Sing & Play

Thomboz · #1 08-18-2010, 09:56 PM

I recently injured a few fingers on my left hand and may never play 6 string chords/finger style again. But I gotta play something so I've been considering acoustic bass. So here's my question:
Imagine you can sing, you're sitting in the park with your acoustic bass. Some people walk up and say "Wow, you play guitar, can you sing us a song?" So you do Cat Steven's 'Moon Shadow'.
Does this work? Would it sound good? Would they stick around for another song? Can you accompany vocals with just a bass? Is there some youtube or other site where I can see something like this?
Thanks,
Thomboz
ps Don't pity me because I may never play again. Other people have it much worse. Do you realize that some people have never played guitar at all?

Aspidites · #2 08-18-2010, 09:58 PM

That's not a bad idea because people would pay me to STOP singing.

Floridabass29 · #3 08-18-2010, 10:15 PM

You could always find a friend who plays guitar and have an acoustic jam in the park. You could sing and play bass and maybe you could even get a friend to play a bongo drum or somthing

jet_king · #4 08-18-2010, 10:17 PM

As long as you make it your own, I'm sure people will enjoy it.

steamthief · #5 08-18-2010, 10:25 PM

Why not? Killer song.

Thomboz · #6 08-19-2010, 12:45 AM

I found a youtube video demonstration how one cannot sing & play bass... he he he. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AfPa1_vOzg
ThomBoz

MNAirHead · #7 08-19-2010, 09:21 AM

I do this all the time on 7 string.. not enough area on a 6er to make it really work

Thomboz · #8 08-19-2010, 11:24 AM

Hey MNAirHead,
I was searching youtube and found a 6 or 7 string (I forget now) bass solo. That was the 1st one I saw that looks like it might be pleasant to accompany vocals. But then I'm not sure my fingers will have the dexterity to do what I saw. Perchance do you have any video of you?
Thanks,
ThomBoz

Thomboz · #9 08-19-2010, 11:48 PM

Hi NMAirhead,
What do you mean by not enough room on a 6 string? Please be 'elementary' as I do not yet play bass and am just learning the 'language'.
Thanks,
Thom

Beowulf Kingsle · #10 08-21-2010, 09:53 PM

I've done a lot of solo stuff with just the upright and vocal. People actually seem to enjoy it a good deal...maybe it's just the novelty of it. Dunno about Moonshadow though...a lot of what I've done is using Jump Blues and Rockabilly lines...but I bet you could get that going. Just think of it as two counterpunctual lines, like the Bach 2-part inventions, with this two lines giving the implied harmony. I don't know how much flexibility you have in your hand now, but I'm betting there's a lot of music left for you to do. By the way, for someone who uses solo bass and vocals in a completely different way, go to YouTube and check out That One Guy...pretty wild stuff! Keep on playing man.

Thomboz · #11 08-27-2010, 04:14 PM

So I was on eBay yesterday and had been watching the bids on an older Applause acoustic bass short scale. I had just been to GuiCen and tried the McCartney 'violin' and it felt great. And I played an Applause long scale and was disappointed by the volume.
There were a couple guys bidding, one was auto bidding. So I thought I'd drive the price up a bit in the last two minutes... and wouldn't you know it, I won it!
OK, so I'm not expecting much volume wise, and the price was right, and coming over from conventional guitars the short scale was nice. So tho it was an ornery impulse, it will do me good as hand therapy, so I'm very happy with my purchase. Can't wait till it gets here.
Any advice on strings?
ThomBoz