Lead vocalist and bassist, how impressive is it?

Glue · #1 07-08-2008, 01:02 PM

Just a little rare topic here, but how come we see so few lead vocalists playeing bass. is it really that hard? Or are us bassplayers just the quiet guy back in the corner?

Deacon_Blues · #2 07-08-2008, 01:57 PM

It's hard if the lyrics and bassline are very far from each other melodically and rhythmically. Otherwise it's not really anything very special IMO.

stflbn · #3 07-08-2008, 02:01 PM

I mainly just do not think that a fingerstyle, slap or even pick bass playing really applies toa real 'cool' look that a Rhythm guitar player can get sawing away at chords that don't really matter if they're on beat or not.

kommando84 · #4 07-08-2008, 02:18 PM

I really agree with stflbn. I think it's tougher because of the precision demanded by the bass, and since so much of the bassist's job is locking in with the drummer, it's hard to serve the two masters of 1) am I singing correctly? and 2) am I rhythmically lock step with the drummer? It's a lot easier to make a few well placed guitar strums and get away with a decent sound, but the bass is a harsh mistress that demands constant attention.

Or, you can just be like Tom Araya of Slayer who focuses on singing and just bashes away on a root note occasionally. I'm not putting that down, but he can get away with it due to the wall of guitar sound generated by the guitarists. Nobody walks away from a Slayer concert saying, "Gee, that bassline was SPOT ON!" Hahaha.

mambo4 · #5 07-08-2008, 02:20 PM

The above replies have it correct.

Rhythm guitar is easier to pull off while singing because the simple rhythms that can be strummed to good effect lessen the need to split your rhythmic concentration.

Playing a groovin bass line while vocalizing requires a lot more rhythmic concentration and preparatory practice.

IOW, It's generally harder to play bass and sing at the same time.

combine this with the usual attention that vocals require, and you are looking at a much longer time investment to get up to the same performance level as with the simpler rhythms of a guitar. (of course there are those who pull off vocals and complicated guitar rhythms too, i am generalizing)

Glue · #6 07-08-2008, 02:48 PM

Thanks for your comments! It tells me that I'm not on the wrong spot here. I'm a lead vokalist and assplayer myself, and although I've played piano for severale years, and the bass for the last five years - I put up 15 hours practicinga week the last 6 moths to get the synchronization right. Seems to me there's an entry level, and it gets easier after that. But I'm very afraid of loosing consentration if unexcpecting things happen on stage or in the crowd...!

YCBass · #7 07-09-2008, 10:59 PM

I find singing while playing very impressive since I can barely talk when I play!

Thundar · #8 07-09-2008, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glue

I'm a lead vokalist and assplayer myself

Damn that was classic

Geezerman · #9 07-09-2008, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glue

Thanks for your comments! It tells me that I'm not on the wrong spot here. I'm a lead vokalist and assplayer myself, and although I've played piano for severale years, and the bass for the last five years - I put up 15 hours practicinga week the last 6 moths to get the synchronization right. Seems to me there's an entry level, and it gets easier after that. But I'm very afraid of loosing consentration if unexcpecting things happen on stage or in the crowd...!

assplayer?

well that sure is an interesting role....

Sneckumhaw · #10 07-09-2008, 11:25 PM

Am I missing something? There are TONS of lead singing bassists. A ton.

kesslari · #11 07-09-2008, 11:51 PM

I love to sing, and I love to play, so playing and singing is a natural for me.
Maybe it makes me impressive

I do love to sing a song that has a complex bassline. The musicians in the audience definitely pick up on it...

JimmyM · #12 07-10-2008, 12:44 AM

It's weird, but I have never struggled with either playing bass and singing or playing drums and singing (back when I was good enough to play drums and sing). I can play pretty complex basslines while I sing something completely counter to the bassline, no sweat. Always could, even when I first started. Nobody will mistake me for a really good bassist like Victor Wooten or a really good singer like Clay Aiken, but I've gotten many gigs solely because I could sing and play bass at the same time. And I have no idea how to tell someone to get better at it. Very rarely I'll struggle with something, but once I internalize the bassline to where I can play it in my sleep, I can sing with it. That's about the best I can tell you.

Skapunkgiz · #13 07-10-2008, 03:15 AM

I play and sing in a ska-punk band!

Some of the walking bass lines with weird time signatures are hard to sing over, but practice can make it possible.

You have to know the song inside out. If i know the bass line and can play it with out thinking, as well as the lyrics - its easy.

Practice makes perfect!

Oh and for the record - Fat Mike of NOFX is my idol on frontman/ bass player!

bassrique · #14 07-10-2008, 08:28 AM

My singing is the stuff of nightmares even when I'm not playing bass. God help me.

Thunderthumbs73 · #15 07-10-2008, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glue

Just a little rare topic here, but how come we see so few lead vocalists playeing bass. is it really that hard? Or are us bassplayers just the quiet guy back in the corner?

Great topic. One of my favorites, singing and bass playing (together). Why so few? It corresponds or corroborates roughly to the classified ads you see: tons and tons of guitarists, and a few (busy/overworked/overbooked) bassists. I feel that in terms of the "big names" in music, that's why you see that tendency played out in a very visible way.

I think singing and bass playing can be hard, depending on the person, song, vocal range, the contrapuntal nature of the bass part, and many other things. Sometimes it's not hard. There are some bass players who are the quiet guy in the back, and some that aren't. It is an understandable characterization, and perhaps it fits for many, but not for all.

I think all bassists who are great and artful are worth checking out, but my preference is that I'd rather hear and think it's more amazing to see/listen to Mark King Sing/play "To Be With You Again" or "Eyes Waterfalling" than say for instance, Jaco doing "Teen Town" or "Havona." The duality thing of singing/playing excites me, but make no mistake I respect and appreciate both Mark AND Jaco's playing. Different strokes for different folks. And I don't like just one flavor of ice cream.

Thunderthumbs73 · #16 07-10-2008, 08:57 AM

One of the most difficult things I found (and it's good practice, it seems) is to try to sing and play stuff "as recorded" that are NOT from a singer/bassist. My best example is that the pulsing, throbbing bass parts of Adam Clayton (U2) do not necessarily line up predictably or rigidly with the vocal lines his bandmate, Bono. Bono's vocals are rather free and very expressive in vocal quality and placement, whereas Clayton's lines are very groove-like and that requires a much different mindset than Bono's.

Try U2's "Some Days Are Better Than Others" doing the bass and vocals as close to "as recorded" as possible, and you'll (hopefully) see what I mean. There are others too.

RavynWolf · #17 07-10-2008, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sneckumhaw

Am I missing something? There are TONS of lead singing bassists. A ton.

Speaking of TON...Peter Steele!

In my opinion, he is a talented musician and vocalist. He can do both flawlessly (Sometimes he seems a little drunk on stage)
But the posts here are correct. Although there are a lot of people who sing and play bass at the same time, most of them pull off root note patterns. I, myself play bass whilst vocalizing, and it is rather difficult. Then again, I don't follow root note patterns, thus proving there are some exceptions.

fullrangebass · #18 07-10-2008, 09:17 AM

I play bass while I sing lead and 90% of the times it's not really straight quarters, 8ths or 16ths of root notes.

ofsalesmen · #19 07-10-2008, 10:50 AM

I actually find it harder to keep a steady 8th or 16th note pulse going when singing (or attempting to sing... I'm not that great). For me, singing/playing something groovy and melodic like "I Want You Back" is easier than something repetitive like "Every Breath You Take." I think "Limelight" was the first song I learned to play/sing and the verse is still much easier to manage than the chorus, where Geddy is just pumping out steady root notes. But then again, Geddy is a freak of nature.

rarisgod · #20 07-10-2008, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deacon_Blues

It's hard if the lyrics and bassline are very far from each other melodically and rhythmically. Otherwise it's not really anything very special IMO.

Geddy Lee, one of the most recognizable lead-vocalists-and-bassists, has spoken of having difficulty playing Roll the Bones and singing, due to the very percussive, staccato way of playing the bass in the song, along with the much different style of singing. I can't recall the specific place he said this, it may have been on a YouTube video (interview) but it's a prime example of why there are probably so few. If one is trying to do this, however, Geddy Lee would probably be the leading influence.