Jeff... I find myself in the very unusual position of disagreeing with something you said. Where not looking at you hand is useful, is when you accompany your self while singing. It is not a problem if you are just one guitarist, in a band. But if you are up there alone, it can become a barrior to reaching your audience. The whole idea of singing a song is to make the words humanly realatable. Eye contact helps to make your performance audience relatable

You wouldn't have a conversation with somebody and stare at your hands the whole time. Eye contact is a crutual part of conveying the idea that you are genuine in what you are saying. Lack of eye contact can create the perception that you are evasive.

I think singing is like a conversation. Good vocal performance is about the communication of human ideas and feelings. As such it uses alot of similar gateways. Eye contact with your audience is a part of that art. For people who want to accompany them selves, eye contact with your audience is a powerful tool. You can't use that tool if you are focused on your hands.

Otherwise, if you are just playing guitar, I totally agree with you that it doesn't really matter as much if you are watching your hands.