Singing Harmony and playing Bass

Hounddog · #1 06-18-2008, 05:43 PM

It seems that most of the time the Bass player is the main harmony singer. I was wondering if most of you guys sing harmony. It makes the bass player a much more valuable member of the band. It is as much fun, as much of a challange and as rewarding as being a good bass player.

If this is posted in the wrong spot please tell me where to post it.

sedan_dad · #2 06-18-2008, 05:46 PM

Yea,I enjoy doing it.
Keeps you on your toes a bit more.

musicman7722 · #3 06-18-2008, 05:48 PM

Ditto for me. I have a fairly high falseto and theat comes in handy with a female lead vox. I do sing tunes a night but big deal. that's how I refer it now anyway. I'm in a 5 peice top40 band and everybody sings so not a lot of room.

Hounddog · #4 06-18-2008, 06:14 PM

Musicman,

I always enjoy watching bands where everyone sings harmony and everyone sings a couple of songs. When the whole band can harmonize and sing it just makes the band come alive. It is the icing on the cake. Everyone in my band is a good singer. It just makes sense.

**butchblack** · #5 06-18-2008, 06:29 PM

Me too. I love singing harmony, and have an ear for it. I brought that into my current band and we seem to be doing more songs with harmony in it

AJ Brown · #6 06-18-2008, 07:27 PM

I love singing harmony ... I just wish I could sing.

Wootsticks · #7 06-18-2008, 07:35 PM

I've been told that I have a nice voice, but I don't like it. I'm a big fat honking tenor, but I don't have much of a high range because I haven't been singing for very long. I can sing harmony as well, I like the feeling of doing things and improving the sound of something, but not necessarily being heard.

perk45 · #8 06-19-2008, 02:21 PM

I just recently started singing backup vocals for my band. I had never been interested in them (listening to them or singing them) until I started listening to post-One Hot Minute Red Hot Chili Pepper stuff. John Frusciante got me hooked on backup vocals. After I bought the Off the Map concert DVD, I was determined to sing backup like him. It may not be the best, but it just has so much emotional impact on me. His solo stuff is the same way. So now I'm practicing my falsetto (which I suck at, but am slowly progressing at). My band really likes what the backup harmony adds to the songs. They listen to a lot of Beatles, so they agree that backup vocals are very important to the music. But now I think the drummer is jealous that he doesn't get to sing them too, because when we practice a song where I sing, he inevitably tells me that he thinks we should get a third mic so that he can also sing backup to cover the little mistakes I make when singing (falling out of tune and such). I just ignore him or tell him I just need more practice. After all, I had to buy the mic stand and mic cord with my own money (my mom used to sing in a band (still does in our church choir) so she had an old mic that I'm using) specifically to use with our band, so if he wants to sing too, he'll have to throw down some green on it.

But I love singing. I always have, but I've never felt confident enough in my voice to sing in front of others. Every time a backup part comes up during a song, I get a big rush of adrenaline or something, and when I'm done, I always feel nice and tingly. I love it so much. I can't wait for our first gig to feel that rush in front of an audience!!

kesslari · #9 06-19-2008, 02:48 PM

Yep. Big fun to sing and play. Harmony and lead.

I'm fortunate, in one of my bands all 4 of us can sing well, and the harmonies are sounding sweet!

My current favorite band for their vocal sound is the Subdudes. Rockin' band with rockin vox.

Just J · #10 06-19-2008, 03:09 PM

I wish I could sing and play at the same time.

I need to take my friend's advice. He said he learned to sing and play (guitar) by turning the captions on on the home shopping network, playing something really simple, and just singing what they were saying.

dj150888 · #11 06-19-2008, 03:15 PM

I do harmonies for my band, to be honest, I didn't enjoy it at first (confidence in my voice issues) but with some practice and positive feedback, I've really started enjoying it, it really forces you to get your material tight.

GianGian · #12 06-19-2008, 03:20 PM

I have been singing for a while now, but I am new to harmony. I am practising but I admit it is still a bit hard to me. Hopefully, someday I will be worth half McCartney. Hamony vocals-wise that is.

dulouz · #13 06-19-2008, 10:06 PM

I would like to be able to sing and play. I can sing well enough to do backing vocals, but I find that I loose my rhythm when I try to sing AND play. The funny thing is I can sing and play guitar fairly well, but not bass.

GianGian · #14 06-20-2008, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dulouz

I would like to be able to sing and play. I can sing well enough to do backing vocals, but I find that I loose my rhythm when I try to sing AND play. The funny thing is I can sing and play guitar fairly well, but not bass.

Very understandable if all you play on guitar are chords.

Mojonuts · #15 06-20-2008, 06:23 PM

I've sung some harmony while playing bass but I found myself terribly bored, as I'm used to the (IMO) more dynamic role of a lead-singer/bassist. I actually started out in bands as a dedicated vocalist and "only" picked up the bass because I figured I would evolve as a musician and learn theory, techniques and ways of thinking that would aid my singing. With that musical background, being able to sing while playing has always been of high priority to me. It's only recently that I started practicing singing harmony and it is, as almost everything else musical, a worthwhile and rewarding experience, in spite of the, at least percieved, boredom.

StyleOverShow · #16 06-23-2008, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dj150888

I do harmonies for my band, to be honest, I didn't enjoy it at first (confidence in my voice issues) but with some practice and positive feedback, I've really started enjoying it, it really forces you to get your material tight.

Same experience but the addition of voices to the overall sound is worth it. Takes some practice but you'll get used to it.

I remember an audition with a 'show' band that required a pedal tone bass line and I had to sing a falsetto 9th (1 step higher than the bass line). Sweated like a pig during that one.

Fendr1320 · #17 06-23-2008, 03:15 PM

Yeah, it's a lot of fun, and every singer I've worked with has been really appreciative of having someone who sings backup. And not just in pop/top 40 format either, we do kinda-progressive grungy hard rock and people have told us it sets us apart from other riffy, aggressive bands at shows we play.

I would definitely recommend anyone giving this a whirl, even if you're not an ace singer, just start out with basic stuff. The singing+playing is something that I always have to practice, after we decide we're going to add the harmony on a part, I literally have to woodshed it at home, starting out reeeeally slow and then gradually working my way up to a reasonable speed to get the parts coordinated.

And I found the same thing as far as being easier to coordinate this on guitar, of course it depends on what you're doing on guitar but if a guitar drops out briefly it usually isn't the end of the world, while on bass you have to hold that part down so the bottom doesn't drop out of the sound.

BassMonstrum · #18 06-23-2008, 03:31 PM

I do harmonies and backing vocals. At first it was because my basslines were simple, yet effective, making it easier for me to sing and play. Then we found out that I sang better and was more eager to sing than our two guitarists, giving me more vocalresponsibility. Now my basslines have evolved while I still do a lot of vocals: harmonies, backing lines and even screaming. Still, I'm waiting for the day when I'm singing lead on a song, haha!

nysbob · #19 06-23-2008, 03:37 PM

I sing some harmonies and some lead...playing fretless and EUB. It's kind of like riding a unicycle and reading the paper.

fretlessguy · #20 06-24-2008, 07:07 AM

Back in the mid 90s I actually did quite a bit of singing harmony, although I cannot say I am a gifted singer by any means. Every now and then a song would come along on the set list I could sing to and did.
I learned that you should learn the vocal part first, learn the bass part next, and practice quite a bit to do both at the same time. Keep the bass part simple when singing. that's what worked for me, anyway.
I prefer just to play these days. The group I am with now remembers seeing me with the other group singing all that time ago, and have been fooled into thinking I can really sing harmony quite well, when I can't. They were shocked to see I really am not that good.