Hello All!

2 weeks into the Grand 12 (had some health issues that slowed me from starting when it got here 4 weeks ago..that was torture!).

Still working on breaking the whole guitar player mentality.

Anyway...Greg's Video and books are great, combined with Stickology..and I'm happy with the tones I'm getting now. Starting to actually know where some notes are too....so progress. Got to shift gears to start learning songs...but all in due time (gonna have some time over the holidays here...so that's good)

I have seen though, a few times, people referring to using a mirror? What's this concept? I assume you play in front of the mirror...but what are you looking for? Hand placement? Proper stick to body placement? What? Kind of vague pieces on the forum here....

so what's up with the magic mirror?

Thanks

TP

I have tried that... either I don't get a reflection or they break...

Dear Thomas,

I find it useful to look in a mirror - helps me see my playing and the fretboard clearly without craning my neck. This is most useful for those of us who are a little older, and have issues seeing the fretboard up close without reading glasses.

It is a useful training tool, but don't use it all the time or you'll become dependent upon it. The downside is I have to remember to close my eyes and play without looking in the mirror all the time!

Anyhow, just my experience with slightly more than a month's playing.

...Now thats some funny shit right there Nosferatu!......

I cant play using a mirror, its messes with my mind...but its good to practice my Hetfield stance though.

cheers,
Lestat

Oh... and I forgot to mention, it is really hard to practice with a mirror when it is mounted on the ceiling above my bed... I have to lay on my back and.....

I have a mirror in the music room, but I only glance at it to check hand and (especially, left) arm placement. I get confused getting visual input from the mirror and the mental image of where my hand should be.

I haven’t personally found it useful to use a mirror. The reflection aspect was just confusing when I was trying to figure out where I was on the fretboard.

If you’re concerned about your posture or any other hand/arm/body placement, you’re better off getting a lesson.

Once you’re clear on what you’re supposed to be doing, I think getting videos of yourself can be helpful. You can play normally (focus on what you’re doing), then check the video for anything you might not notice as you’re playing.


Oddly enough, I occasionally make a point to not use my contacts/glasses when practicing. I can’t see anything without them and it forces me to play by feel.

If you looked into a special mirror that projected you standing forward a few feet, accurately facing the same direction, you'd see the back of your head.

There'd be no confusion. Left and right would be identical, as is up and down. Your fingering would be spot on, except you couldn't see your fingers.

So you turn around, back to the mirror. Now your hands are fully visable in the special mirror, but only you can't see them, that is, unless you turn your head around. (Not a good habit to get into.)

Yes, a digital mirror, extending you forward into the "Holodeck". Better yet, play into the video camera and watch yourself in the monitor. Not too far fetched?

Hi Tom,
I've practiced standing in front of a full body mirror for years and here is what I found:

Pros: a more natural-relaxed head position, provides an insight into relative hand ergonomics on the board, gives feedback on instrument position on the body in real time, shows ones overall appearance for future performances, fret-markers become virtually equidistant on a flat-2D-plane in the reflection promoting an increased usage of areas not normally played, if you imagine yourself in the reflected image-playing with eyes closed eventually becomes second nature....

Cons: bouncing between looking down on the instrument and "up" towards the mirror while playing is challenging as a re-acclimation period of reference points is needed due to changing points of view...

Overall: for some reason when I play without the mirror I become very technical in my approach, oppositely when using the mirror I get involved in a more intuitive and creative side of playing....I "look forward" to practicing both ways as those experiences I feel support overall growth on the instrument....

-Tony

p.s. Happy Holidays to all!

I like using a mirror! - it keeps my neck happy - I don't have to keep looking down, which is very non-ergonomic. I also have a smaller mirror which shows just one hand at a time. It fits nicely on the table in front of me as I practice. Helps me relax my hands.

R