On the weekend some old friends dropped in for lunch and some tunes. Great times! My mate loves his country music (A bit of Waylon....a bit of Willy) I ask you...who doesn't mind a bit of willy?! Anyway....not really my scene but I was willing to play along and had a good time. My friend always plays standing, and given that there was only 1 sheet of tab and 1 stand I was forced to stand alongside him.
To my point now: What a difference standing makes! Given I always play seated it is very easy for me to spend a lot of time staring at my fingers. A weakness I have been aware of but one I have done precious little to address. Standing really forced me to go by feel because I can't see the fretboard anyway, why bother to try?
For anyone looking to improve their feel, I suggest getting your strap on and playing standing up for a bit. It's difficult at first but a great way to improve your fretting.
No doubt this is obvious stuff for experienced players, but I thought newer players could take something from it.
Doing it Standing
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Tony:
That epiphany hit me a while back in a similar situation. I also noticed that it took me out of my poor posture and gave me better reach for certain chord shapes. I still sit when playing alone (out of laziness), but the difference was VERY noticeable.... B)
J
That epiphany hit me a while back in a similar situation. I also noticed that it took me out of my poor posture and gave me better reach for certain chord shapes. I still sit when playing alone (out of laziness), but the difference was VERY noticeable.... B)
J
I nearly started a thread with the VERY same title a week or so ago. I was playing guitar on the lounge. I was freezing bits of me off that I can't afford to lose and so decided to stand in front of the heater. Oops... Where did the fretboard go indeed! I was going to declare my new found appreciation for those that are able to do it standing so easily. I guess it is a feel thing to be sure. Perhaps I need to focus less on being able to see. My hats off.
:):) Shel
Whenever I get the ridiculous urge to perform in public, like at an open-mic, I practice my songs standing up. It's a little disorienting at first, not being able to see the fret board. But I practice with my eyes closed so that I become less reliant on visual cues. Talk about weird! Try playing with your eyes closed. You'll make tons of mistakes at first, then your muscle memory will kick in.
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dennisg wrote:
Excellent point Dennis. I do that from time to time on songs that I have fully committed to memory. Like you say, it is a struggle at first, but with a little practice, it gets easier....Try playing with your eyes closed. You'll make tons of mistakes at first, then your muscle memory will kick in.