Singing and playing

[shizznit]

This has been bugging me for a few years now. I can confidently pick up a mic and happily sing away to be hearts content. I quite often do acoustic gigs on my own in small bars and I also record my voice for private projects and record BV's for my band. As soon as I pick up a bass I can't put two lyrics together! When I see players such as Mark King I think "Git!!" How does he do it? It's hard enough to play his lines as it is, but he never drops a note and sings in perfect time and pitch.

Does anyone struggle to sing whilst playing bass? If not, tell me your secret!

[Dom in Dorset]

I can do it but it only really works once I've learned the bass line and the lyric of by heart. The slightest moment of doubt and the whole thing falls apart. It also comes down to practice, the more you do it the easier it gets.
There is something so satisfying about singing while playing bass, it's well worth pursuing. In my band three of us share out the vocals, I pity those that stand and strum.

[paul torch]

I am like you mate, can't do it to save my life. How the likes of McCartney and Lee manage is beyond me.

If you listen to Thin Lizzy, it seems that Lynott tends to play simple root style lines while singing and plays his runs between vocal lines.

[TRBboy]

I get quite frustrated with this. I can play and sing fine as long as the rhythm of the bass part and vocal part don't contradict each other too much (hope this makes sense!). Can't describe it very well, bit if the bassline has quite an offbeat feel, but the vocal line doesn't, I'm screwed. If I can plod along on eigth notes I'm fine!

[louisthebass]

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1330855399' post='1563692']
This has been bugging me for a few years now. I can confidently pick up a mic and happily sing away to be hearts content. I quite often do acoustic gigs on my own in small bars and I also record my voice for private projects and record BV's for my band. As soon as I pick up a bass I can't put two lyrics together! When I see players such as Mark King I think "Git!!" How does he do it? It's hard enough to play his lines as it is, but he never drops a note and sings in perfect time and pitch.

Does anyone struggle to sing whilst playing bass? If not, tell me your secret!
[/quote]

You would have found Yolanda Charles Masterclass at the LBGS yesterday quite useful - I've posted a link to a YT video from last years Musikmesse that features Yolanda explaining it in another post in the Events part of the forum related to LBGS.

[AttitudeCastle]

I'm similar, but as a naff singer need to concetrate alot on both haha!

Who grinds my gears? Troy Sanders and Billy Sheehan, ripping at the bass, in quick licks, odd time signatures and modulations, all while singer over it!

Practise makes perfect I guess!

[Truckstop]

I used to struggle but then I just learnt the bass and the singing parts seperately rather than learning them together. I think of it as training my hands to do one thing on autopilot and my voice to do another thing. Just train yourself to do two things at once!

Having said that though some parts are really tricky. I proper struggled with the backing vox for Brown Eyed Girl. Especially the "Sha-la-la-la-la-la-lala-lala" parts at the end. So hard!

Truckstop

[Lozz196]

[quote name='TRBboy' timestamp='1330858261' post='1563740']
I get quite frustrated with this. I can play and sing fine as long as the rhythm of the bass part and vocal part don't contradict each other too much (hope this makes sense!). Can't describe it very well, bit if the bassline has quite an offbeat feel, but the vocal line doesn't, I'm screwed. If I can plod along on eigth notes I'm fine!
[/quote]

Same here, as long as there aren`t cross-melodies, I`m fine.

Must admit though, my voice is strictly backing vocs only - I have too much comassion to humanity to do lead vocs again.

[EssentialTension]

I have trouble with the singing, never mind playing at the same time.

[Happy Jack]

Friday night (2nd March) in West London.

It's just practice. Lots and lots of practice.

[Hobbayne]

I find it hard to play a complex part and sing, but its nigh impossible to stop myself looking down at my fingers instead of looking at the audience.

[martin8708]

Singing when you are playing guitar ( 6 string ) is a lot easier , to me it seems I am only doing a single task .
Singing when playing the bass seems like two totally separate tasks , there is a strong temptation to sing every word on the beat of the bassdrum /bassnote .
You need to try and lift the singing aspect away from the bassplaying , bit like rubbing your tummy and patting your head at the same time . Sting was a master at playing odd timings and singing smoothly over the top of the music , just give " So lonely " a good listen to.
It does come with practice , it must be a lot worse for keyboard players !!

Edited March 4, 2012 by martin8708

[LemonCello]

Strumming a 6 string no problem, pick up a bass - different story!

[paul torch]

Somehow drummers can manage it and they've gota lot more different things going on. If you know what I mean.

[Judo Chop]

[quote name='LemonCello' timestamp='1330861375' post='1563820']
Strumming a 6 string no problem, pick up a bass - different story!
[/quote]

I was talking about this with my brother last night. I was teaching him a few guitar chords and we could sing along just fine on the guitar, but when I went back to my bass to play along with him, my brain decided to lock my fingers and deactivate my vocal cords. The same thing happened to him, it's really strange.

[essexbasscat]

I agree it is often easier to play a 6-string guitar and sing compared to singing while playing bass. That said, it really is a case of the more you sing while playinge bass, the easier it becomes (with the odd exception).

Perhaps the most challenging number I've ever found to play bass for and sing the lead on was Suck My Kiss by the Chilies - took ages !!!

Edited March 4, 2012 by essexbasscat

[4000]

Never really had to many problems with this, although it's one of the first things I learnt to do when playing which maybe helps. I sometimes actually find it easier singing over quite complex things, don't ask me why! If struggling, learn the bassline off by heart and then learn the vocals separately. There are some lines that I find really difficult but they tend to be where there are cross-rhythms; wouldn't fancy doing any of Kingy's stuff, and that Suzi Quatro thing ("She's in Love With You"?) would be a nightmare. I remember once doing a cover of Rush's Circumstances when I'd only been playing a couple of years; that was quite challenging, although more so because it was way out of my vocal range.

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='TRBboy' timestamp='1330858261' post='1563740']
I get quite frustrated with this. I can play and sing fine as long as the rhythm of the bass part and vocal part don't contradict each other too much (hope this makes sense!). Can't describe it very well, bit if the bassline has quite an offbeat feel, but the vocal line doesn't, I'm screwed. If I can plod along on eigth notes I'm fine!
[/quote]

Conversely, I can't sing IN time. I can do something like "Message in a bottle" or "With or without you" easily enough - Both vocal parts are on the off-beat. Put it "on" the beat and it disintegrates.
That, and I can't sing for toffee...

Edited March 4, 2012 by Lfalex v1.1

[Prime_BASS]

I can do it, just can't sing very well.

It helps knowing the lyrics and the line off by heart.

[lurksalot]

everything above is great, If I am really struggling with the synchopation issue , I try and visualise 'junctions' where I know the vocal bit should be exactly on the note , if I get get to all the junctions at the right time I am nearly there.

the next bit is to learn to sing in tune and hit the right bass notes in between

[Austin7]

I'm not sure if there is any kind of formula to this, although I'd say learning to play bass and sing at a young age is an advantage. That's what I did. Now that I'm older and got out of practice by being in a band that didn't require my singing, it's a lot harder whenever I try it now. "Young" being defined as 16 or so, BTW. My advice to anyone who now sings and plays bass at the same time is to not stop doing it. If you stop, you may be sorry. You may just end up having to learn it all over again. Actually, the same can be said for playing bass, too. It's amazing how much you can lose by going long periods without practicing.

[BottomE]

[quote name='TRBboy' timestamp='1330858261' post='1563740']
I get quite frustrated with this. I can play and sing fine as long as the rhythm of the bass part and vocal part don't contradict each other too much (hope this makes sense!). Can't describe it very well, bit if the bassline has quite an offbeat feel, but the vocal line doesn't, I'm screwed. If I can plod along on eigth notes I'm fine!
[/quote]
+ 1 you described it perfectly

[TRBboy]

Glad I'm not the only one! I'm sure if you practice enough you could sing and play anything, but therein lies the problem......

[mrtcat]

Can sing whilst playing simple stuff as long as the two parts are similar. As soon as the vocal part and bass part separate I have to work super hard to get there. I also have a pretty baritone voice so high part harmonies are out of the question for me. Shame really as I love hearing a nice harmony.

[icastle]

I used to have great trouble playing bass and singing harmonies at the same time.

I discovered that what really worked for me, and indeed everyone else, was to just stop it.