Working with different time signitures...

taviswardlaw · #1 01-22-2005, 01:06 AM

Not sure if this should go here or under General Instruction, so if i get it wrong, apologees

...

Well, I'm just having a little trouble with working with odd time signitures and singing at the same time (which i sometimes do in the band I'm in)... and it only gets worse when playing trying to play over four. (by which i mean play like 5 equally spaced notes over a bar while everyone else is playing four four)....

And ways i can get used to it...
Should I practice the bass part whilst sleeping, so i can consentrate on the vocals or vice versa or what???
Need help!

SmittyG · #2 01-22-2005, 07:18 AM

Well, I don't sing so I might not be too useful here. The thing I always hear about singing and playing is that you have to get the bass part to the subconscious so your hands just handle it. This can be tricky with a time signature that you are having to "think" your way through. I would recommend to learn to play your bass parts by "pulses" instead of by thinking it through. Once you are as comfortable grooving in 7/8 as you are 4/4, you will probably find you are as comfortable singing over it as well. Hope that helps.

Aaron Saunders · #3 01-22-2005, 03:34 PM

Singing AND polyrhythms? The fact that you can do this at all is pretty spectacular. Just keep practicing like crazy, you'll get it (and hell, probably be famous for it.)

Peter Squire · #4 01-23-2005, 06:51 AM

its not as hard as you may think. there are two ways of attacking it.

firstly, associate certain words in the lyric with changes on the bass.

secondly, haha, disassociate the bassline from the lyric line. easier said than done, but if you learn both parts seperately and then learn how they work together, you'll get it.

but as always, practice, practice, practice

MiniMoNK_17 · #5 01-26-2005, 03:21 PM

In my band, we have a ton of timing changes, and as southpaw mentioned, the only thing I have found to help is to associate your changes in singing to your playing on the bass, if that doesn't work, I try to listen to the drums. if the drums are doing a lot, you have the reference of both on and off beats at your disposal to try to match up the vox to...hope that helps.