Bass and singing

[Force]

I wasn't exactly sure where to put this so I'm sorry if it it's in the wrong spot. I'm the lead singer and bassist for my band and I have trouble playing complex songs and singing at the same time, it's very hard to concentrate on two things at once. However, I can sing and play simple songs that just do simple same notes on the strings like 'Fire It Up' by Black Label Society. I was just wondering do you guys have any tips to play and sing at the same time? Should I just learn the bass part for the song perfectly first or something?

Thanks.

[cosmic53]

Paul Mc Cartney has this problem too :-)

"The only trouble is having to play them and sing them at the same time, live! The worst for me was “Day Tripper”; I had to try to sing the high part and play a completely independent riff. You just have to learn each part separately. Once your brain has learned its bit and your hands have learned their bit, and you’ve persuaded them to go off in different directions, you’re on your way!"

http://www.bassplayer.com/story.asp?...torycode=11014

[Force]

Yeah I thought I would have to do something like that. It's gonna take a while to get good at it though. Thanks Cosmic.

Anyone else have any tips also?

[dgcalvert]

No real useful tips, but a similar situation. Having lost our original rhythm guitarist who did most of our backing vocals, they're trying to get me to do some.

Apart from the dread fear of singing (a teacher told me in front of the class when I was about 12 that I couldn't sing and that I croaked, and ever since that I have been petrified of anyone hearing me sing) I find that as soon as I try singing, my bass playing stops.

I'm trying to get around this by just mouthing some of the vocals when I feel comfortable with it and I am starting to get somewhere.

I think some of it is getting absolute familiarity with the bass part and the vocals. Once you get to the stage where one of these is automatic then I think you can get somewhere. I had the same thing when I started playing the bagpipes, trying to stay in time with the rest of the band, march in step, and keep the bag blown up properly. At the start it was a complete mess, but eventually, some of these things become automatic and then everything fell into place.

My theory is that the brain has a limited capacity to do things that it has to think about (especially as my wife tells me that men can only do one thing at once!) so it needs to automate some of these things (e.g. the bass part) before you can realistically do something else at the same time (e.g. singing).

Hope this encourages you, even if it doesn't give any useful tips.



Geoff


PS: My covers band is hoping to do a tribute to Bon Scott by doing It's A Long Way To The Top with me on the bagpipes, so maybe that's my opportunity to try some real vocals 'cos you can't sing and play the bagpipes at the same time!!!

[Force]

I guess I just have to learn the bass parts perfectly than. Thanks the help guys. Also It's a long way to the top is an awesome song.

[jive1]

Here ya go.

Bassist's Guide to Singing

[ric1312]

Just started doing both at the same time about 6 months ago myself. Only been playing bass for year and a half, but been singing for fifteen years.

I've found it easiest to do the following.
1. figure out which words you can tie directly to a bass note so you can use it as a way point.
2. or figure out if you are singing directly on top of the notes or inbetween the notes.
3. If you aren't playing with a drummer get a drum machine and do the songs you play/sing to that, the beat will often help you fall in and split your attention. or at the very least tap your foot for a steady beat.

After you know the song and have done it a few times it gets easier and you can dance around with the vocal melody a litte more so it's not so stiff.

Find some easy to play/sing cover tunes to build up that split mind approach then ramp up to harder stuff.

I thought I would have a devil of a time playing bass on songs I had only sung before, but it actually helped that they were already in my vocal memory. I'm now playing/singing song that when I started I never thought I would be capable of doing both.

the only thing I have a problem with now is when I go down to the D & G string while playing higher up on the fretboard and trying not to miss bass notes, because I'm also trying to keep my chin up for good vocal production, while also looking down at my fretboard.

[Philbiker]

Think about singing and playing the Police's "Spirits In The Material World".

As with everything it all boils down to practice practice practice. In my high school band I did a lot of lead vocals because we were a trio and the guitar player didn't want to do them. I kind of fell into it. We ended up getting other singers but I kept singing backing vox and stuff.

[padgettohio]

Originally Posted by ric1312

Find some easy to play/sing cover tunes to build up that split mind approach then ramp up to harder stuff..

+1 ...It's a process you have to work on. Just keep practicing; try to sing while you practice playing the bassline, and/or try to play the bassline while you practice singing the vocals.

Originally Posted by ric1312

I thought I would have a devil of a time playing bass on songs I had only sung before, but it actually helped that they were already in my vocal memory. I'm now playing/singing song that when I started I never thought I would be capable of doing both.

Same here. I started out singing only the backups that I found "easy". But as the basslines become "second-nature" to me, I find that I can begin singing parts that were once "impossible". For example: My band does a cover of the KISS song "Detroit Rock City", and I've been working on singing the "You gotta lose your mind in Detroit Rock City" line for almost a year now I used to not be able to do any of it; I just couldn't get my brain and hands to do two separate things on that part. But now I can sing all except "Detroit" in that line...

[badstonebass]

I made the switch from guitar to bass about five years ago when I became Gene Simmons in a KISS Trib. It required me to sing many songs along with playing McCartneyesque basslines.

"learning" isn't the quickest or best route. What works for me is I sit with an acoustic guitar while watching tv or whatever and quietly play the basslines I have trouble with over and over again while whispering the words along.

What you have to do is learn to work the words into your rthym of playing. After you get better it will become second nature. I rarely have to do this anymore, but recently had to revert to it to learn to sing SLITHER while playing. Works like a charm.

Using this method I can learn to sing any tune in about half an hour at most.

I don't know if it is the relaxation that makes me concentrate or just the focus that playing acoustically puts on the vocals.....but it works.

[tkozal]

Just keep this in mind: It's hard, and to this day, Jack Bruce still screws up "Politician".

[padgettohio]

Originally Posted by badstonebass

"learning" isn't the quickest or best route. What works for me is I sit with an acoustic guitar while watching tv or whatever and quietly play the basslines I have trouble with over and over again while whispering the words along.

What you have to do is learn to work the words into your rthym of playing. After you get better it will become second nature. I rarely have to do this anymore, but recently had to revert to it to learn to sing SLITHER while playing. Works like a charm.

This was exactly what I was talking about when I suggested singing while practicing the bassline. I agree that is probably the best route to take. But also, when I don't have a guitar handy, I practice singing the melody while doing the "air guitar" thing. It's taken some time for the song I mentioned above; but this is because I never sit and practice that one at home; It's just gotten easier the more we play it.

And I agree; SLITHER is a b*#ch to sing and play....

[badstonebass]

Originally Posted by padgettohio

This was exactly what I was talking about when I suggested singing while practicing the bassline. I agree that is probably the best route to take. But also, when I don't have a guitar handy, I practice singing the melody while doing the "air guitar" thing. It's taken some time for the song I mentioned above; but this is because I never sit and practice that one at home; It's just gotten easier the more we play it.

And I agree; SLITHER is a b*#ch to sing and play....

I always have a guitar of some sort in my hands when sitting at the TV. Not that I have much time for tv.

I have even taken to bringing the acoustic on the boat with me. my wife sits there and reads...and I play.

You are right that that line in DRC is hard to sing. Ever watch Gene do it with ease? He gets no credit.

[Techmonkey]

I always found it difficult until the singer in my metal band split and seeing as I was the only one capable of hitting any form of recognizable note I was pushed into it... Playing fairly simple stuff at first (Sabbath etc) but now we've moved more in the power metal direction it can be pretty confusing sometimes, but I find learning the bass perfect first helps, then when tha'ts muscle memory you slow it right down and add a few words at a time...

It's one of those things that improves with practice. I find it rather like playing a complicated drumbeat!

[Force]

That's a really good guide Jive. Thanks for all your help guys. It should help.