i wish i played like john mayer! but i used to be able to play and sing "what would you say" by dave matthews on guitar 
that's about as good as i got.
that's about as good as i got.
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bass and vocals?
- Thread starter vkiing
- Start date
I can play guitar, keys, or drums and sing without trouble. But for some reason with bass (which is my primary instrument) singing is a lot tougher. I can't figure out why, maybe because bass is usually a more complicated rhythm, or it conflicts more with the rhythm of the vocals.
When I have trouble I figure out which syllables land on a specific note, or upbeat/downbeat. i.e. "say 'blank' when you hit that G."
When I really have trouble...I make the guitarist sing it. ; )
When I have trouble I figure out which syllables land on a specific note, or upbeat/downbeat. i.e. "say 'blank' when you hit that G."
When I really have trouble...I make the guitarist sing it. ; )
sorry, but i play both bass and guitar and i don't agree. it might be easier to strum a few chords and sing, but play like john mayer or brad paisley and sing, and all of a sudden playing the bass and singing actually seems easy
I also play both and sing while playing both. You may be right with certain songs that have intricate guitar parts and boring bass lines, but as a general rule in a rock and roll cover band it is usually far easier to sing while playing guitar than it is while playing bass.
Lay off Jimmy, I wear a shirt on stage nowadays.
your audience thanks you
and yeah, if you're doing chords while singing and not doing a lot of picking, it definitely is easier.
and yeah, if you're doing chords while singing and not doing a lot of picking, it definitely is easier.
Yes, I can get thrown off trying to play one bass line and sing something else quite frequently.
However, what I really need help with is better breath control--how does one learn to talk and sing from the diaphragm and not shallowly from the throat? Seriously...
However, what I really need help with is better breath control--how does one learn to talk and sing from the diaphragm and not shallowly from the throat? Seriously...
Theres probably two components to advice I can offer.
1) Original music - If you are writing and performing your own music, gradually increase the complexity of what you play. At first, it's better to nail the singing and play in the pocket than it is to show you are a great player and a singer who misses bits. Over time, the pocket gets easier to play to and you can increase your bass parts on dynamic and intensity.
2) Covers music - Song choice is critical. There are thousands of songs out there that allow a guitarist to sing whilst the bassist fills up space. That can be a nightmare for a bassist/singer. It also means the guitarist can be sitting there twiddling his/her thumbs
I always find it funny that people refer to Mccartney and Sting as if they learned their parts whole, up front and do it all effortlessly. I'm sure they worked their parts up from a skeleton to a full part. The beauty is they were also able to write their parts to suit their strengths. Covers don't give you that opportunity so pick the songs that work to your strengths instead.
The best thing a singer/bassist can do is relax. You have a couple of things going on at once. If you focus too hard on one, the other will suffer. Don't separate bass and vocals from a performance. Think of them as two parts of the one instrument. You just need to keep the groove and melody rolling and things get easier and easier.
1) Original music - If you are writing and performing your own music, gradually increase the complexity of what you play. At first, it's better to nail the singing and play in the pocket than it is to show you are a great player and a singer who misses bits. Over time, the pocket gets easier to play to and you can increase your bass parts on dynamic and intensity.
2) Covers music - Song choice is critical. There are thousands of songs out there that allow a guitarist to sing whilst the bassist fills up space. That can be a nightmare for a bassist/singer. It also means the guitarist can be sitting there twiddling his/her thumbs
I always find it funny that people refer to Mccartney and Sting as if they learned their parts whole, up front and do it all effortlessly. I'm sure they worked their parts up from a skeleton to a full part. The beauty is they were also able to write their parts to suit their strengths. Covers don't give you that opportunity so pick the songs that work to your strengths instead.The best thing a singer/bassist can do is relax. You have a couple of things going on at once. If you focus too hard on one, the other will suffer. Don't separate bass and vocals from a performance. Think of them as two parts of the one instrument. You just need to keep the groove and melody rolling and things get easier and easier.
I think being familiar with the song is the first step. It also helps to actually like the song.
I get to play bass and sing lead in a modern country band, and also play in a modern rock band that I sing only a few songs.
In the country band, I 'like' the tunes that we are doing right now (check out Tim McGraw - Felt Good On My Lips). This makes learning both parts together much more pleasurable.
However, the rock band I play in does songs that I'm not really into, which makes it a bit more if a struggle for me to learn the parts together.
For me, it starts with learning the lyrics. I like to sit down with the song in iTunes and write them out - with a pen and paper- (NOT microsoft word!) pausing between lines, like in the days before the internet! This helps me internalize the lyrics more quickly and permanently.
After that, I try to learn both parts at the same time as much as possible. If anything has to be simplified, it's the bass line. People will notice the lyrics/melody being different before they notice a difference in the bass line.
YMMV.
I get to play bass and sing lead in a modern country band, and also play in a modern rock band that I sing only a few songs.
In the country band, I 'like' the tunes that we are doing right now (check out Tim McGraw - Felt Good On My Lips). This makes learning both parts together much more pleasurable.
However, the rock band I play in does songs that I'm not really into, which makes it a bit more if a struggle for me to learn the parts together.
For me, it starts with learning the lyrics. I like to sit down with the song in iTunes and write them out - with a pen and paper- (NOT microsoft word!) pausing between lines, like in the days before the internet! This helps me internalize the lyrics more quickly and permanently.
After that, I try to learn both parts at the same time as much as possible. If anything has to be simplified, it's the bass line. People will notice the lyrics/melody being different before they notice a difference in the bass line.
YMMV.
haha, I was just pointing that out for the benefit of the OP. There's good info in the sticky that would prolly be helpful to 'em.
+1 for Sting. That mirrors my own experience exactly (great minds think alike!!).
I figured I'd have to get 1 or the other (singing or bass playing) down on auto pilot, & since I was already playing bass, that seemed to be the logical choice for auto. I also backed off a level or 2 on the complexity of my bass parts when I sing.
I eventually got to a point where I could improvise on bass AND vocals simultaneously. It took a lot of work to get there.
I believe there's a sticky somewhere about this very topic that has lots of good info.
I figured I'd have to get 1 or the other (singing or bass playing) down on auto pilot, & since I was already playing bass, that seemed to be the logical choice for auto. I also backed off a level or 2 on the complexity of my bass parts when I sing.
I eventually got to a point where I could improvise on bass AND vocals simultaneously. It took a lot of work to get there.
I believe there's a sticky somewhere about this very topic that has lots of good info.
Unfortunately, at least in the cover band world, the reality is that a barely passable bassist who's a good singer will get the gig over a pro-caliber non-singing bassist 9 times out of 10. The OP is wise to be concerned about this.
I am the same way. I can play guitar and sing quite well even w/ my harp harness. With bass its a diffrent story. I can sing some in my band and struggle with other songs although I have improved 100% over where I was a few years ago. Then I couldnt say my name while playing without messing up.
I was the lead singer in my last band in addition to playing bass and it was just a matter of practice. I had already played rhythm guitar and sang in a couple bands, but it did take a little extra effort to do it with bass. I agree with what's already been said, practice until you can play the song in your sleep, until it's like muscle memory. When teaching people how to sing and play for background vocals in previous bands I would usually suggest practicing while staring directly forward or up at the ceiling or something as well.
[QUOTEjames hetfield and mustaine make it seem so easy so an tips? can you sing and play bass at the same time?][/QUOTE]
These two are not bass players OP
I am lead singer and bass in my band, I have been on bass about a year but was always the singer as lead/rhythm guitarist, singing and guitar is easy in general, singing and bass is very difficult but I have got it 90% spot on now, the only bits I struggle on are where the bass lines get more involved, something like `stuck in the middle` is hard to sing while on bass, one tip is to have your band mates do the vocal parts that you cant do, for instance, the chorus in `should I stay or go`or I find a certain part in `born to be wild` hard, anytime the bass changes pattern or tempo or just needs a bit more concentration just get your mate do do that vocal part and your problem will be solved !
I think the reason bas i hard to sing along to is because you concentrate more on the melody, harmony and all round groove whereas on guitar you just bash away on chords for most of the time, having said that, how many guitarist/singers wait for a line to end before doing a lick or riff ?
These two are not bass players OP
I am lead singer and bass in my band, I have been on bass about a year but was always the singer as lead/rhythm guitarist, singing and guitar is easy in general, singing and bass is very difficult but I have got it 90% spot on now, the only bits I struggle on are where the bass lines get more involved, something like `stuck in the middle` is hard to sing while on bass, one tip is to have your band mates do the vocal parts that you cant do, for instance, the chorus in `should I stay or go`or I find a certain part in `born to be wild` hard, anytime the bass changes pattern or tempo or just needs a bit more concentration just get your mate do do that vocal part and your problem will be solved !
I think the reason bas i hard to sing along to is because you concentrate more on the melody, harmony and all round groove whereas on guitar you just bash away on chords for most of the time, having said that, how many guitarist/singers wait for a line to end before doing a lick or riff ?
The other reason a lot of guitarists can get away with singing is that they're not actually playing and singing at the same time very often. Some of the blues guys especially, when they're singing they quit playing (and let the 2nd guitar and/or keys carry them) and when they're not singing is when they're doing their little fill-in licks and/or leads.
The bassist doesn't have the luxury of dropping out every 4 bars to sing... he/she has to keep that bass line locked down and groovin all song, every song.
The bassist doesn't have the luxury of dropping out every 4 bars to sing... he/she has to keep that bass line locked down and groovin all song, every song.
I definitely agree about how hard it is to play bass and sing. I also play piano, drums, cajon, and congas and the only one that's hard for me is the bass. Playing drumset can be a little diffcult for me at first, but if I practice my drum part a few times I can sing just fine. Unfortunately even with a lot of practice the bass is still really difficult for me. I think it has a lot to do with the syncopation. If I'm just playing steady eighth notes or a song with a very steady rhythm (like Stevie Wonder's I Wish for instance) I have no problem singing and playing. I have been getting better slowly, but surely. My advice is to just keep practicing. Eventually you'll get it.
