How do I play without staring at the neck?

It’s super common to death-stare the neck when first learning bass.

This is totally okay! You never have to stop looking 100%, you can just eventually wean yourself off until you have to look less often.

This will progress naturally as your muscle memory develops, but if you want to get there faster, focus on feeling around the string for the fret wire. This will give you better sensory input for where exactly on the fret you are, so you can find your way around without looking.

You could also try practicing in a mirror, or take something you know really well and try playing it with your eyes closed. It’s okay if you flub – keep your eyes closed, and feel around for the frets until you find the right note.

Anytime you’re playing and you need your security blanket, just take a look down at the neck to reorient yourself. Over time, you’ll need to do it less and less.