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Is looking at the fretboard a bad thing?
I never look at the fretboard 12%  12%  [ 3 ]
I look at the fretboard just to find my starting note 27%  27%  [ 7 ]
I look at the fretboard only when trying to learn something new 46%  46%  [ 12 ]
I'm getting neck aches from constantly watching myself practice 15%  15%  [ 4 ]
Total votes : 26
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Post subject: Owning a fine musical instrument
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 5:52 pm
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I own a Fender Stratocaster. It is a fine musical instrument. I have owned guitars before, but never a fine instrument like a stratocaster.

I paid $750 U.S. dollars for it. That's a lot of money for me. But it was well worth it.

As I am learning to properly play this fine instrument, I often wonder how the violinists do it without frets. I am just learning the scales and note placement on the neck. I can find and play an "A" note. Sometimes, I can find it without looking. My ear is not good enough yet to know if I'm on that "A" without looking. So I look. I'll never figure out how a violinist does it.

Should I be learning how to play the guitar without looking at the fretboard?

I try not to bump into stuff with my guitar. I try my hardest to take care of this fine instrument.

Here is a heartbreaking story about a musician and his fine instrument. One little slip up and........well:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080214/ap_ ... red_fiddle

OUCH!!! :shock: [/url]


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:56 am
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looking at the fretboard is not a bad thing. just don't come to rely on it.

you should learn how every note sounds, and how the guitar feels, so that you can play just by sound and feel. you'll notice that every guitar vibrates differently for every note. get used to that feel.

but, if you have to look at the fretboard, do it. who cares. play how you want to play.


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:09 am
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I suppose that if you were never supposed to look at the fretboard, no manufacturers would bother to add fret markers!


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:17 am
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Truthfully, I look at it from time to time as I'm playing but not because I really have to. Rather, it's purely a left over habit from years ago when I really had to.


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:02 pm
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Almost every guitar player I've ever seen takes a few looks at the neck during a song just to keep his/her bearings right. Nothing wrong with it at all.

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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 1:59 pm
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The more you practice, the more confident you get. Looking is fine, everyone does it either a lot or a little depending on your skill level. Watch the pros, even they look now and then to make sure their where they should be. When you have a song down pretty good, try closing your eyes while you play it, it`s a good exercise.


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:17 pm
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It gets easier over time to avoid looking at the fretboard, but I started lessons when I was a kid and I still look at the fretboard often. It just helps to know where you are at on the guitar. I dont see anything wrong with it.


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:46 pm
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cryingstrat wrote:
Almost every guitar player I've ever seen takes a few looks at the neck during a song just to keep his/her bearings right. Nothing wrong with it at all.


That is the way i see it to


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:37 pm
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If you're playing off tab or music it's easier to get away from looking at the fingerboard. So be careful otherwise. Look now & then to check up on it--or on tricky position or chord changes--but try not to rely on it. As noted above get to know your guitar and where everything is by fell & sound.

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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:28 am
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I stare contantly at my pretty maple fret board as I mesmerize myself with amazing finger work playing rhythm on 3 chord songs. Hey, how come no one else picked "I'm getting neck aches from constantly watching myself practice"?
But seriously, I look sometimes.

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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:51 am
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If you're new to playing guitar then the best thing you could do for yourself is look at the fretboard often, almost exclusively. The more you know exactly where to put every finger on the frets the better you get to know your instrument, heck I pretty much always look at the fretboard when I play from memory, what else are ypu going to look at? :wink:

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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:58 am
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crazymandolinist wrote:
If you're new to playing guitar then the best thing you could do for yourself is look at the fretboard often, almost exclusively. The more you know exactly where to put every finger on the frets the better you get to know your instrument, heck I pretty much always look at the fretboard when I play from memory, what else are ypu going to look at? :wink:


Yourself in the mirror :wink:

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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:27 am
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I don't know how anyone could vote for selection #1.....I must be inept. lol

Everybody has to look at the fretboard at least occasionally if they're moving around up and down the fret board.
I have been playing for 49 years and I have to look fairly often.

Watch some vids of the pros on YouTube or whatever, everyone of them I've seen watches or sneaks a peak occasionally.

8)

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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:45 am
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Yeah, nothing wrong with it atall - you'll find in time and with practice you'll need to do it less and less - unless you enjoy doing it! :D

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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 10:28 am
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I'm switching between several different guitars (just to keep them all in practice) with 3 different scale lengths and and only 2 pairs with similar necks, If I'm not looking occasionally what's coming out can only loosely be called "musical." The worst is the switch between the SG with the slim 61 neck and the LP with fat 59 neck and the totally different balance between the two guitars. Gotta look almost constantly at first. The switch between strat and the tele is pretty seamless since they are very similar "C" necks.


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