watch somebody else's if you don't know the tune too well.
# Posted on October 5th 2010 by Bredna
Re: Sight playing
If I watch my hands while I am playing piano, sometimes I feel as if I am watching two five-legged spiders dancing together on the keyboard. I feel this way whether or not I am drunk or sober.
Laurence
# Posted on October 5th 2010 by fauxcelt
Re: Sight playing
Bredna, another way which works for me when I do not know a tune is to stop playing & listen.
# Posted on October 5th 2010 by Ben Steen