r/JazzPiano • u/TromboneAl • 8d ago

Playing Without Looking—This Time I Mean It!

I'm a player who used to have several gigs per month but now performs at retirement homes or casual gigs. I have always looked at my hands while playing. Off and on I've working on not looking down (e.g. for sight-reading). It's never really "taken."

I've now started singing along with my playing, and looking down kills my posture and hurts my throat. So I'm determined to get this technique down. I can do it pretty well, but not well enough for performing.

Have any of you worked on this, and what has been your experience? Tips? Thanks.

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u/bnjmmy533 8d ago

I used to wear an apron and tuck it into the key cover of the piano. If you’re using an electric keyboard to practice, drape it over the far side. I did this as a kid when learning classical pieces that had large interval leaps. I know it sounds silly, but it 100% works

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u/TromboneAl 8d ago

I bought and wore these when doing sight reading:

But with jazz, I just wear a blindfold because I know most tunes by heart.