Seems clear to me that you should look at the freboard while you are first learning at song/lick (though Doc Watson clearly didn't).Ā But should you aim to play everything w/o looking so you can look at the music, or just feel it?
Whether it's right or wrong I can't really say,
butĀ that's what I do as I'm first learning measures.
Once I memorize the measure I play it without looking.Ā
I repeat this process on the following measures.
No harm in looking.Ā
I think having the fretboard in muscle memory will make you smoother. Even if you look at the fretboard though you may still have it in your muscle memory.
I try not to look at the fretboard whileĀ I'm playing, in fact I rarely do. Just got into the habit of not looking. But every once in awhile I'll have issues with finding the middle two strings (D and G) and I'll look, then if I still have issues I'll just do it by feel. This is only if I'm doing a song with a lot of individual notes, not chords. I have no problem with chords.Ā
Jose Feliciano says -Never!
Jose Feliciano says -Never!
I lose those 2 center strings even if Iām looking!Ā
Well if Jose Feliciano says so then I guess the debate has ended 🤣Ā
@jerseychicadeeĀ Right? I've done all kinds of exercises and practice to get the string locations down, but those two are the hardest.
Always look when playing a melody
I have to look when moving any higher up the neck than like the 5th fret.
I wouldn't worry about it.Ā Look or don't look.Ā As long as you don't have an iPad jammed in your face while you play on stage like so many people do these days.Ā If you don't truly know the song it's not ready to be played publicly.Ā But looking at the fretboard is a nonissue,, in my opinion.
My cat and my son (not a willing participant) are my only audience. Even my 7 year old has figured out bugging me incessantly makes me stop playing.Ā
