The power of 'blindness'

FruitarGeek

As of recently, when I struggle to play a new scale or arpeggio which I am trying to practice, I find it much easier to close my eyes and then play it. Its rather weird. Yesterday I was practising new finger placements for a minor apreggio and looking at the board ofcourse, it wasn't hard but I did tend to stuff up when going faster (I aimed to get 5 consectutive apreggios without stuffing up). when I looked at the fretboard it was definitely do-able but I would still stuff up, however when I closed my eyes and 'felt' it, it was as if my mistakes were reduced by 70%.

Do any of you get this too, and does this make sense?

[deleted]

Probably a case of information overload for the brain? Less input and stuff to think about while your eyes are closed...

Renesongs

IMO you only really know how to play a scale a song whatever when you can do it without watching your fingers. One of the things I have leared over the ages is to not rely on my sight to tell me wich notes to play because we ofen change a songskey from say a to Bb so if you watching the dots you going to get pretty confused. The other thing that happens on occasion is when you take your solo on stage some lighting jock shine a dirty great spot right light into your face so you not going to be seeing much of your guitar or anything else for that matter.

Moral of story, Practice standing up, don't watch hands unless you are trying to erase some poor techniques (get a mirror for that) and try not to look like a startled rabbit on stage.

NorioDS

Hahahaha! Excellent tips Rene, especially the startled rabbit one ?

Conrad

My look is more: "Stunned choirboy" ?

PeteM

I find there are two possible things that happen when your eyes are closed.

1. What Rene says
2. You visualise the fretboard and where your fingers are going and this gets imprinted in your subconscious mind ready and waiting for you to call on this information the next time you need it. I sometimes don't even play the guitar and just close my eyes and visualise the exercises or even a whole number.

DonovanB

PeteM wrote: I sometimes don't even play the guitar and just close my eyes and visualise the exercises or even a whole number.

I do that when I am listening to a song. I find my best practice is in my head, so when you get to the guitar your brain has gone through the motions a few times already. AND you can practice like that in the car, bus, while you are walking, cycling... wherever.

evolucian

The blindfold technique works... especially when seeing sound as colour.

Squonk

Best to learn with your eyes closed!

There might be a dodgy Lightman at your gig and you find yourself in darkness in the middle of a solo ?

I actually witnessed this once at an Asylum Kids gig circa 1981, one of the supporting acts "Boys on Heat" came to a complete stop when the lights went off. ?

AlanRatcliffe

In my last band I occasionally used to make them practice the set at least once in the dark. ? First time we did it was ...interesting. ?

evolucian wrote: The blindfold technique works... especially when seeing sound as colour.

You have synaesthesia? I've always wanted to "suffer" from that...

FruitarGeek

Hahaha. Ok. Well I think its a combination of everything you all said + muscle memory, as maybe when your eyes are open, you are distracted and focusing too hard like what Stratisfear said unlike when you close your eyes, you literally just trust your instinct. Its like faith I suppose, haha, you don't know exactly what is going to happen, but you hope it works out well hahaha ?!

evolucian wrote: The blindfold technique works... especially when seeing sound as colour.

isn't that called perfect pitch? I heard that once you attain perfect pitch, you can see/feel music notes in colour thus being able to tell immediately what notes they are.. Fascinating stuff

Warren

FruitarGeek wrote:
isn't that called perfect pitch? I heard that once you attain perfect pitch, you can see/feel music notes in colour thus being able to tell immediately what notes they are.. Fascinating stuff

It is quite possible that attaining absolute pitch won't happen if it hasn't happened by a certain developmental age.

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_pitch/[url]

Many musicians have very good "relative pitch", which is the ability to recognise notes once a certain reference note has been played.

FruitarGeek

Warren wrote:
FruitarGeek wrote:
isn't that called perfect pitch? I heard that once you attain perfect pitch, you can see/feel music notes in colour thus being able to tell immediately what notes they are.. Fascinating stuff
It is quite possible that attaining absolute pitch won't happen if it hasn't happened by a certain developmental age.

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_pitch/[url]

Many musicians have very good "relative pitch", which is the ability to recognise notes once a certain reference note has been played.

Well thats a hot topic really. Many say that it can be developed. I actually have loads of material that begs to differ with your opinion, they all say that perfect pitch can be developed, not necessarily with everyone, but certainly with a good hand full. Im hoping I will reach that handfull ?

PeteM

FruitarGeek wrote: Well thats a hot topic really. Many say that it can be developed. I actually have loads of material that begs to differ with your opinion, they all say that perfect pitch can be developed, not necessarily with everyone, but certainly with a good hand full. Im hoping I will reach that handfull ?

I've heard it said that it can be a hindrance though. Because you have perfect pitch and you hear something out of tune you find it difficult to play along.

FruitarGeek

Ya I heard the same thing! But I still think there are much more benefits about perfect pitch then cons. And I suppose it will just make sure the band is ALWAYS in tune ?

Warren

FruitarGeek wrote: Ya I heard the same thing! But I still think there are much more benefits about perfect pitch then cons. And I suppose it will just make sure the band is ALWAYS in tune ?

If you haven't already, I'd say read the wiki entry. They discuss many of the points around perfect pitch in detail.

In my opinion, perfect pitch sounds a bit useless from a musician's point of view. Why would I want to know that closing my trash-can produces a C#? Or that flushing my toilet plays a descending arpeggio from F? ?

Relative pitch skills are a lot more important, and THOSE can certainly be developed (my own relative pitch is much better than it used to be).

Bob-Dubery

Perhaps it's just a case of you close your eyes and
1) You need to concentrate more BECAUSE you can't see what you're doing
2) You can concentrate more BECAUSE your brain doesn't have to deal with the input from the eyes.

Just a thought. Leave it with you. Etc etc

PeteM

Warren wrote: In my opinion, perfect pitch sounds a bit useless from a musician's point of view. Why would I want to know that closing my trash-can produces a C#? Or that flushing my toilet plays a descending arpeggio from F? ?

Relative pitch skills are a lot more important, and THOSE can certainly be developed (my own relative pitch is much better than it used to be).

evolucian

I dont have perfect pitch... but i see music for some reason. I am literally colour blind... black and white rules!!! (I do see colour... just dont know what it is... some blend into each other and stuff...) ... But I do see sound, always watching the speaker, lol. Sound is my canvas. Bla bla bla... hard to explain. I wouldn't want perfect pitch either.. even though it is attainable at any age. have to be born with it? poop!!!! But it does screw up your ears to an extent... cos you wont like the outside notes so much anymore... sigh... nothing beats hitting a wrong note and it just sounds so damn good ?

AlanRatcliffe

evolucian wrote: i see music for some reason.

It's called synaesthesia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synaesthesia

John Mayer has synaesthesia, as did the late Syd Barrett.