Learning not to look. What it is (and isn't) helping with

Image from fretjam.com

After something of the epiphany I had last week when I discovered that intensely staring at the fretboard when playing causes me to focus on the here and now instead of thinking (or looking) ahead, I've been working at sight reading somewhat differently.   I've started following the advice everyone seems to agree on - you just gotta keep doing it every day!  So I'm working through my trusty sight reading book (guitar at sight by Charles Duncan) yet again - 15 mins every morning - and for the first time I've now got past 5th position (hurrah)!  However instead of looking from my hands to the book and back again to be sure I'm situated correctly, I'm making a determined effort to find the notes without looking.  Yes, even in 7th position.  And in at least one way it's working - I'm actually getting an internal picture of the layout of the fretboard in my head so I don't have to look to find other notes on different strings.  I should be jumping up and down with joy - I knew this was one of the hurdles I had to surmount before I learned to sight read.  And  I can see this is going to pay dividends when learning a new piece.   But what about the reason I finally made myself do it?  Is it helping me read ahead while sight reading?   Like when it forced me to visualize ahead when playing a piece I've memorized....  ?

The short answer is a resounding NO.  I might be finding the notes faster and more accurately but I'm still not instantly visualizing a measure then reading ahead while I play it.  I have absolutely no idea how people figure out a measure so fast or do these 2 things at once...   So I guess it's back to the drawing board to solve that one.  Not that I'm giving up on what I'm doing 'cos it is getting me closer, but there is obviously yet another puzzle to solve before I get a handle on it.   In the meantime I have had another thought- I was leafing through some materials on sight reading from SCRIBD ( well worth the subscription BTW) and came across a sight reading tutorial that appeared to be nothing to do with sight reading.  More like memorization.  i.e.  Look at this measure.  Get it in your head.  Look away.  Play.  Huh?  I thought it was supposed to be about sight reading?   Thinking about it though, isn't that baby steps towards learning to read ahead?  Look at a measure, get it in your head fast and play it without looking (while you scan what's coming next, perhaps ??)   Might be worth a try.   If there is one thing I've learned from this latest discovery is it's worth trying a bunch of different things 'cos one of  them might just work. 😊