Cool Clip: Meshell Playing While Singing

Dr. Cheese · #1 04-05-2009, 07:11 PM

Meshell is playing while singing plus she uses a Warwick for about half of the song. She then switches to MM Jazz, but I think she actually gets close to her usual tone on the Warwick. I guess the passive thing works better for her

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7eMnIV4Tg4

Fire-Starter · #2 04-05-2009, 08:07 PM

I will give it to her, or anyone else for that matter who can sing and play at the same time.

first time I have seen her iwth a Warwick though.

bass12 · #3 04-05-2009, 10:03 PM

Yeah, I saw her on her Bitter tour and remember being surprised both by the fact that she was singing while playing and that she was playing a Warwick. I've seen her tours for all of her albums except Cookie, and Bitter was the only tour on which she sang while playing. Her affair with Warwick seems to have been pretty short-lived - I haven't heard of her using her Corvette in quite a while.

jerry · #4 04-06-2009, 02:53 AM

Her bands always just kill and guitarist Allen Cato is a beast.

MixBass · #5 04-07-2009, 07:53 PM

It sure seems easy for her. Cool to see her on a Fender too. Looks like half of a Steve Coleman band on that gig. I saw Sean Rickman with Dapp Thoeory a few years ago and he's a complete nut and a crazy guitarist as well.

bubinga5 · #6 04-08-2009, 04:27 PM

im going to stick my neck out here....i think you will be suprised how singing and playing is not that hard..its all about coordination..I dont really think she plays any intricate stuff in the singing parts..

I have played and sang before, and once you get the two interlocked in a song/bass line you know, the two do tend to flow..

Now singing and improvising..thats the tricky one!

Im a huge fan of Meshell's anyway.. Peace Beyond Passion is just amazing..one of the best musicians alive today!!

Dr. Cheese · #7 04-09-2009, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bubinga5

im going to stick my neck out here....i think you will be suprised how singing and playing is not that hard..its all about coordination..I dont really think she plays any intricate stuff in the singing parts..

I have played and sang before, and once you get the two interlocked in a song/bass line you know, the two do tend to flow..

Now singing and improvising..thats the tricky one!

Im a huge fan of Meshell's anyway.. Peace Beyond Passion is just amazing..one of the best musicians alive today!!

Singing and playing is easy for some, but really hard for others. From what I have seen, some people just take to playing and singing much more quickly than others.

kcolyar · #8 04-09-2009, 09:23 AM

I just got no rythym. I can barely play with out screwin up a drummer. Now put a mic in front of me..... MAJOR problems. I have to concentrate way to hard. I love this ladies playin and her singin. Her and Gayle Ann Dorcy... Way too much talent to be sidemen for other artists. they do it well, but I like there own stuff.

Funkster · #9 04-09-2009, 10:36 AM

I think That just killed!

chicago_mike · #10 04-09-2009, 11:06 AM

practice one note lines and just talk first..slowly..its co-orination like stated above. Yeah it can be tricky, but simplify..dont try a complicated vocal line or bass line..

Heck, just play quarter notes and repeat a sentence aloud...just for timing , I think we fail when we try to do too much right now, fail, then give up.

Her playing always reminds me of Paul Jackson, and I mean that in the highest possible order and compliment a human can give to another.

bubinga5 · #11 04-17-2009, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicago_mike

practice one note lines and just talk first..slowly..its co-orination like stated above. Yeah it can be tricky, but simplify..dont try a complicated vocal line or bass line..

Heck, just play quarter notes and repeat a sentence aloud...just for timing , I think we fail when we try to do too much right now, fail, then give up.

Her playing always reminds me of Paul Jackson, and I mean that in the highest possible order and compliment a human can give to another.

I really agree with you here Mike..Try playing any fretted note with 8th notes with a slow tempo, while reading something..anything..Then try singing different notes in the scale while playing the root, up and down the scale in a rythmic pattern....GREAT exercise!!!

At the end of the day the mind is a muscle like any other..some need more exercising more than others...If you have got the timing etc to play bass you CAN do this..I always used to shy away from fingering on the bass that didnt come naturally, but i think its so important to force yourself to master them..same with singing and playing..

When i started playing bass my two hands were not coordinated, but over time they learned to play the bass..

I bet you never thought " i cant play bass, i dont have the coordination"..
Its the same..you just may have to work a little harder.

Soverntear · #12 04-17-2009, 12:43 PM

sick tone shes getting from that wick

bubinga5 · #13 04-17-2009, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soverntear

sick tone shes getting from that wick

She does seem to coax a fantastic honky/warm/punchy tone from instruments she plays..

Dr. Cheese · #14 04-17-2009, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bubinga5

She does seem to coax a fantastic honky/warm/punchy tone from instruments she plays..

It's all in those little hands of hers.