Vision in mandolin playing

[bmac]

Vision in mandolin playing

Glancing at candid photos of folks playing mandolin on this site I find that about half of the photos show the mandolin player looking at the fret board and fingering of the notes or chords. Others seem quite comfortable visually ignoring their instrument and their hands and are looking around the room. Or at least are not visually fixated on their hands and fret board . I would assume that the most efficient approach to mandolin learning and playing would be to become comfortable playing while not depending on visual examination of the mandolin neck and finger positions. Maybe I have missed it but I have found no discussion of this on this web site.

My own feeling is that if one has to look at the mandolin neck and left hand fingering while playing it is very inefficient and may slow down the musician’s playing and development. Having never taken guitar or mandolin lessons I don’t know what is the “proper” use of vision in mandolin playing but I am guessing that if one can rely solely on his manual sensations and instinctive knowledge of hand and finger position it should be important in developing dexterity and speed in playing. Vision can then be used to simply look around the room or, perish the thought, read music.

I would be interested in comments from more experienced mandolin players than I.

What is the ideal use of the eyes while playing the mandolin? Do they (or should they) play any part in mandolin playing. I understand that the eyes are important in learning but I would guess that depending on them while playing would be inefficient.

What do mandolin teachers say about the use of vision in mandolin playing?

These questions are interesting to me because I recently lost 90% of my vision and am legally blind. I am trying to learn with as little dependency on the vision I have as is possible.

Bart

[bmac]

The above typos happened majically. All the text is there, but the jibberish came from no where. Honest!!

Bart

[mandofiddle]

LOL, this is something I struggle with. Not at home while practicing, but while on stage. It's a lot easier to look at the fretboard than to look at the audience while maintaining concentration. I've really been working at communicating visually with the audience while still holding concentration... That and one of my phobia's is being in front of large groups of people What better way to get over it though than just getting up and doing it. 2nd though comes the looking at the audience and communicating with them...

[midmando]

From a playing standpoint, when playing trumpet I was taught to look at the music, not the horn. I never had lessons either, but I agree with your assessment that if you have to look where your fingers are going you're probably slowing yourself down alot. And certainly from the audiences perspective, if you're looking at your instrument all the time you're not connecting with them.

[cutbait2]

hi Bart, #I don't think Doc Watson could play any better if he could read the fret board, if fact to some its a measure of your development as a BG musician if you can appear completely dissassociated from and unaffected by the music while playing it, perhaps carry on a conversation, or study the stud pattern in the barn roof trusses but when your time for a break comes around perhaps it helps the concentration to look down at the fret board......

[Bob A]

The occasional visual reference is helpful, but IMHO looking at the fretboard is not going to improve your playing, or your audience appeal. As was said above, trained musicians look at the music, not the instrument. And once you've memorised the music, you can look where you please.

It's nice to be able to play well in the dark. A real plus for the inevitable power failures in this season of thunderstorms etc.

[onlyagibsonisgoodenuff]

I don't know if looking at the instrument's fingerboard slows me down, but it insures I don't accidentally get one fret out of position. That would definitely slow me down as my mind would be trying to decide whether I'm sharp or flat, then try to decide where I currently am in the song. I have noticed, on occasion, that when I'm improvising in a jam, some of my best stuff happens when I'm not looking, but just playing and listening.

[Michael H Geimer]

Guilty as charged. I am struggling to break my habit of watching my fingers while I play.

It's not so much that I have to see what I'm doing to know if I'm playing the right notes - I let me ear worry about that - but rather, when I start looking around my mind wanders and then ... FLOP!!

I actually do much better - particularly while singing - when just I close my eyes, but that doesn't help my connection with the audience the way looking people in the eye can.

But then ... there is simply no hope of recovery should a pretty woman smile at me while I'm taking a break.

[ira]

definitely look during solo, but not during chording/strumming. i too am an eye closer, especially for certain songs when singing.

[busstopeddy]

If you are going to accompany yourself while singing it is essential to be able to play without looking. That just takes practice.

For me on guitar it has been become second nature. I can play rythym without looking no probs. I can solo on material I know well without looking - sometimes I close my eyes and sometime I look at other musicans on stage to trade licks or give them cues.

I am still new to mando and have not gotten to the point of playing without looking.

One thing that has helped me is practicing simple stuff like scales with my eyes closed while visualizing the instrument. Eventually you can practice in your mind without the instrument. Great fun for figuring out new chord voicings on long road trips. ( Please don't close your eyes while driving.) #

Guess I am talking more about visualization than vision.

Eric

[duuuude]

Yep, I find myself looking for no apparent reason really, and am convinced that I actually slow down when I look, or at least my brain does. Closing my eyes seems to let me hear much more of the music; but then what do I viualise when they're closed? The fretboard, LOL!

[SternART]

Hasn't seemed to hold back young Mr. Thile.
He deeply focuses attention on his left hand.

[onlyagibsonisgoodenuff]

Hasn't seemed to hold back young Mr. Thile.
He deeply focuses attention on his left hand.

Just think how much better he'd be if he could just look away!

[John Flynn]

I think there are levels here. When I am learning a difficult tune, I will look. Once I have a tune down and up to speed, though, the only time I look is if I am doing a major position shift. When performing, my focus needs to be divided between the other players and the audience. Also, as others have mentioned, ear/hand coordination is what its all about. The eyes really shouldn't be in the mix very much.

[midmando]

A lot of guys look as a matter of habit - they don't really need to. Sure Thile studies the fingerboard - sometimes. Other times he looks away and still plays just fine. I imagine most of you guys that struggle with this don't really need to - it's just a psychological crutch. just a quick glance for position is probably all you need.

But sternART makes a good point - how you sound playing is a lot more important than how you look playing. If you can study that fretboard and sound like Thile - DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING!!!