advice/tips on playing and singing..at same time

[SelenaBassGirl]

I never thought I'd ever sing...I always hated my voice but
one day last year I ended up singing karaoke and then it's progressed into sitting in for a song with the band to sing.
I get people stopping me all the time about my singing. They also request me playing the bass as well...
So with me only playing bass for two years now (self taught) and singing for one year....I can't seem to get it. I just now am able to talk a little while playing some songs-but singing if I concentrate on playing, my voice comes out weak. If I concentrate on my voice, I end up messing up on bass. darn it!
any advice????

[JohnMCA72]

What I did (YMMV):

I realized that I'd have to learn to do at least 1 of the 2 (singing, playing bass) more-or-less on "autopilot", so that I could concentrate on the other. Since I'd been playing bass longer, I felt more competent there.

First step: Learn to play everything without watching my hands. Think of it this way: The strings don't move; the frets don't move. Everything is always in the same place, so there's really no need to look to find any spot on the fretboard. I forced myself to look away, which wasn't always easy.

The big payoff was more than just learning to sing while playing. Being able to keep my head up while playing lets me pay attention to the audience, make eye contact with people, & get a lot more done showmanship-wise.

Eventually, I went from singing backup only to doing the lion's share of lead vocals for some bands. I got to where I can improvise both vocally & instrumentally.

Another thing that helped a lot was to back off a couple of levels of technical virtuosity. Somewhere along the line, I also got over being all full of myself as some great wizard on the bass. This let me enjoy playing simpler stuff, which in turn made it easier to sing while playing, & pay a lot more attention to what really matters most, namely the audience.

JM

[DeluxeRed]

"Soulful" melodic lines tend to be off the beat as defined by where (typically) the bass and drums are playing it. That is, the melody notes often do not fall right on the beat, and the bass note typically does fall on (or at least closer) to the beat. That time-shift is what gives the melody the flavor, and the bass has to be home for that to work. Since guitar, for example, often plays a melodic part, that part and the vocal can both be shifted, making it easier to sing and play guitar than it is to sing and play the bass.

Certain song choices are therefore going to be more difficult to play and sing at the same time. Choose carefully, make the song your own (maybe with less shift), and practice until the bass part and the vocal are implicit knowledge that do not require concentration to recall.

And don't forget to lift your chin--no peekies!--and smile!

[Lazylion]

Originally Posted by JohnMCA72

...learn to do at least 1 of the 2 more-or-less on "autopilot", so that I could concentrate on the other. Since I'd been playing bass longer, I felt more competent there.
Another thing that helped a lot was to back off a couple of levels of technical virtuosity.

Yep, this is what works for me. Bass first, then add in the vocals. And if you need to drop a note or two in the bass part, that's better than a trainwreck, and chances are nobody will even notice.

[Stumbo]

Quite a few previous TB threads on this topic. Here's one: Help - singing and playing at the same time?!?

[vinny]

When I started out I picked tunes with straight eighths on bass. It was easy to pick up & I branched out from there. FWIW, there are still some combinations of bass/vox I can't get to work & I've been doing it for a lot of years. It's all about practice. You get out of it what you put in.

[rosanne]

First you get the bass part down so well that you don't make any mistakes. Then add in the vocals. Hear exactly where in the bass line the various words fall (what's their relation to the rhythm, where on the note, where in between notes etc). That way, if the vocals are more straight but the bass line is syncopated you can do both without messing up. Do it slowly at first, then when you have it you can come up to the tempo you want.

It can be tricky or easy, depending on the song. Pay close attention to just what's going on until you totally have it down. Then you can just relax and do it without worrying. Practice much much more than you think you will need! That way you will be able to improvise, change your vocal on the spot, change the dynamics, and all the rest.

[BASSnSPEED]

Originally Posted by JohnMCA72

Another thing that helped a lot was to back off a couple of levels of technical virtuosity. Somewhere along the line, I also got over being all full of myself as some great wizard on the bass. This let me enjoy playing simpler stuff, which in turn made it easier to sing while playing, & pay a lot more attention to what really matters most, namely the audience.
JM

I just finished Sting's biography. He took the same approach to singing and playing bass. He realized that if he took the "less notes can be just as good" approach it was easier for him to sing.

I don't know how anyone can do it. I don't really sing much, but the few times I've tried while playing bass I'm just all over the place on one or the other.

[SelenaBassGirl]

thank you for all the advice (I lost this thread! this time I bookmarked it)..thanks also for the link Stumbo! I tend to play (learn) exact or close to the original bassline-now I think I know why my bf uses a lot of root notes..much simpler! Maybe I start with the more simplified songs. I know I have progressed cause at one time I couldn't talk and play at the same time..I am starting to be able to do that now.
I think I will try with "Help Me Make It Thru the Night" (Sammi Smith). I do that cover and can do on bass and sing. It's slow and simple enough...wish me luck!

[Johnny Crab]

I do what JM does:
Bass part down to be able to play it in complete darkness, add in vocals.
My son said it was similar to learning two-handed keyboard parts with the hands playing different things note-wise and time-wise(sometimes). He would learn one hand at a time and then merge the two(like singing and playing bass).

One other note that may or may not just be me. I've found my mind sort of "floats" between the singing(with bass on autopilot) and the glancing, if necessary, at the neck. When this happens, the singing slips to autopilot and the bass gets concentrated on for a second or so. This goes back and forth during a song.

Finally, a saying that a certain bassist mentioned that has stuck with me:

If you're thinking, you're stinking!

I've found this to be very true. If I try to force concentration on both parts intensely(singing and playing) at the same time, it messes up one or both.

Best of luck and stick with it!

PS: Don't feel like giving up after watching this but use it as inspiration.
This guy has both down but you can still see him go back and forth in his mind between the singing and playing. He's a zillion levels higher than me...but he does it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDc7rGGio-0

Good luck again!
JC