Singing What You Play / Singing While Playing

[Steveman]

Hey Janek, I notice that you sing what you play a lot or sing while you play (not necessarily what you play though). What got you to do this? And how do you go about doing it? It's something I'm trying to do because it helps me play what is in my head, but it's quite a rough process but I'm getting there

[janekbass]

it's something I heard when I first checked out George Benson. He sings and plays at the same time and I thought it was such a great sound. I don't have any kind of singing voice, so I'm definitely not going for what George does, but I am creating the ideas in my head and playing them on my instrument rather than letting licks dictate the direction of the music.

Just start out by working on simple phrases and locking in your technique with your melodic process. The simpler you start the more of a muscle memory thing it will become, and the stronger the foundation you'll be building to grow the process.

Easy,

Janek

[middlebit]

Originally Posted by janekbass

it's something I heard when I first checked out George Benson. He sings and plays at the same time and I thought it was such a great sound. I don't have any kind of singing voice, so I'm definitely not going for what George does, but I am creating the ideas in my head and playing them on my instrument rather than letting licks dictate the direction of the music.

Just start out by working on simple phrases and locking in your technique with your melodic process. The simpler you start the more of a muscle memory thing it will become, and the stronger the foundation you'll be building to grow the process.

Easy,

Janek

Noticed that on your last podcast your vocal "chops" seem a lot stronger than on your previous ones. Did your extensive touring with VV Brown help this (as in:being isolated from your instrument)?