My Band Thinks I Sing Better than I Play Bass - Now What?

[Fair Warning]

Well....based on the response I got from my 80's Metal Cover Band, who is yet to find a singer, when I put down my bass and belted out a few Bruce Dickinson/Rob Halford tunes, I think we are gonna start looking for another bass player.

I am not upset about this. It was something that I have been wanting to try for a while. But I find myself unprepared once again and in need of knowledge about PA's, Mic's, Mixers and anything else that goes with it.

I suppose we will be playing small to medium indoor bars with the occassional outdoor gig......what will I realistically need?

[oniman7]

Why not do both at the same time? Lemmy, Sting, Waters, Ben (Breaking Benjamin), and many others sing and play bass.

As far as all of that gear, I'm looking at buying a set up for my band. Kustom*Profile 300 Portable PA System - Find the largest selection and guaranteed lowest prices at Musician's Friend. With this, you should just need a mic (XLR cables work best in my experience) and a stand.

Otherwise, although I'm still bad at the details, you basically need a microphone. The microphone will go into a mixing board. If it is a powered board, such as the one above, it will go straight into the PA. Otherwise, if it is a "dry" board, it will need to go through a power amp.

[totallyfrozen]

Originally Posted by Fair Warning

...I find myself...in need of knowledge about PA's, Mic's, Mixers and anything else that goes with it.

Well, I think you'll be the only singer that knows anything about any of that stuff.

[semiprohooker]

Originally Posted by totallyfrozen

Well, I think you'll be the only singer that knows anything about any of that stuff.

Amen!

Best thing for you as a singer is a mic you don't mind and a good set of in-ears to hear yourself better. SM58 Beta is good solid all around. Little bit bright. I would also recommend having a BBE Sonic Maximizer for your voice, it will really add some life to it and help it sit "on top" of the mix

[littlepope]

Good monitors-for sure!! Must hear yourself and the band in pitch or they will will kick you out. Shame on you if you're a bassist who cannot sing, multitask, work the light board and get the girl in the corner looking at you.

Try classic Shure SM57 or 58 microphones. Do not skimp on saving money by buying real cheap mic cables, it will catch up with you. Consult a sound engineer if you know 1. Worst case scenario-if U R like me who cannot remember, technology changes fast, see what the local groups are using. Think modular-can you add more monitors or feed other line amps at a later time?? Kustom, Shure, QSC, Yamaha and Bose are reputable equipment makers.

Just my personal experience from doing sound for my band awhile. bas on dude, don't lt your bottom end hang loose.

[tangentmusic]

Please, please do not give up bass just to scream some Maiden!
Do both

[bwoodman]

I wish I had this "problem"...I'd work a lot more! Geddy Lee, Paul McCartney, Sting...etc, I'd think I'd try and get the playing up to your level of your singing so you can rule!

[Fair Warning]

Wow...thanks for the good tech info already! Exactly the jump start that I was looking for. I know my bass gear, but looking into a black hole with this different opportunity. Also, I would play bass and sing together, if both did not suffer by trying. Can anyone tell me that secret of how to get through simultaniously concentrating on both?

"Scream Maiden"?......no my friend, its more of an opra in my mind.....

"Give up bass" ? Dont worry...I will continue throwing down the lows in my other band...!

[upandb]

Originally Posted by oniman7

Why not do both at the same time? Lemmy, Sting, Waters, Ben (Breaking Benjamin), and many others sing and play bass.

Ben plays guitar.

[oniman7]

Does he? I guess I shouldn't trust non-musician friends to tell me anything about bassists...

Also, my singer's pretty clueless, as is my drummer, and neither of my guitarists knows how to run anything more complicated than their amps. Knowing these things is a huge plus.

[SMILEYSIXX]

A singer knowing about gear? Don't joke around with me like that. The signer in my band knows how to turn on his mic and that's about it. Hell, he didn't even buy the PA, our guitarist did.

Get a good mic and halfway decent PA. My band uses a 200w PA and it gets pretty loud, so you don't need anything too over the top if you're only doing some small to medium indoor gigs.

[Never_grew_up]

Something like this:
Carvin.com :: XP1000L-PM15
And either this:
Carvin.com :: 1202M-2
or this:
Carvin.com :: LM12-2

This gives you a pretty good startup system with 15" 2-ways for mains & a pair of 12" 2-way floor monitors. I'd stay away from 12" speakers for mains, they tend to sound a little thin without subwoofer support. The only other things you'll need are mic stands & a pair of speaker stands.

[Silas Stingy]

Originally Posted by Fair Warning

Can anyone tell me that secret of how to get through simultaniously concentrating on both?

I've always sung BV's whilst playing bass but recently stepped up to lead. I would say that really there is no secret to playing and singing, it just takes practice. The tracks that I sing are usually carefully chosen, I would certainly find multitasking on Maiden a challenge

[Fair Warning]

Originally Posted by Never_grew_up

Something like this:
Carvin.com :: XP1000L-PM15
And either this:
Carvin.com :: 1202M-2
or this:
Carvin.com :: LM12-2

This gives you a pretty good startup system with 15" 2-ways for mains & a pair of 12" 2-way floor monitors. I'd stay away from 12" speakers for mains, they tend to sound a little thin without subwoofer support. The only other things you'll need are mic stands & a pair of speaker stands.

Awesome! That looks like a great setup....

[Stumbo]

Here are a few links you may want to check out:
~PA/Lighting
How to set up PA videos
[url=http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f203/personal-monitor-suggestions-667714/[/url]
First P.A.
1 What size?
2
Configuring
Placing Subs
DIY monitors
1 Upgrading
2

1What mixer is your band runnin'?
2
QSC K series PA discussion
Microphones

Low cost lighting


~FOH
Sound Guy or not To Sound Guy?
Working with the "sound guy"
Cheap vs. Expensive DI
Working a DI
1 Learn live sound mixing
2
3
Frequency ranges of band instruments
Bass string notes,frequencies and harmonics chart
EQ primer (all instruments)
FOH vs. on-stage sound
Solving odd feed back situations

Isolating Head/Cabs from stage/each other
Best wireless?

[Keithwah]

Originally Posted by Silas Stingy

I've always sung BV's whilst playing bass but recently stepped up to lead. I would say that really there is no secret to playing and singing, it just takes practice. The tracks that I sing are usually carefully chosen, I would certainly find multitasking on Maiden a challenge

Practice, practice, practice. It wasn't going to be easy was it? Learning to play bass wasn't really that easy, but you liked it enough to keep at it till you hit your "light bulb moment" didn't you?

I've been fronting and/or playing bass live for 30 plus years. It will come easier in time, but you will always have to work hard to sing against the groove and keep your place. Some tunes are easier than others and some of the easiest ones will kick your ass, while you might be surprised at some of the material that works.

I've also stepped out front without the bass or guitar with a few bands and really loved it. I really loved being able to focus completely on my voice, how it resonated in the chest, breath control to hold notes, and best of all the more I sang the stronger I got. My range also improved greatly by focusing on just what I was singing. Pretty awesome experience really.

And when you go back to playing bass and being able to front, dude, you write your own ticket. I gig big and I get paid for it. And I don't play in a wedding band. I play in rock and country club/festival bands. I play bass and front up in the country band and play bass, guitar, keys and front in the rock band.

Next step, find a singing drummer, you become the instant A-Team with any local music scene. Good luck with it. I think you'll dig it.

P.S. I think you'll find you were a little hard on those singers that had a problem coming on time every once in awhile in your band years. It is a lot tougher than you might think. Very humbling initially.

[selftitled907]

almost any gear you get will work. but here are a few things to keep in mind.

A. make sure to get a mixer that is going to be able to be expanded upon. this will save you having to spend loads of cash up front.

B. talk to who you buy it from and test it out first. no question is a stupid question. if you dont know how it works....ask the seller and have them show you. thats why the salespersons are there, its there job.

C. dont sacrifice quality to save a buck. it will kick your ass in the end. when 1 single mic cord decides to take a **** mid show/song. its not fun to track it down when it starts makeing weird noises before going completly dead.

D. and finally. i would strongly suggest going with powered monitors and mains. they make them fairly light weight and it saves buying a few extra cords in the end. the only downside to using powered anything is getting power to all sides of the stage. besides that...they are a godsend. i currently use 4 mackie thumps for our PA and getting power to them is the only single problem i have. guess i could get longer power cords though right!?!

cheers and good luck

-Gabe

[Hoffman6000]

The gear issues seem to be handled. I'm with everyone who says keep playing bass.

Here's a few tips on singing and playing.

Start with quarter or eighth notes on bass outlining any chord structure (simpler the better) and start singing scales, or nice melody lines, like the Beatles or something. Practice with a metronome or a drum machine!

Once you have the hang of that, (if you have one) play to a drum machine or drum loops, and use different patterns and lock the bass with the kick while singing those same melody lines.

Once you've got that down, try pushing and pulling the vocal timing around while keeping the bass steady with the kick drum pattern. (this is REALLY tough at first, so keep trying and expect to get out of time) But its the Push and Pull of the Vocal that makes a great singer, and the Locking with the drums that makes a great Bassist.

Now try some blues tunes, they're good simple bass lines in 4/4 or 6/8 or 12/8 that give you PLENTY of room to move that vocal around and play with pushing and pulling. When you get the hang of that, make your bass lines a little more complicated using passing tones and syncopated rhythms.

Eventually work up more complicated tunes using the same method until you've got your Steve Harris 3-finger-right-hand-method locked with your Bruce Dickinson Super-Vibrato

I usually have to perfect the Vocal and the Bass parts separately to the point where I don't even really have to think about them before I can effectively sing and play while engaging the crowd, improvise, time my effects right, and wink at the girl in the corner.

You'll get it, just keep at it. Its not instant, and you might be better served to step aside as bassist until you've practiced enough to blow everyone away! But by being able to competently do both, you are making yourself indispensable to any band you are in, and desirable to any band you audition for.

[baba]

Singers rarely know anything about pa/mixers/speakers/gear. Just play stupid and let your band mates buy that stuff and run it. Then show up 5 minutes before the gig with your favorite mic, expect a sound check at the last minute, complain when you can't hear yourself in the monitors, don't help load out, and get your paycheck. You're a singer now, get it right.

[scottbass]

Originally Posted by Fair Warning

Also, I would play bass and sing together, if both did not suffer by trying. Can anyone tell me that secret of how to get through simultaniously concentrating on both?

IME, you need to know the bass lines backward, forward, inside out, etc. so you can play the bass more or less automatically while you concentrate on the emotions of singing. As was mentioned by others: this takes a lot of practice. You can't give your full concentration to doing two things simultaneously, so one of them (playing the bass) has to go on autopilot, muscle memory, whatever you call it.