Pkaying while looking down

[bunnyf]

Nickie, I agree with many, that looking down is, in general, a bad habit. If I’m not singing but just playing lead, I do it on occasion though. I find that I do it most commonly when I switch from one scale instrument to another (soprano uke, to bari, to mandolin, to guitar. The change in scale can throw me off for a bit and I think glancing down can help keep me on track. On the shorter scale, I rarely have to look cuz I often have a “plant” on the root. But the longer the scale, you have to freely float up the neck and for that I find myself looking much more often. If you stayed with one scale instrument, I think it would be a bad habit that you would want to develop.

[clear]

Playing while looking at the fretboard is fine, but as you've noticed, you can't look at the fretboard while looking at the music

So, you'll have to compromise and become somewhat familiar with the music where you just need to look at the music every few measures to remind yourself; then you can look at the fretboard all you want without needing to "compose" music on the fly.

[Snargle]

I'm mostly a fingerstyle player and I usually don't look at my hand/fingers as long as I don't go above the fifth fret. Once I get onto the dusty end of the fretboard I need to use my eyes to locate the proper frets. I have been trying to use just the side dots as positioners, but sometimes I cheat and tip the neck so I can see the big markers!

[Nickie]

Thanks everybody! We did a show yesterday, and I never looked down until I had to play a lead. I know it, but I think I was nervous. The room was warm, I was covered in perspiration, making it hard to hold the damn uke.

[Snargle]

The room was warm, I was covered in perspiration, making it hard to hold the damn uke.

Time for a strap?

[Nickie]

I always play with a strap. I sweat like a horse when I play in a too warm room.

[clear]

Nickie, you play well, I remember your Coconut Grove video from when I first joined this forum.

[Nickie]

Thank you. We hope to put some new videos up soon, we should be doing some recording next week.

[NewLele]

This is a great reminder to us newbies to try and stop watching our fingers

I find bad habits so much easier to acquire than good habits (hides the leftover Christmas biscuits)

[plunker]

I didn't know how much I looked at my hads and strings until I went from white strings to black strings, took awhile ti get used to not seeing the strings. You'll get there. You will be surprised how you can go to almost all finger memory on the left hand. I also try to memorize music i like, but I don't think that is practical with what you are playing. I would like to see some video of orchestra uke group.