Vocals, Playing & Lyrics

[pbasswil]

I've always found it challenging singing backup harmony and playing at the same time. If the bass line is simple, I can usually practice it up to auto pilot with work and repitition. That's with humming the vocal melody. With concentration, I can usually manage bass and vocal melody together.

But then throw in lyrics, and I stumble all over myself! Especially if they change each verse or chorus -- and when the vocal rhythm also varies slighty with the change of lyric. Aaargh!!!

Btw, I've tried both reading the lyrics off a stand, and memorizing them (very hard for me). Either way I struggle.

I drive stick shift. I can seamlessly juggle throttle, brakes, clutch, shifter, steering and navigating a trip all at once -- sometimes while eating an apple!
But bassline + vocal melody + lyrics is my nemesis. :^{

Anybody have an approach to this, or some pointers to share?

Appreciate it!

[Bassic Playing]

If you go into the Band Managemeny sub forum, the sticky right at the top has a link in it called "The Bassists Guide to Singing". It's an awesome and exceptionally helpful thread.

Enjoy

[pbasswil]

Originally Posted by Bassic Playing

If you go into the Band Managemeny sub forum, the sticky right at the top has a link in it called "The Bassists Guide to Singing". It's an awesome and exceptionally helpful thread.

Enjoy

Thanks, Bassic! I'm slowly making my way thru those posts. Really glad to be guided there, cheers.

In the meantime, I'd still love to hear from anyone with thoughts/ideas specifically on the topic of coordinating playing, singing, and getting the lyrics right.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Originally Posted by pbasswil

In the meantime, I'd still love to hear from anyone with thoughts/ideas specifically on the topic of coordinating playing, singing, and getting the lyrics right.

I can only speak for myself obviously, but practise, practise and yet more practise usually gets me there.

Choosing tunes that are easy for me helps heaps as well .

And obviously there will still be plenty of tunes I will never be able to sing and play.

Regards
Sam

[sonic assassin]

there are some parts id never dream of singing over. some parts seem hard but are easy to sing over. some people never get it right, and others it comes naturally. you take a band like coheed and cambria where the lead singer is playing very complicated rhythm guitar at times. how the HELL does he concentrate on that? then we have geddy lee.

it took time, but so long as the part isnt too spread over the fretboard or too oddly timed, ill get it with practice. the easiest place to start is pop-punk or really simple radio rock songs. simple melodies, simple lines. it just grows from there.

to some its like asking how to breathe, we just do and always have. good luck.

[dazminiimp]

I agree, I am a lead singer/bassist and it would bore me to bits to be playing boring baselines whilst singing, I just practice practice practice, nail the line so don't have look at the bass or think about it, I normally practice whilst watching tv or something. Then go with the flow!

[tekdiver500ft]

For me, I learn/memorize the melody and lyrics first, then add the bass to it. I find this approach easier because I can play the song over and over while I'm at work (I drive a truck), singing to the original. This lets me get the vocal part down pat. Then, I put that part on auto-pilot, and learn the bass part to the song. Now I can concentrate on the bass part, and the rest is easy.

[hrodbert696]

Depends a lot on the song. Some the bass line and the vocal fit together easily and others they completely jar against each other and it's hard to get both right. Basically, if they don't fit automatically, I go word by word through the lyric sheet and mark which word lines up with which bass note, so that I have some "anchors" for the line.

[JohnMCA72]

You don't want to memorize lyrics, you want to "tell the story". Reciting is regurgitating. Reading back "memorized" words is about as interesting as a speaker reading back from a prepared script.

Compare that to acting (particularly "method" acting) where the actor isn't just reciting words; they're living the part. That's where you need to get as a singer. For that 4:30 or however long the song is, that's your story & you're telling it to the audience!

It's the same regardless of whether or not you're playing bass (or any other instrument). While you're singing, you're a singer first & foremost. If you happen to be playing an instrument at the same time, you're accompanying yourself, but that's secondary. This is the real reason that it's important to be able to play on "autopilot". It's so that you can put as close to 100% of your attention as possible into telling your story vocally/lyrically.

[pbasswil]

See, this is exactly the kind of input I was looking for -- thanks everyone!
You all have a different perspective, and I'm glad to be exposed to all.
In the end, I'll find my own way; but it's really helpful to hear from y'all.

And it's good to get confirmation that it is, indeed, a challenge to pull off this kind of complex coordination. It's not just me being a spaz. :^D

Cheers!

[RitchS]

I've gone throught the exact same thing. While auditioning singers for our silly little 80's pop rock cover experience, I took the lead role to keep us rehearsing. I could stumble through most songs, but just couldn't wrap my mind around doing both. Well, here we are 8 months later and I can play and sing nearly every song we do. (On top of actually moving around the stage and interacting with the crowd) There are still some songs I just CAN NOT do. Rio by Duran Duran and Bust A Move by Young MC come to mind, but everything else clicks. It seems like my brain needed to make a few extra neural connections. Just keep at it. It'll come to you!

[Marty Forrer]

I am a lead vocalist as well as playing upright bass, so I have to juggle intonation as well. I'm afraid I cant really offer any pearls of wisdom that will switch the light on. It's just practice, but I do know that my vocals take priority over my bass playing. I keep bass lines simple, in fact I dont really even acknowledge them, just the constant check for intonation of the bass and my vocal pitching. Rock, country, blues are all straightforward, but jazz standards require a lot of concentration. Reggae is a genre I haven't yet tried, and probably wont. I'm picking that would be a real challenge.

[SpecialBlender]

Originally Posted by tekdiver500ft

For me, I learn/memorize the melody and lyrics first, then add the bass to it. I find this approach easier because I can play the song over and over while I'm at work (I drive a truck), singing to the original. This lets me get the vocal part down pat. Then, I put that part on auto-pilot, and learn the bass part to the song. Now I can concentrate on the bass part, and the rest is easy.

This is the same method I've been using to be able to sing lead & play bass. I find if I get the vocals down pat, not just the words but the phrasing as well, then I have an easier time playing my bass parts. Depending on how many verses/words are involved I may spent a week or 2 working on the vocals to the point I don't have to think of them.

It does get easier over time but still takes a fair amount of work to really feel comfortable doing it.

I started doing lead vocals rather late in my playing days although I had done some harmony work before. Just never had the self confidence to stand up there as the lead vocalist. I'm glad I was sort of forced into adding lead vocals to my repetoire.

[pbasswil]

More excellent insight. I've learned something from each of you. And you all have a different point of view.

Common ground is something that should be obvious: Most of the performance has to be pretty second nature; you can't be just forming the coordination as you play, it's got to already be "programmed" into you before you perform -- or you'll struggle and stumble all over yourself.

Keep it comin'!