PLAY IT IN THE DARK

CHAPTER 16

S
cience has shown us that closing our eyes can actually help us hear. It
makes sense. When you shut off the distractions and input from your eye-
sight it puts the focus on the input from your hearing.

We can use this cool hearing improvement hack in our practicing. While you can just close
your eyes, I suggest sitting in a room that is completely dark. It has to be so dark that
if you look down at your guitar neck you cannot see it. You may have to do some quick
explaining of this part of your practice session when your spouse or parent opens the
door to you sitting in the dark… but it will be worth it.

Playing anything, licks, scales, chord progressions in the dark is a great way to get a feel
for the neck as well as working on “hearing” what you are playing instead of “watching”
it on the fretboard. But my favorite thing to work on in the darkness is improvising. I will
take a scale (any scale you know and can play) and just start improvising with it. You can
do this regardless of what level you are, and it will elevate your perception of pitch and
ingrain the patterns in your head. If it is difficult for you, you can visualize the fretboard in
your head as you play until you get used to not seeing it and just feeling it.

This way of playing without seeing what you are doing has many benefits including being
able to play onstage and look around instead of having your eyes glued to the fretboard.
Even when you are playing in a lighted room, take advantage of the boost your hearing
will get by shutting your eyes and letting the music be what it is supposed to be…. A
hearing art.

29 I SMART PRACTICE FOR GUITAR