Lead singer AND bassist!

Guish · #1 08-06-2011, 11:38 AM

Heyy! (sorry if this has already been discussed) How many bassist here are ALSO lead singer in their band? What's good about it, what's bad about it?! Do you have some tips? How do you manage to do both at the same time?! What do you like to sing AND play? Whatever you have to say about this!!

This is a thread for bass player frontman!!

poorbassist15 · #2 08-06-2011, 11:42 AM

Geddy Lee.

/thread

DeltaPhoenix · #3 08-06-2011, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poorbassist15

Geddy Lee.

/thread

Guess they did not read what the OP said...

depalm · #4 08-06-2011, 12:01 PM

Sing and playing bass uses different areas on human brain.
When I started to sing and play it was really difficult and still today, depending on the stuff I'm working on it can take several days to get it done right.
My advice is: spend as much time as you can practicing, this is the only way I know to get my job properly done.

Richland123 · #5 08-06-2011, 12:01 PM

I have been a lead (and harmony) singer in every band I have been in in 41 years. In my current 3 piece band, we are all lead and harmony singers, which means I am singing and playing alot on almost every song. It is not always the easiest thing to do and it takes much practice to do both proficiently simultaneously. As you can expect, some songs are easier to sing and play than others. Some you have to do the "split brain" thing since the vocals and bass lines don't follow each other. Those take extra work. A few songs like that I currently sing lead on are My Sharona, Whip It, and Abracadabra.

parsons · #6 08-06-2011, 12:05 PM

I sing. The main thing is to get your bass parts down cold. Then dont think about them. The minute you start singing, you should use your ears and brain to listen to your vocal/pitch and the rhythm should come from your hands and body. The second you start trying to mentally pay attention to both, youll screw up one or the other. Thats what works for me, you may find another method works for you.

Guish · #7 08-06-2011, 12:11 PM

Well that method is basically what I do! But when I'm getting into stuff like... Singing Red hot Chili Peppers! Or some black sabbath stuff! I'm lost even though I practied 10 hours! The bass riff of No More Tears is killing me when I'm singing at the same time, and I don't think it's supposed to be THAT hard!

elwood1205 · #8 08-06-2011, 12:14 PM

I have played bass for 25 years or so and just started singing lead and harmonies about 3 years ago. It came about by our lead singer quitting and rather than try and find someone right off the bat we spread out the lead singing amongst three of us in the band. It has worked out well and we don't have to put up with another ego.

Good advice so far. Practice, Practice, Practice.

One thing that helped me was either knowing the words or the bassline so well I could play it in my sleep. I could put that part on auto pilot and let muscle memory take over while I could concentrate on the other. There isn't a shortcut. You just got to do the work. It does payoff though.

gjbassist · #9 08-06-2011, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by parsons

I sing. The main thing is to get your bass parts down cold. Then dont think about them. The minute you start singing, you should use your ears and brain to listen to your vocal/pitch and the rhythm should come from your hands and body. The second you start trying to mentally pay attention to both, youll screw up one or the other. Thats what works for me, you may find another method works for you.

This is great advice. I sing lead on about one third of my bands sets and backup on most everything else. It takes a while to separate the two but you need to get to the point where the bass part comes without even thinking about it. Also, get your lyrics memorized. My guitar player still uses lyric sheets to help remember his songs. IMO trying to read, sing and play at the same time is just a recipe for a train wreck!

Bass Mule · #10 08-06-2011, 12:35 PM

I sing mostly harmonies in the different projects I play bass in, but have been known to do lead occasionally. I honestly prefer to sing harmony. For some reason, it's not as difficult for me to do than lead.

lokikallas · #11 08-06-2011, 12:41 PM

It's all about practicing so hard you can do the bass line by muscle memory, and then concentrate on vocals. Also, try not to cover songs by bands that have dedicated lead singers, as they usually sing a counter rhythm to the bass line.

poorbassist15 · #12 08-06-2011, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeltaPhoenix

Guess they did not read what the OP said...

'twas a joke...

Sublab · #13 08-06-2011, 04:46 PM

It was pretty hard in the beginning - different timings and stuff like that. It takes a lot of practice and when jamming with a band it's better to have musicians around you who can appreciate that you WILL make mistakes either on vocals or bass you would normally never make if you wouldn't be doing both the same time. Like with anything in life, the more daring you are the more steps you take forward, even when playing mistakes. Sometimes a mistake can show the way forward, whereas trying to get it right can sometimes lead to getting stuck. The most difficult for me is different timings. Sure, with enough practice you'll get there, but you need to get it right before singing/playing live - like stated above: your bass playing has got to come from muscle memory so you can lay your concentration on your voice. Being able to play your parts on bass without having to check finger position is a good place to start, while even that is often no sinecure at all. For me a breakthrough came when I was playing a simple 4/4 riff and started talking above it. I screwed up in the beginning, but after a while your brain seems to adapt to the fact that your hands and voice are doing very different things rhythmically.

Pro's: you get to write and sing the vocal lines, you get to write the lyrics, eventhough your band mates will often tell what is good and what is not. Listen to them, even if you disagree. Once you're able to play and sing some serious stuff, like different timings and different melodies things become very satisfactory, and that motivates.

Con's: it takes a lot of time to get it right. If you're singing and you create your own lines and your own lyrics, then that takes a lot of practice too. Lyrics can be hell, at least for they do. I can have an idea in my head but have a hard time putting it to original lyrics, and unless you're singing about beer, girls and titties, it's homework. In some of the songs my band is playing I would just like to hold the mic and sing and just be the lead vocalist, and vice versa, and I know that on those songs my bass/vocals would better if I were doing only one of both - that can be a challenge.

I guess that in the end you just have to find your spot and your bass becomes a part of you and you no longer get involved mentally.

'nuff said: bass players that do lead vocals are a band apart.

T-Bird · #14 08-06-2011, 10:53 PM

Hi.

Guilty as charged. Since -85 or so.

It sure is hard, and there will always be tunes that are impossible to perform, but like said numerous times before, practice is the key.

Regards
Sam

JavierFarias · #15 08-06-2011, 11:03 PM

I'm singer too, and I hate when I can't sing n' play some arctic monkeys songs! :@ it is even harder because english isn't my native languaje, so I have to remember the lyrics, play and sing

Guish · #16 08-06-2011, 11:42 PM

Sublab! That was exactly how I feel about doing both at the same time!! Thanx for putting it into words! :P You must be a good lyricist!

Lesfunk · #17 08-06-2011, 11:48 PM

Here's Me doing some Tower of Power, Stevie Wonder and singing lead. with enough repetition it will happen for you.
http://www.savagebrothersband.com/Vi...20is%20Hip.mp4
http://www.savagebrothersband.com/Vi...20Delivers.mp4

GRAHAM SG1 · #18 08-07-2011, 10:26 AM

I have had to hand over some complete songs to the guitarist to sing, no matter how much I practised I could not master certain songs or parts .
In some songs I can easily sing the verse but not the chorus, the other chaps carry that role so we end up having two or three singers doing different parts of a song, it actually sounds really good having multiple voices on one song, as long as we all stay in the right key

Sparkdog · #19 08-07-2011, 10:52 AM

I was a singer first then took up bass. By the time I was playing in bands as a teenager, where there was usually nobody else that could sing on pitch

I always ended up doing most of the vocals.

I've been doing it for so long now I haven't yet found a song I can't sing and play at the same time, although some are harder than others of course.

Pros - if you're the lead singer and bass player you have a lot of control over the music...you're covering the melody and steering the harmony and rhythmic feel. If a song sucks and you don't want to sing it, it's not getting added to the set list. I get a lot of gigs over better bass players because I can do backing vocals and also take some lead vocals to give the singer a break or just mix it up. You actually have a shot at getting chicks, and not just the hand-me-downs usually reserved for the bassist and drummer

Cons - It's hard. When I get gigs where I'm just the bass player, that's like a vacation. Singers have to keep their voice in shape, and that means vocal exercises, no alcohol at gigs, and toughing through it if you have a cold. I also get tapped sometimes to bring PA gear and that's a lot of extra work, although I insist on more money if that's the case.