Do you look at your fretting hand when you play?

Do you look at your left had when you play?

  • Yes

  • No

  • Actually, I look at my strumming/picking hand.

Results are only viewable after voting.
I felt that learning to play without looking at my fretting hand was my biggest accomplishment. I never looked at my picking hand.

Once I could do that I could look at tab and play just by knowing where my hand was and where the frets were at.

I do have to take a glance now and then, but not much.
 
Whether I need to look at it depends on what I'm playing, but I usually look at it anyway for most of the time since there's nothing else to look at.

Been learning to read sheet music on the bass recently so when I'm doing that, I don't look at the fretting hand that much.
 
You look at the frets you are going to hit next. There is no way I can hit some fast slides accurately every time unless I look ahead. Same with some fret changes. I got to eyeball it if I want 100% accuracy time and time again. Once you start looking away and thinking you got it, that's when your accuracy plummets. You look at your strumming hand for things like pinch harmonics because you usually have to find the exact spot on the string. Palm-muting can also require the occasional check to make sure you have it where you want it. You can get away with not looking at anything until you have to do one chance takes like playing live.
 
TheToneDig said:
You look at the frets you are going to hit next. There is no way I can hit some fast slides accurately every time unless I look ahead. Same with some fret changes. I got to eyeball it if I want 100% accuracy time and time again. Once you start looking away and thinking you got it, that's when your accuracy plummets. You look at your strumming hand for things like pinch harmonics because you usually have to find the exact spot on the string. Palm-muting can also require the occasional check to make sure you have it where you want it. You can get away with not looking at anything until you have to do one chance takes like playing live.
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This was going through my head when I asked the question as I need to work on my accuracy and clean up my finger placement.
 
If its a song I've played quite a lot? No, i don't look down. If its something new or something very complex? Of course, ill have to look down. Really? Its more a case ot looking at the fret position rather than string and finger placement

As far as looking at my strumming hand? I don't suppose i ever seem to do that. Guess i haven't since i first began playing, trying to learn picking motions
 
like many have said it depends, if im doing freestyle rapping with my left hand than I dont look but if I play something organised then I have to look at fret board not to stare but glance time to time.
 
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DirtySteve said:
I'm looking at the side dots more than I'm looking at my hand. I'm really not looking at my hand, just making sure it lands in the right place.
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Oh yeah. Copy that. My deal has been on worship team. Be playing something like a simple G chord. Think what is wrong with my guitar….. finally look at my left hand and see I’m two frets further up the board than I thought I was. Duh!!!
 
Will do.
If I am playing open chords at the nut I dont need to look to change between them, but often do out of habit.

Mostly I look at the side dots to where I am going next when moving between chords / moving around the neck.
When playing lead lines I look at my fretting hand / fingers.

I really dont look at right hand at all except in admonishment of his sloppy work.
 
I couldn’t answer the poll because I tend to look at both hands at various points. On some parts that are more or less committed to muscle memory, I may not look at my hands at all. But, on the whole, I probably spend more time looking at my fretting hand.

One guitarist who watches his hand a lot is Eric Johnson. It’s almost like he’s in his own little world with his guitar when he plays.

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