Nope - I just can't do it!!

[SpaceChick]

Our lead singer wants me to do backing vocals, thinking a female voice will really add something to our "sound".

Also, as fabulous and lovely as our lead guitarist is, he's been trying and in some songs he is just as flat as a pancake.

Well last night I gave it a whirl...... and I just can't do it!!!!

I the singing was OK, my basslines were pants and vice versa. I just can't play and sing at the same time... nope... no way Jose!

Should I keep trying? or should I just give up now?

[dudewheresmybass]

If they work independently- it is most likely a case of keep trying.
They way I do it is to practice the bass part until I don't have to think about it actively, and then that releases my head to concentrate on the vocal side of it.
Practice will make it better

[deefer_dog]

I can't sing and play at ALL, so you're not alone!

One or the other

[woodyratm]

Keep trying.

Just make sure you know the bass line like the back of your hand (eg can do it without thinking) and then add the vocals in.

I find holding a conversation with someone whilst playing a line (blues scales for example) and try to not "sing" the notes can help.

[thisnameistaken]

If you enjoyed singing then keep trying - it's like anything else, it requires practise. In the mean time see if there are places you can simplify your bass parts to give you more spare brain to do the singing with. Eventually it will become automatic, the more familiar you get with the songs, and you can start introducing busier bass parts where appropriate.

In my experience though, in places where there's more than one voice going on, it's usually best not to be playing anything too busy anyway.

[paul_5]

Don't worry, you just can't do it [i]yet[/i]. Singing and playing bass at the same time is notoriously difficult; it just takes time, patience and electric-shock therapy.

[jakenewmanbass]

learn each part independently until you are absolutely sure of them before trying to put them together.

[bartelby]

My band forced me into doing backing vocals a whiles back.
Singing was bad and basslines suffered. But they kept on at me, in a positive way, and the basslines are as they should be and the vocals have improved a hell of a lot.

I simplified the bass for when I was [s]singing [/s]shouting so I could concentrate in the vocals.
Then when the vocals improved I worked on the basslines.

Stick with it.

[Commando Jack]

If you can do one or the other, it means that with practise you can do them together. Keep at it.

Nobody can concentrate properly on two things at once, and your brain is flicking between bass and vocals. I would second the advice of knowing the basslines inside out to the point where you can hold a conversation while playing them. At that point, enough of your concentrating power is free to allow you to sing.

Btw be prepared for crossed wires - the rhythm of your vocal lines will follow the rhythm of the basslines if you're not careful!

[Bigwan]

[quote name='deefer_dog' timestamp='1345028994' post='1772465']
I can't sing and play at ALL, so you're not alone!

One or the other
[/quote]

+1

[Dr.Dave]

You had one go and because it wasnlt bang on you say 'I just can't do it'.

Tch tch - hang your head in shame. What else in your life have you done that you were great at first time?? Driving? Tying your shoes? Playing Bass???

Practise , Ms Chick , practise. The fact that you thought your voice sounded good should lift your confidence. If you have even basic pitching skills and a halfway decent timbre to your voice the rest of it is just mechanics. Practise improves mechanics.

And.... I'll bet a shiny new 10p piece that a lot of the problem was you were over concious of doing it in front of your band mates. That'll soon pass.

Get in there. There's nothing at the back of a stage except cobwebs.

[SpaceChick]

Thanks guys, I think I will keep trying then.

There are some songs with easy root note basslines that I can just about do.

I really don't want to dumb down some of my complex basslines though, as that is my main love, I am a bassist first and foremost!

[SpaceChick]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1345030535' post='1772504']
Practise , Ms Chick , practise. The fact that you thought your voice sounded good should lift your confidence. If you have even basic pitching skills and a halfway decent timbre to your voice the rest of it is just mechanics. Practise improves mechanics.

[/quote]

I wouldn't say my voice sounded good.... just about in tune and acceptable maybe but then I'd never want to be a lead singer anyway

Ms Chick promises to practice.... my hubby will tell me if I sound pants anyhow.... he's always brutally honest

[Happy Jack]

If you're singing BV's, then it's worth remembering that most of the time during any given song you are not singing, and you are free to play any bass line you choose.

It's easier for guitarists to sing because they can: Sing ... play a quick riff ... sing ... play a quick riff.

For bassists you need to modify to: Bassline ... BV's + root/5th ... bassline ... BV's + root/5th etc.

[ras52]

It's a bit like playing left-hand/right-hand counterpoint on a keyboard. Practise them separately, put them together s-l-o-w-l-y.

[Fat Rich]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3Lszt2HPK8&feature=relmfu"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3Lszt2HPK8&feature=relmfu[/url]

[Happy Jack]

That's a really excellent clip.

[xilddx]

Playing and singing is like playing drums, like limb independence. Also like your right and left hands on the bass. You CAN do it, but like playing or singing on their own, it takes practice.

Like Jake says, be completely comfortable with both on their own, then put them together. The way to do this, I think, is to almost approach them as separate instruments, like a drum set. Both parts have their rhythmical independence, and when put together they syncopate. Think of each as part of the beat. This is why it's difficult, you want the vocal to follow the accents of the bass, or vice versa and when you sing a note in a space your hands want to follow your voice.

Start with something easy and play and sing it together VERY slowly. Get a feel for how the rhythm of the vocal sounds against the bass, and run a click in your mind, note where your singing and playing coincide, and where they don't. This is how drummers often visualise patterns in order to gain limb independence. With practice, you'll start to find it that your voice and hands are like a single rhythmic instrument, instead of you thinking of the voice and bass as separate entities. Practice practice practice. Once you nail one song, you'll have less difficulty with the next three, and so on.

Don't be worried about it, Geddy Lee has said recently that he writes with the song foremost in his mind and often has to spend a good while learning how to sing the vocal and play the bass part at the same time after the song is tracked.

I can sing and play guitar, but that's not too difficult compared to bass. Bass is harder, and I have done only a little bas and voice, but I have complete confidence that if I had to, I could sing and play bass in any of my bands by putting the work in and approaching it as I outlined above.

Good luck

[ben604]

Practice practice practice! I find that after a while, my mind locks certain words to certain notes within the bassline, then it's easier. If it's covers, I usually sit at home, slow the track 10% with audacity or something similar and loop it for a 20 minutes at a time, until I can take the speed back up.

Once you've started and got a couple of songs right, it's much easier to learn new ones too.

[seashell]

I reckon I could do this if I put in a lot of practice. I used to tap dance and sing at the same time so I think it would use similar brain parts.
However our singer isnt showing any signs of wanting any back up. One of the covers we do is 20th Century Boy by T Rex. IMO that could really do with some female backing vocals, but I think its a bit early to suggest it just yet!:-)

[WalMan]

It's a matter of practice.

I find when we start a new cover I know the BV line I want, but until I have the bass line sorted I get trown & screw up.

Once you're happy with the bassline go for the BV's

[Norris]

You'll need to practise your bass parts until you can play them without thinking too much. You need to engage most of your brain for the singing - this is the bit the audience will notice. Keep at it though, as it feels great when you can start to drag the timing of the singing around a bit while keeping a rock-steady bassline going.

(Pat-rub, pat-rub )

[Fat Rich]

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1345031482' post='1772537']
..........
Don't be worried about it, Geddy Lee has said recently that he writes with the song foremost in his mind and often has to spend a good while learning how to sing the vocal and play the bass part at the same time after the song is tracked.
......
[/quote]

Sting said the same thing, it took him ages to be able to sing "Message in a bottle" instead of "Message in a bot-ot-ot-tle"

[Spike Vincent]

Keep trying.I haven't sung ( well,shouted..) backing vocals for about 15 years,my new band have just become a three piece and I'm now expected to do BV's.Can I do it? Can I f#ck...Practice practice practice..

[LiamPodmore]

I can sing in time whilst playing bass. Singing in tune is a different matter altogether though, even when i'm not playing bass. Thankfully my band know my vocals are horrific so don't ask me to sing, just occasionally shout sh*t down a mic. As others have said, practice is the key to this, know both your basslines and vocal lines till you can do both without thinking about them, and you'll be fine.

Liam