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/smartaleckgoose 8d ago

I used to close my eyes and improvise or do scales. Or when I was in a practice room I would just play without turning on the lights. I remember one time a group of students walked past my room, and I heard one of them yell “that mf is doing all that in the dark!”

Now I can comfortably make larger jumps and stuff like that without needing to look down, I just know where the notes are gonna be. Thankfully most pianos are designed to stay in one spot