There are quite a few things that experienced guitarists will suggest to you for improvement, but some of them can be downright strange. For me to tell you to play with your eyes closed, might sound like I’m trying to screw you up and discourage you from continuing. That’s actually very far from the truth.
If you’re looking to be more productive, recognize more stylistic features of songs, and improve your playing habits quicker, closing your eyes at practice can help. Here are a few important reasons why this strange method might do you more good than you think.
1. You’ll improve your chord knowledge. Fumbling around the fret board is common for beginning guitarists, but if you want to get those chords ingrained in your head better, taking your eyes out of the equation might be what you need. Try relying mainly on how the chords feel to set off that muscle memory and allow your hands to recall the formations easier next time.
2. You can increase your understanding of the fret board. Flying all over the fret board can be overwhelming when you’re having a hard time keeping up, but learning to identify the frets without seeing them would probably help you out. Try doing some difficult runs that take you across a few frets without your eyes and see if it helps to recognize the subtle distances on the guitar neck.
3. You’ll learn to not over-look your mistakes. If you don’t learn to right your mistakes you might not make as much improvement as you were hoping on the guitar. By shutting your eyes when you play, you’ll hear those minor mistakes loud and clear and get more motivation to turn them into correct phrases.
4. Your memory of the songs will improve. If you’re planning on performing in a band where you have to remember a number of fairly long songs, that can be overwhelming. Try practicing the tough sections with your eyes closed so your hands will be able to remember the motions when your vision seems to fail you.
5. You can learn the stylistic features of the song more intently. Being able to play songs is very important, but being able to interpret them from the vantage point of the composer makes a real musician. Learning to improve through the work in your fingers will train you to listen for the subtle nuances that give the songs certain emotions and depth.
6. You can adjust to the tempo of the music better. If you’re a guitarist that fights tempos by speeding up and slowing down without warning, playing with your eyes closed can improve your interpretation of the songs rhythms and tempos. Without your eyes to guide you, you’ll find that your listening skills will heighten and your adjustments to the song’s tempo will be more accurate.
Learning to connect better with your instrument in any fashion that you find reliable is a good thing. The next time that you have a guitar practice, see if you can improve upon your skills by taking your eyes away from the fret board and relying on your ears and fingers.