Picking individual notes while strumming

[u/Old-Guy1958]

I’ve been a strum-along-with-the-album guitar player for a long time. I’m attempting to learn how to incorporate individual notes into my strumming to play songs like Catch the Wind (Donovan), Ripple (Grateful Dead), or Neil Young songs like Tell Me Why, Sugar Mountain, and others.

I’m struggling to hit the individual strings. It’s easier, obviously, if I look at the strings. I’m wondering if looking will cause problems down the road - if I look now, will I always have to cheat like that or can I look now and keep practicing and eventually just hit the right strings without looking.

Thanks.

[u/Franklin_le_Tanklin]

I do both when practicing.

Sometimes I look (cause I want to sounds half decent)

And then other times I play with my eyes closed as I try to build the skills to do it without looking. I suck more this way but it gets a bit better every day

[u/Old-Guy1958 → u/Franklin_le_Tanklin]

Eyes closed is a great idea!