Playing bass and singing at the same time

[squeally dan]

OK, I'm a guitar player learning bass. I'm switching from guitar to bass in my band. I've noticed when I'm trying to sing certain backup parts while playing bass, its much harder than it was with guitar. For instance, last night I was playing the bass line to ladies night and trying to sing the backup vocal part. I can't do it. Anyone got any tips for this?

[wazzel]

The only tip I have is to practice. It can be over come.

[von buck]

Originally Posted by squeally dan

OK, I'm a guitar player learning bass. I'm switching from guitar to bass in my band. I've noticed when I'm trying to sing certain backup parts while playing bass, its much harder than it was with guitar. For instance, last night I was playing the bass line to ladies night and trying to sing the backup vocal part. I can't do it. Anyone got any tips for this?

When your the guitar player, you have the rhythm section keeping the groove going, so you don't need to concentrate as much on what your playing. When your playing bas and singing, you need to conentrate on other aspects of your playing that are more important than just the vocals.
That being +1about practicing it. It will come in time

Andy

[kesslari]

Singing and playing together requires being able to put your playing "on auto pilot" so you can pay attention to your singing (or sometimes the reverse...)

You've been playing guitar for a long while, so it's easier to put on auto-pilot.
Also strumming is more of a large-motor, repetitive action, so it's easier to put on auto-pilot than bass, which is more small-motor and can be more varied (when it's not, like when you're playing steady eighth notes, it's fairly easy to sing).

As with any other musical skill, practice is key, and breaking down particularly hard parts (places where what you play is different, melodically or in syncopation, to what you sing) and practicing the heck out of those.

[basskababble]

I heard once (correct me all you want) that Geddy sometimes used one finger (right hand for a right handed player) rather than two to play while he sang. I would imagine that this would help with the autopilot.

[Mike Shevlin]

No pressure, but guitar players can hit and miss - the bass player can't miss once.

[MarkTAW]

+1 all the advice here. Dumb down your bassline & reduce the amount of conscious effort you need to play the lines by switching how you play. Then just practice the heck out of it until you reach that zen place where you've got two separate things going on at once.

[Jimmyplaysabass]

learn to play and sing backwater by the meat puppets

after that everything gets easier. Works for everyone i can convince to do it.

[Jimmyplaysabass]

and don't EVER dumb down anything! why sacrifice what you want, when you can overcome the challenges and make your music all it can be?

[MarkTAW]

Originally Posted by Jimmyplaysabass

and don't EVER dumb down anything! why sacrifice what you want, when you can overcome the challenges and make your music all it can be?

*shrug* If the choice is between playing & singing poorly or just playing and not singing, why not - at least temporarily - simplify your playing so you can work on developing the skill of doing both at the same time? Or do you expect him to play like victor wooten while crooning like frank sinatra tomorrow?

[mambo4]

To me, the essence of the problem is rhythmic. I have to sing one rhythm for the melody, and yet play a different rhythm on the bass, a very hard thing to do. The goal is to be able to play the line automatically so you can concentrate on your singing. Most of us can play quarter notes or eighths fairly automatically, so a simple bass rhythm will be easier to sing. Once I add rhythmic interest to a bassline your brain has to calculate two non-automatic rhythms at once, and usually will screw up one or the other.

If you slow it down and analyze both rhythms together (notation skills are helpful here) you can see where the 2 rhythms match up and where they separate. I think of it as looking for 'gaps' in the bassline where the vocal line falls. Ultimately i kind of feel the combined Vocal and Bassline rhythms as a single unit.

Now if only my sense of vocal pitch and tone were good....

[5andFretless]

I have found that if I dumb down the bass line in the beginning then as I do it more the bass line slowly comes back to normal. If I try to keep the bass line normal from the start and do the singing it is nearly impossible.

I sing lead on "Keep your hands to yourself" and it was a serious challenge to do both, but it can be done.

[Woofenstein]

Originally Posted by 5andFretless

I have found that if I dumb down the bass line in the beginning then as I do it more the bass line slowly comes back to normal. If I try to keep the bass line normal from the start and do the singing it is nearly impossible.

I sing lead on "Keep your hands to yourself" and it was a serious challenge to do both, but it can be done.

True for me as well. To the OP - it ws very difficult for me to start singing lead/harmony while playing as well. Just practice! It really does get easier...I don't really think about it anymore, but MAN was it hard at first!

[MyChemicalWar]

I personally sing lead and play bass. I actually found it easier switching to bass, mostly because I had to play crazy solos and try to keep a tune. For me, the hardest thing is that when i first started, I breathed rhythmically with each pick stroke of the guitar, so the smaller motor finger picking is a welcome relief. Anyway, just practice, practice, practice! Good luck.

[Bearded Bugs]

Originally Posted by MarkTAW

*shrug* If the choice is between playing & singing poorly or just playing and not singing, why not - at least temporarily - simplify your playing so you can work on developing the skill of doing both at the same time? Or do you expect him to play like victor wooten while crooning like frank sinatra tomorrow?

That could be done with practise though hehe

Doing both very well by tomorrow would be a damn good challenge!