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ANY SINGING BASSISTS OUT THERE ?

#42
I did lead vocals for a small band that I had going on. When the band started falling apart, I knew that I would have a difficult time to find another bassist (everyone wants to play guitar).
I picked up the bass out of necessity and I enjoy it more than guitar. Unfortunately, due to the difficulty due to timing and such, I can only play simple bass lines while doing the vocals.
I plan on keeping the bass/vocals deal going when I move back to California.

I really admire Mark Hoppus, and it's just because of the simplicity of the bass lines he uses, and I like his work. He's not the greatest singer, or the greatest bassist by far, but I like the balance he's achieved.
 
#44
dadofsix said:
Yep. I sing lead and play. You just can't think about what your hands are doing. If you practice your part enough, it becomes second nature by the time you get to rehearsal, and easy by the time you get to the gig.

<><Peace
Click to expand...

I have been practicing for 40 years. My hands are thoroughly ******** and without any memory when I try and sing. It is just not happening.

Put Cream Live on and I can play it note for note. Ask me to sing and I can't play humpty dumpty.
 
#45
I sing lead on about a third of my bands sets plus backup on just about everything else. I have been singing long before I started playing bass. It has taken a while to get to the point where I can sing and play well at the same time. Every once and a while I still have issues if I'm learning a new song with a more complex bass line and I'm singing lead.
 
#46
I sing and play all the time. I'm considered back up, but we are kinda like Alice in Chains in which Jerry sang quite a bit, but L had the driving voice. My voice doesn't have the character to be a lead, but I can crank the high backups no problem. Singing helped me learn when and what to play. Much less overplaying when you realize how it works or doesn't work with the harmonies.
 
#48
I only became a singer out of necessity... we couldn't find a singer for my band in high school so I just said screw it, i'll do it. I found I could and went with it. I've played and sung in various bands over the years. I enjoy it, but I also enjoy just being able to cut loose and play more intricate stuff, not to mention move around and not be tied to a mic. Recently our singer left our band and guess who got voted in? lol. I don't mind, it's just nice not to have to have headaches after leaving practice from screaming for 2 hours. Singing and playing does require some skill, but so does playing any instrument. If you have the desire to do it you'll put in the work to learn it.
 
#49
Since bass-playing is mostly linear, (playing one note at a time), and so is singing, I found it challenging to do both, especially since I'm more of a melodic player. I mean, how many lead guitarists can play their solo and sing at the same time? I don't know if it's a left brain/right brain thing, but it sure didn't come naturally to me at first.
 
#50
Just a two cent's - if you are just starting out singing while playing bass, take a VERY simple bassline and learn it off. Then word by word, even syllable by syllable, fit your lead vocal line over it. Do it slowly, like in slow motion. That's how I started, and now I can almost do the two simultaneously. I do believe ANYONE can do this if you really want to.
 
#52
I sing lead (and occasional backup). It was really hard at first, but as I practiced, it got easy. I started on songs that had very simple bass parts, then moved to songs with bass parts that closely followed the bass/guitar riff (N.I.B., Sunshine of Your Love), and from there it was just constant practicing. I still sometimes fall apart on some songs, but practice makes perfect. I have heard people say that playing with a pick can make things easier, but I can not confirm that. However, I can carry on full conversations while tapping.
 
#53
Well, the thing for me is, I'm much better a singer than bassist.
So what I do is place the singing on the so-called "back burner" and focus more on the bass line than the vocals. I know I can do the vocals no matter what. The "hard part" is learning the song without looking at the frets.
 
#54
I just got the hang of singing and playing at the same time. It's a great feeling when you're doing it. It's like "holy ****! Finally!" haha

I started doing it with Brianstorm by the Arctic Monkeys. The lyrics are kinda tricky and the bassline isn't very straight forward, but once you get it really is pretty simple. It's hard to explain. ha

I'm not very confident in my voice, but i have a good ear and can hear if i'm singing the right notes and in key, i just don't think my voice sounds good.
 
#55
I sing backup all the time. I'm stepping up into more lead vocals when the bass line is simple or at least matches the vocal line reasonably well. I'm discovering the limits of my voice though - gone hoarse singing "Take Me Out" a couple of times. But I can do a not entirely awful "Love Me Two Times," "End of the World as We Know It" (which is more chanting than singing), "Only Wanna Be With You," and "Beverly Hills." Trying to add more.
 
#57
Regarding the looking-at-fretboard while singing thing, I try to play ACROSS the fretboard "horizontally" mostly ( as opposed to "vertically" up & down the 'board ). This means I don't have to follow my fretting hand with my eyes as much. Also, Muscle Memory kicks in after a certain amount of practice on a piece of music, both vocally, and bass-wise. I think this will happen with just about anybody, as long as you keep working at it. When this happens, you can play and sing almost without thinking about it. Another "trick" I use is to play mostly basses with maple fretboards, since I find that fret-position recognition is faster, and easier, especially in "live" situations where lighting can be an issue. Synchronizing singing, and playing bass is not easy, but it is not impossible. As with most things, perseverance brings results :)
 

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