Singing and playing at the same time

[kwmlondon]

I have been asked to take on some of the singing parts- not because I’m a great singer but to share the load. Backing vocals are easy but I’m finding singing a different rhythm to the bassline throws me off both. Any advice? 

[NoRhino]

Learn the bass part separately.

Learn to sing the vocal separately.

Fit both parts together and practice practice practice. 

[Lozz196]

And if finding its still not working, unless the bass-line is an intrinsic part of the song dumb it down a tad.

[MacDaddy]

I can play bass, and I can sing badly. I find it extremely difficult to do both at the same time.

[kwmlondon]

1 hour ago, NoRhino said:

Learn the bass part separately.

Learn to sing the vocal separately.

Fit both parts together and practice practice practice. 

Yeah, though I’ve been trying to get the guys to do Should I Stay or Should I go because it has a nice sing/riff/sing/ riff structure !

[Greg Edwards69]

2 hours ago, NoRhino said:

Learn the bass part separately.

Learn to sing the vocal separately.

Fit both parts together and practice practice practice. 

The alternative if it's a particularly challenging part is to attack it as a pianist would with tricky left and right hand parts, or a drummer would. Break it down, and learn both parts simultaneously, very slowly.

[Greg Edwards69]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

And if finding its still not working, unless the bass-line is an intrinsic part of the song dumb it down a tad.

This too.  I can play "Good Times" with my eyes shut ad nauseum, but I have a real block singing the "Leave your cares behind/Our new state of mind" over the corresponding part of the iconic bass line.  So I slightly simplify it. As long as I still play it properly elsewhere in the song, no-body notices!

[fretmeister]

I find it easy to play guitar and sing, but bass and singing is more difficult as the rhythm of the guitar part often fits the vocal but the bass part often doesn’t.

 

The best tip I ever got was to hum the vocal line while playing. It seems to lower the brain load as you are just making noises in time rather than remembering words as well. Then when that is right, add the odd word in the right place, then a few more and build it up u til you complete the line.

 

Definitely works for me. I’d suggest picking some really simple songs for home practice to learn the skill before jumping into the stuff you might actually perform.

[Nail Soup]

If you are sharing the vocal load between the band, one thing you should consider is distributing the vocal part where the instrument is simple.... so if song has a simple guitar part then guitarist sings it. If has a simple bass part then bass player sings it.

Of course won't always work out that way.

[Rexel Matador]

1 hour ago, Greg Edwards69 said:

The alternative if it's a particularly challenging part is to attack it as a pianist would with tricky left and right hand parts, or a drummer would. Break it down, and learn both parts simultaneously, very slowly.

This has been my approach when it's a tricky rhythm. I had to learn to play and sing Outside Woman Blues and I started by going very slowly and figuring out which notes of the basslines the vocal syllables fell on, after a few goes it fell into place and I can do it without thinking now. So just start (very) slow and it will come.

[Owen]

Don't bother. The Bass Police will arrest you and all the work will be for nothing. 

[BlueMoon]

Don’t overthink it. Simplify the bass line if you can and still retain the basics. 
Practice, practice, practice!

[Greg Edwards69]

1 hour ago, Owen said:

Don't bother. The Bass Police will arrest you and all the work will be for nothing. 

The bass player in the Police, OTOH…

[Bassassin]

22 hours ago, NoRhino said:

Learn the bass part separately.

Learn to sing the vocal separately.

Fit both parts together and practice practice practice. 

 

Focus on keeping time - tap your foot or use a metronome. The rhythm's the glue which holds both parts together.

[JJTee]

I can only just about breathe and play bass at the same time!

[Baloney Balderdash]

I played bass in a hardcore and noise rock influenced math rock band where the not only the bass parts but also often the guitar parts would be rather complex rhythmically and go completely against the vocals parts.

 

I'll never figure out how the vocalist who also happened to be the guitarist managed, but I got great respect for him being able to.

 

To me it's kind of like as if having to solve a mathematical equation with one hand while simultaneously writing a poem with the other, no matter how well I know the bass and vocal parts individually.

 

Seems absolutely impossible to me.

 

To me it's a skill up there with people who are able to do tightrope walking while juggling lit torches. 

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[Downunderwonder]

On 18/06/2023 at 14:54, Baloney Balderdash said:

I played bass in a hardcore and noise rock influenced math rock band where the not only the bass parts but also often the guitar parts would be rather complex rhythmically and go completely against the vocals parts.

 

I'll never figure out how the vocalist who also happened to be the guitarist managed, but I got great respect for him being able to.

 

To me it's kind of like as if having to solving mathematical equation with one hand while simultaneously writing a poem with the other, no matter how well I know the bass and vocal parts individually.

 

Seems absolutely impossible to me.

 

To me it's a skill up there with people who are able to do tightrope walking while juggling lit torches. 

 

Exactly how I felt about it until I learned that small wins were possible with practice. Then when I throw in the odd BV it sounds like someone else is playing the bass while I am singing. Surreal out of body experience.

 

Ordinarily I cannot even talk while playing. No way can I count myself as a singing bassist.