I'm trying to make my accompanying independent of my singing so I don't have to look down at my fretboard while playing to the crowd.

Practicing in the dark deprives me of the option of seeing the neck.

@Toonman Good luck! Audiences do really appreciate that eye contact. How long have you been working on it?

@Organist1 Today...

With so many keys that must be hard. At one time I was determined to learn to type. Got a HS book, bought a used typewriter and then covered all the keys and practiced, practiced, practiced. Now I mostly have it except for the hand positions (my fingers often overlap keys).

@JackPedigo Typing is tough for me, and I never got the hang of not looking. I think it's because all the keys feel the same. Piano keys all feel different, because you can feel the adjacent black notes, and where they are in relation to the white notes. The hardest thing, I think, was learning to play the organ, and having a keyboard to navigate at the same time as the ones I have to play with my hands, and also pulling stops in and out. It's a brain teaser. How long did it take you to learn to touch type?

@Organist1 LOL how long? To get it absolutely right I'm still working on it. I know where the keys are but there is still the issue with overlapping ( I did this sentence without looking).

@JackPedigo Your sentence is perfect! Can you visualize the keyboard in your head? That would be important for me to do if I tried it.

@Toonman Well, good luck with it. Since you brought this topic up, I grabbed my guitar to see if I could do it. I think unusual tunings, playing higher i=on the fretboard, and songs I don't know well are the hardest. Also, and I've heard this from others as well, it's hard not to make funny facial expressions when playing. I tend to frown if something's difficult, so have been working on smiling instead. Have you noticed any issues with this?

@Organist1 Not really. I just visualize the placement of keys in relation to one another. How does that work with piano keys? They are not numbered or have symbols on them.

@JackPedigo True, but they repeat every octave, so you really only have to memorize 12 notes (both white and black keys).

@Organist1 I think the big difference is one is of sight and the other sound.
I just realized with this thread something is missing in my morning meditation. I have developed my own meditation style and use the principle of 'mindfulness meditation' and incorporate all the senses, touch, sight, smell/taste but now I realize sound is missing (except to focus on reducing tinnitus).

@JackPedigo Yes, sound is a big part of it. There's instant feedback if you make a mistake! I'd be interested to know how you incorporate all those senses in o your meditation. I guess for me, meditation just involves relaxing and playing my guitar. I probably should do more.

@Organist1 Nope, mine is not just sitting and focusing on breathing but also focusing on stretches and exercises one can do while sitting. Over a period I have developed 6 series of movements each followed by a period of breathing (which includes kegel movements) and contemplating on things I need to instill (like calmness). It's a 17 minute session.
After my bike accident 3 years ago I developed some whiplash. Now that's gone. I also do other things to strengthen my neck and even eyes.