Just got lumped with singing!

[Depth_Charge]

I've got a few friends who want to jam semi-regularly and today we settled on a few songs to get started with. Talking to them today it was decided (by them) that I would pick up main singing duties! The primary excuse being I am the most experienced musician so should have the least amount of trouble singing and playing at the same time.

The fact I've never sung does not factor into the equation for these people!!! This is what we are planning on playing:

James – Getting Away With It
Blur – Song2
Stereophonics – Dakota
Black Sabbath – Paranoid
Green Day – Minority
Powderfinger – My Happiness
Powderfinger – On My Mind
Snow Patrol – Hands Open

So I'm prepared to suck it up and trying to sing, and I'm reading the singing sticky which isn't really helping much (in that I've never sung etc) so any extra advice is more than welcome.

[Aged_Clayman]

My advice is doulbe your practice time and train your right hand to be completely independent, no matter what you sing. I`ve found that the hardest part of singing and playing is that I try to play a note to each syllable. That ultimately kills the rhytm and groove in like 5 seconds.

[Gintaras]

difficult task.....you might need some new friends!!!!

There has been a lot of discussion on this board on your subject. Do a search. I am singer and read all the posts on this subject and this comes up at least once a month.

Also the real killer is to try to read to words while playing and singing. This is 3 things that you have to do. You have a long list and knowing the words before you go would help a long way.

One other thing is keep your bass lines simple. Getting the job done is more impressive than trying to hard and screwing up.

[argoed]

Hi,

I am the bass player and lead vocalist in my classic rock covers band. I also read some of the lyrics from 'crib sheets' whilst I am playing/singing! Here are my tips:

1. Go for the simplest bass lines you can get away with - leave the fancy stuff for the guitar/keyboard solos.
2. To a certain extent you must take the lead in deciding what songs to play as your set list will be determined by your ability to play bass and sing at the same time. There's no point in your band members suggesting songs if they are ones you are going to struggle with. There are many songs I and my band members would like to do but if we want to play them this side of Christmas (2008!) we steer clear.
3. Try to get your band to play a few instrumentals - this gives you a break from singing and allows you to express yourself a bit more.
4. Where possible, try to remember how the lyrics fit in with the notes - for example in Cream's 'Sunshine Of Your Love' the phrasing of the verse lyrics ('it's getting near dawn' etc) follows the notes you play.
5. I play a five string bass which means that I don't have to move my fretting hand as much as on a four string bass - this is a big help.
6. You need to be able to play your bass lines in your sleep, so practice, practice, practice.

Hope this helps.

[Depth_Charge]

Thanks for the insight guys, thats really helpful. I can play most of those songs without thinking about them already as I've jammed with these guys "as a band" at the beginning of the year.

The one problem I have with this particular group of friends is with keeping things simple. When we jammed before, we had a singer and we were playing stuff like Chilli Peppers (Fortune Faded, Californication, Dani California), Green Day's Long View and a lot of other songs with signature bass lines that were hard to alter and still maintain that feel.

But I've been learning the lyrics and using my 5-string more, both of which are helping me out, but having never sung before I am hitting a lot of bum notes (too high/low voice) or just plain shrieking, and it is distracting from playing a bit haha

[argoed]

Your singing will improve as your throat muscles get more used to it. I only started doing lead vocals around three months ago and I can definitely now reach notes I couldn't reach then.

If you are finding that you need to go too high or too low you must change the key of the song to one you are more comfortable with. This may involve a lot of transposition work but it will be worth it in the end.

Don't think that you have to learn the lyrics to every song. I have the lyrics on a music' slope' attached to my mic stand, so that I can refer to them when I need to. There is no shame in this as even professional singers use autocues so they don't forget what to sing!

[Aged_Clayman]

Don't think that you have to learn the lyrics to every song. I have the lyrics on a music' slope' attached to my mic stand, so that I can refer to them when I need to. There is no shame in this as even professional singers use autocues so they don't forget what to sing!

Don`t think so. If I was a novice at singin/playing (as I am) I`d learn everything so I wouldn`t really mind my actions. It`s hard enought already, why add more tension to the process?

[hbarcat]

Not to scare you, but singing isn't just adding a little extra work to the bass playing that you're already doing. The voice is really a whole other instrument that you need to learn how to use properly to get the right notes out of, get proper range and expression, develop stamina and give proper character.

You'll need to develop your voice for singing independently of bass playing until you've achieved a certain level of competence and skill, and only then try to sing while playing, which is a new skill itself.

Just out of curiosity, have you tried singing these songs and are they all in your natural range? If your bandmates start giving you songs to learn that are all over the place in range, and are difficult for experienced singers to perform, expecting you to master them in a short time, then you're all in for a big disappointment.

Having said all that, what you're trying to accomplish is doable, you just need to be realistic about how much of a challenge it's likely to be.

[jimbob]

Originally Posted by argoed

3. Try to get your band to play a few instrumentals - this gives you a break from singing and allows you to express yourself a bit more.

Argoed What instrumentals do you guys do? I'm in the same boat as you.

[Howlin' Hanson]

Originally Posted by Depth_Charge

But I've been learning the lyrics and using my 5-string more, both of which are helping me out, but having never sung before I am hitting a lot of bum notes (too high/low voice) or just plain shrieking, and it is distracting from playing a bit haha

Sounds like you need to transpose to a different key for those that don't fit your range. For example, lots of Creedence is way too high for me to sing and still have anything left for the rest of the gig.

As a bass player, you have an advantage in transposing as it's fairly simple on the bass. You will have to convince your bandmates (other than the drummer) that transposing is neccessary. Good luck!

[mambo4]

I'll give you 3 tips:

1.) learn to play every melody you sing on your bass -or piano or whatever- so you can hear the melody in pitch when you need reminding.

2.) for parts where the bassline rhythm clashes with the sung rhythm, I practice singing the melody while clapping the rhythm of the bass part. This is handy cuz you can do it anywhere.

3.) voice lessons!

[phat daddy]

+1 on voice lessons. I had them all through school and college and only a couple years ago did I step out and front the band vocally (by necessity-- I really didn't want the extra responsibility either). Point being I had to learn to sing well apart from playing the bass before I could front a band with a bass in my hands. Then I had to learn to sing and play two different melodies in two different timings. The good news is it's much easier to find gigs when you can tout yourself as a lead singer/bassist than just as a bassist. It sort of makes you a commodity, at least where I live. Best of luck with your experience.

[Jim Breece]

I'd say also don't be afraid to find a way around the real high and low notes if they're not in your range. Most real people (as opposed to musicians) don't know or care if you don't follow the melody exactly as long as it basically sounds like the song. I cheese a couple notes in well known songs like "Moondance" regularly and no one glares. A whole song at the top of your range is different and may have to be transposed. Absolutely keep at it regardless. As a singing bassplayer you have way more opportunities to play and more say in what goes on than if you don't sing.

[basslyon]

Originally Posted by mambo4

3.) voice lessons!

+1. Lots of people try to sing but actually knowing how to do it properly and how to improve is something else. They can teach you warm up exercises and help you increase you range and control.

also sing at every oppotunity you get; in the car, in the shower. As mentioned by some intelligent fellow:

Originally Posted by argoed

Your singing will improve as your throat muscles get more used to it.

also remember singing with reverb helps you hear yourself better allowing you to adjust where needed. (the note continues after you finish it)

[BobWestbrook]

Why don't they find a singer rather than try to instantly turn you into one?

[Phrogie]

Once you've got yourself singing, don't forget to record yourself... so you can hear what you sound like (and adjust as necessary)...

Also, I've recorded rehearsals, where we're just doing the instrumentals... so that I have something to practice to during those car trips (better than singing to the radio, or original versions of the songs you're doing, because you'll be doing it in the right tempo/key for your band)

---Phrogie
http://www.myspace.com/poprantny

[Depth_Charge]

Originally Posted by BobWestbrook

Why don't they find a singer rather than try to instantly turn you into one?

They are both too self-conscious to play outside of their circle of friends, and want to "see how they go" first, before embarrassing themselves.

I keep telling them that walking into a jam cold is character building and it never goes as bad as I expect it will be...but they're stubborn mates of mine

[Depth_Charge]

Originally Posted by Phrogie

Once you've got yourself singing, don't forget to record yourself... so you can hear what you sound like (and adjust as necessary)...

Also, I've recorded rehearsals, where we're just doing the instrumentals... so that I have something to practice to during those car trips (better than singing to the radio, or original versions of the songs you're doing, because you'll be doing it in the right tempo/key for your band)

---Phrogie
http://www.myspace.com/poprantny

Record myself? Oh God no! My daughter makes me play Singstar on playstation and she will sometimes play us back after a song - even when I actually try to sing right, I sound terrible!!!

[Phrogie]

I feel yer pain... but trust me: recording yourself actually does two things. 1) It gives you that chance to hear yourself and correct things like tonality and pitch (which is what I said before) but, and just as importantly, 2) It gives you a chance to just get used to what you sound like.

I'm on the same boat you're on. Hate the way I sound recorded. No one ever sounds what they think they sound like (I'm sure there's some scientific logic behind this, but truth told, I don't care much what it is... I just know that I sound a lot more nasally and deep (speaking voice, anyway) recorded than what I sound like to my own ear as I speak). But... at the same time, I get people complimenting me on my voice all the time (both speaking and singing)... so really, who am I to argue? Somewhere out in the vastness of the internet, there are clips of me singing karaoke (the place I go to sometimes records)... which to me, doesn't sound -that- good... but other people (and people I have much respect for music-wise) tell me otherwise.

I'm not saying that there will be a point in time where you are comfortable with the sound of your own voice... but it does help to get used to it.

Of course, there's also that chance that you actuallty can't sing to save your life. Don't let that stop you either. Plenty of folks have made it big who have no business singing