Singing and bass

[kgoism]

Hello fellow talkbassers.

I am in a band with two other kids, a guitar player and a drummer, and in addition to bass, I sing lead vocals.

However, I know that I am a mediocre singer at best, and I am wondering if we should get a lead singer, or if I should just start taking vocal lessons.

Also, for all you other people who sing and play bass, what do you do?

Can I have some pros and cons please?

So far, I have:

Pros for singer:

I can concentrate more on basslines

More stage presence

Cons:

One more person to deal with (Rehearsals, schedule conflicts, etc.)

The three of us have been friends for a hell of a long time, and we have a pretty steady method of writing music. Introducing another person may ruin it.

I don't know any good singers.

http://myspace.com/sideeffectsmayinclude

^^My band. Try not to rip us apart too badly.

[ric1312]

Originally Posted by kgoism

Hello fellow talkbassers.

I am in a band with two other kids, a guitar player and a drummer, and in addition to bass, I sing lead vocals.

However, I know that I am a mediocre singer at best, and I am wondering if we should get a lead singer, or if I should just start taking vocal lessons.

Also, for all you other people who sing and play bass, what do you do?

Can I have some pros and cons please?

So far, I have:

Pros for singer:

I can concentrate more on basslines

More stage presence

Cons:

One more person to deal with (Rehearsals, schedule conflicts, etc.)

The three of us have been friends for a hell of a long time, and we have a pretty steady method of writing music. Introducing another person may ruin it.

I don't know any good singers.

http://myspace.com/sideeffectsmayinclude

^^My band. Try not to rip us apart too badly.

I'm in the same situation. But, I was the singer first. I took up bass to get rid of an extra member/hassle and so we woudn't have to look for another bass player every six months.

It makes it easier on the song writing and scheduling end of it. However it makes singing your best and playing more complicated bass lines tricky to do. You can do it, you just have to practice more than you would if you did just one in a band.

[kevteop]

Learning to sing and play at the same time is just another skill - with practice and familiarity with your songs, you'll find you can do it effortlessly.

But if you are truly a mediocre singer, and you want your band to do well, find a good singer. There are of course successful singers who can't sing too well but have something uniquely interesting about their performance, but those people are pretty rare and you're probably not one of them.

[Parabolic Box]

I wouldn't speak too soon. For all we know, this guy could be the next Geddy Lee.

[kevteop]

I was just saying it's rather unlikely - I could be the queen of England but I'm probably not.

I wasn't trying to discourage the guy, but a band's success is nearly always down to the qualities of the person who fronts them, so if you recognise that you're not a natural star then it makes sense to look for someone who is.

Edit: Just listened to a couple of your songs and I like your voice.

[magnusdeus123]

Voice is perfect for the kind of music you guys play . Dont sweat it . Learn up, train up and buckle up for the ride....

Cheers .

[kgoism]

thanks for the responses, guys.

But do you just play lines that compliment the vocals, or do you just practice really hard to sync it?

[kevteop]

Originally Posted by kgoism

thanks for the responses, guys.

But do you just play lines that compliment the vocals, or do you just practice really hard to sync it?

Both! Bass is well placed to play harmony to the vocal occasionally, it works very well. And when you're locking with the drums you'll need to learn the syncopation between your hands and your voice.

It's a bit like learning to play piano - it's weird at first but you get used to it. Try picking some songs you know with semi-fancy bass parts that don't follow the vocal. The first one I practiced with was Love Cats - in the chorus try the "Ba-da-da" part rather than the (dead easy) hook line. Very good practice and feels cool when you get it right.