Singing and playing

[Philly]

I’m wondering how many of us bass lot manage to do backing vocals in bands. I play in a covers band and need to start doing some, but have had several attempts and usually ended in failure. 
 

Does anyone have any techniques to make this easier? 

[Lozz196]

I’ve pretty much always done backing vox. Luckily in the music I do it’s generally quite easy but I have found that if the bass and the vocals are doing cross melodies then it’s time to make a choice, and for me it’s what’s more important to the song, keeping the bassline as written or dumbing it down to add backing vox. Usually I’ll go with the vocals as to be honest that’s what audiences listen to most, and plenty of backing vox on a chorus really lift it imo.

[Philly]

Yeah I think that’s a good idea. It’s definitely the cross melodies that I struggle with, I’ve recently tried to learn a couple of songs on the keyboard to try to get my brain trained to focussing on a couple of melodies at once! 

[Waddo Soqable]

My "singing" is utter shlte, so other than the odd "Oi" or something, on rare occasions, I've stayed well clear..

I have the greatest respect for anyone who can sing and play a "proper" bass line simultaneously 

[WinterMute]

I've fronted bands while playing and have done BV's in others, I find it much easier to achieve with original material than with covers, as you tend to write the parts to fit your ability/natural rhythms.

 

I've tried to play Rush/Cream etc. stuff and it's very, very difficult to get it right.

 

I remember Geddy Lee commenting that the first few weeks or Rush rehearsals sounded like a Rush tribute act, and that the most oft heard phrase was "I can't f*ck*ng play this".

[itu]

I can sing, walk, and even play bass. But two or more things together is a no go. M. King can do both, but he's originally a drummer.

[BlueMoon]

For me, it is like the “rubbing your tummy and patting your head trick”. It is tricky and I have a similar approach to @Lozz196. I simplify the bass line and concentrate on the vocals. I just about get away with backings and really admire those who can front lead vocal and play.

[casapete]

I’ve sung (mainly backing) vocals in every band I’ve been in. I’ve found that it’s a massive advantage

if you can do this - I’m a competent but not brilliant bassist, and the fact that I can harmonise has

got me work over more accomplished players. I have a very ‘neutral’ singing voice with a reasonable 

range, so it fits for BV’s just fine but as a lead vocal it’s not that special - I do sing the odd song 

here and there but know it’s usually to give the proper singer a rest, and don’t particularly enjoy

doing it. I do really enjoy singing harmony, especially when playing in my acoustic duo - my partner

on guitar has a great lead voice, and his range is slightly lower than mine so it works well.

I think having played other instruments helps when playing bass and doing BVs. I started off on 

piano when I was a kid, moving on to guitar/keys in my first few bands so had some experience

of chords/harmony which proved invaluable when starting with playing bass and singing. I think

it’s harder playing bass than guitar whilst singing, and sometimes struggle with parts that

say require a root note on bass and a major 7th on vocals or similar. Tend to rehearse each 

part separately and then try to do them together for ages until it sinks in.

[fretmeister]

I’ve fronted bands while playing guitar and I find that easy, but for some reason I find it very hard to do it on bass, at least when playing with fingers.

 

I think it is because the guitar part is usually more rhythmically similar to the vocal. Or maybe it’s just because when I started playing guitar I was a teenager and really wanted to be James Hetfield and just put the work in!

 

If I play bass with a plectrum I find it a lot easier even for the same bass part. But with fingers… it’s like people who just cannot Pat their own head while rubbing their tummy. There’s a wiring problem somewhere!  
 

But whichever way works for you, the hands and bass have to be automatic. If you have to think about them you’ll not have the bandwidth to concentrate on the vocal. To quote Billy Sheehan “if you think, you stink!”

 

Its a lot easier for songs you write yourself as you automatically write things that are easier for you personally.

[casapete]

2 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

I’ve fronted bands while playing guitar and I find that easy, but for some reason I find it very hard to do it on bass, at least when playing with fingers.

 

I think it is because the guitar part is usually more rhythmically similar to the vocal. Or maybe it’s just because when I started playing guitar I was a teenager and really wanted to be James Hetfield and just put the work in!

 

If I play bass with a plectrum I find it a lot easier even for the same bass part. But with fingers… it’s like people who just cannot Pat their own head while rubbing their tummy. There’s a wiring problem somewhere!  
 

But whichever way works for you, the hands and bass have to be automatic. If you have to think about them you’ll not have the bandwidth to concentrate on the vocal. To quote Billy Sheehan “if you think, you stink!”

 

Its a lot easier for songs you write yourself as you automatically write things that are easier for you personally.

Totally agree - so much easier singing whilst playing guitar chords than bass lines. 

[NHM]

I can sing fine if I'm strumming an acoustic guitar, but stumble on the words when playing bass. Never understood why one and not the other.

[ezbass]

If you can hold a tune and perhaps pick out a harmony, you should definitely sing. However, as many have said, playing bass and singing are often at odds because of the rhythm. I was encouraged to sing more in my last band, even taking a couple of leads. Bowie’s China Girl was particularly challenging because of the rhythm thing, particularly the second section. The only way I found to make it work was to wait until the house was empty (no one wanted to hear those early attempts) and kept going over the part until some separation happened. Then every time I sang and played it, it became better. No easy solution, but worth it.

Edited April 15, 2023 by ezbass

[gafbass02]

I sing and play guitar a lot. But singing and playing bass….’tis witchcraft I tells thee. 

I can manage the odd BV depending on the song and that’s basically it. 

[Merton]

25 minutes ago, casapete said:

Totally agree - so much easier singing whilst playing guitar chords than bass lines. 

Also agree! For some reason I find hitting the right harmony when playing bass much harder. I guess if the guitar chord has it nice and clear then it give my brain something to latch onto.

 

In my rock covers band there are a couple of songs where I find the bass rhythm impossible to keep going with the vocal harmony, so do as @Lozz196 said and simplify the bass part. No one tells me I’m wrong

[fretmeister]

47 minutes ago, casapete said:

Totally agree - so much easier singing whilst playing guitar chords than bass lines. 

I was playing Metallica guitar riffs. I really don’t understand why I can do that while singing but cannot play a repetitive Duck Dunn part while singing.

 

I need a neurologist to explain it to me!

[Piers_Williamson]

I have sung a lot and played the bass a lot, but hardly ever together, for the reasons lots are quoting.  I suspect the answer, as many have said already is practice, practice practice.  The two most obvious examples of when learning behavior becomes learned (automatic) behavior are: learning to juggle (when its obvious the precise moment you go wrong because you drop something), or learning to drive.  The point about practice is to get the pattern into auto-pilot, and sometimes it takes a lot of practice

[ezbass]

47 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

I was playing Metallica guitar riffs. I really don’t understand why I can do that while singing but cannot play a repetitive Duck Dunn part while singing.

 

I need a neurologist to explain it to me!

I’d hazard a guess at it being down to the syncopation. Metallica (who I like, so not dissing them, or metal, at all) songs are more straight ahead, with the vocal following the riff rhythm (or vice versa), whilst songs out of Stax are more rhythmically complex in their interaction. 

[Leonard Smalls]

I'm quite excited by the fact I can walk forward and backwards while slappindabass, a bit like a CrapFlea in a Dr Feelgood band!

But singing as well would be a step too far...

[Waddo Soqable]

12 minutes ago, Leonard Smalls said:

I'm quite excited by the fact I can walk forward and backwards while slappindabass, a bit like a CrapFlea in a Dr Feelgood band!

But singing as well would be a step too far...

We tried the classic 60s style "walking forwards, backwards and sideways " in unison thing whilst playing, it was a disaster... 

[Reggaebass]

14 minutes ago, Waddo Soqable said:

We tried the classic 60s style "walking forwards, backwards and sideways " in unison thing whilst playing

Line dance 😁

[Leonard Smalls]

25 minutes ago, Waddo Soqable said:

in unison

Never in unison!

Needs to be one forward, one back.

However, as it's only me so far it's not a problem. But when other bass and (Gawdelpus!) guitar start doing the same we'll have to employ one of them choreographers, like what Madonna does...

[BigAlonBass]

I got dropped in at the Deep End in 1969, when the Singer spat the dummy, and walked away. I was the only one who could (passably) sing, so I was designated Lead Vocalist for the large number of Gigs we had booked. I went Home, concentrated on the Singing, playing nothing but Root Notes in the background, and gradually progressed. A week later, the first Gig arrived, and I had the Vocals 'off pat' in my head, so I was a bit more relaxed about combining the two. I found, as time progressed, that I could fit some 'twiddly bits' in between the less 'vocally' sections, and as time went on, my Skill Level continued to improve. A year later, it felt like I had been doing it forever, and I've been able to marry the two together ever since. I was lucky, in that the other Lads in the Band were just happy to fulfil the Gig requirements, and allowed me to do everything at my own pace. So-in short-Practise till you "get it". Not dreadfully easy, but well within everyone's capabilities. (Eventually!)  😉

[snorkie635]

Plaudits due to all who play and sing I'd say.

 

tra, la, boing, la-la, twang, etc.

[Reggaebass]

I can’t do either 😁

[Hobbayne]

I do some BV's but I only have a limited range as I found out recently with the several key changes of 'My Generation' when I got to the Bb and was croaking away like a frog! 😁