watch what you're doing?

bloomer

I've always watched one or other of my hands when I'm playing, especially my fretting hand, and I got to thinking if and how it's holding me back. I figure it probably is.I've only got so much attention and if some of it is taken up with watching then there's less for listening to and feeling what I'm playing. Also it's like having training wheels so that my muscle memory never has to develop to the point where it can be relied upon. Has anyone trained themselves out of this and noticed any benefit?

LastMantra

Unless you need to look at something else I don't see the problem. 

Kilgore

I've gradually got out of the habit of looking at my fretting hand. My brain used to get in the way, slowing down chord changes, etc. I'm more fluent and more accurate when I rely on muscle memory. 

It can be difficult to "trust" your hand to get it right, but it's worth it in the long term.

IMHO, YMMV, etc.

viz

I believe you need to get out of the reliance, so you can read music, engage with the audience, think about what you’re playing more easily, etc. 

Gulliver

Sing.

Bang a microphone in front of yourself and sing into it. Sure as fuck can't look at your hands then!!  Also helps you train your ears better, for both singing and guitar playing.

hollywoodrox

Exactly , like he said with the microphone , you have to play the riffs then not looking ,but you can still look for the solo although there will be parts where you don’t need to look on that 

HAL9000

^ This. Singing into a microphone will force you not to continually watch you hands. First time I tried was a nightmare - I hadn't realised just how bloody directional microphones are - every time I looked at my hands the vocals pretty much disappeared. I can cope reasonably well now, but it was certainly tricky to begin with.

Anderz

Sure start to sing and play at the same time. After that habit is developed you don't look very much on your left hand.