Watching your fingers

Subject: RE: Watching your fingers
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 06 Apr 19 - 10:41 AM

Sorry mate! that's the way the truth and the light...
Theakston old peculiar and a large Jameson' s chaser for me..

Subject: RE: Watching your fingers
From: Andy7
Date: 06 Apr 19 - 07:52 AM

Ah, that would explain a lot!

But if it's a paid guest that's on stage all evening, that means I'd have to keep weeing and buying rounds all evening!

Subject: RE: Watching your fingers
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 06 Apr 19 - 07:36 AM

there's no law that says you have to like everybody.
if you're thinking 'its that bugger that keeps looking at his fingers'. respect that. it is god speaking to you.

'Time to go for a wee,' he is saying, or 'I think I ought to get another round of drinks in'

when the almighty speaks to you directly. it would be foolish not to obey.

Subject: RE: Watching your fingers
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 06 Apr 19 - 06:34 AM

If it happens while both singing and playing, it can mean the singer turns his/her head slightly and hence goes "off mike" which is more distracting than watching what's happening.

Subject: RE: Watching your fingers
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Apr 19 - 05:39 AM

One reason that I gave up on trying to play instruments was that I could never get the knack of playing without watching my fingers.

I would have assumed that as a touch typist it wouldn't have been a problem.

Subject: RE: Watching your fingers
From: The Sandman
Date: 06 Apr 19 - 05:26 AM

when i play concertina i cannot watch my fingers i find it occasionally useful with the banjo

Subject: RE: Watching your fingers
From: The Sandman
Date: 06 Apr 19 - 05:25 AM

what mmatters is the music that is made it is about content not appearance

Subject: RE: Watching your fingers
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 06 Apr 19 - 05:22 AM

Staring into the audience while not singing is not a good idea either. Let the instrument "speak".

Subject: RE: Watching your fingers
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 06 Apr 19 - 04:50 AM

Whatever it takes is fine by me.

Subject: Watching fingers
From: Andy7
Date: 06 Apr 19 - 04:38 AM

Does anyone else find it off-putting, when a singer/guitarist (or a singer with any other instrument) suddenly starts watching their fingers, while playing a tricky instrumental bridge?

It seems to me that, by doing that, they somehow break the link with their audience. Shouldn't they have learned those parts well enough by feel, without the need to switch their attention from audience to instrument?

I'm talking here about professional performers; obviously I have no objection to players in a singaround watching their fingers to get through the tricky sections.