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Bass playing should be on the auto pilot mode. Then focus on singing.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
It is difficult to be a good singer and a good player … and then to do both at the same time
There are no shortcuts. Practice practice practice.
Anchor your words to certain notes.
I sing bv’s a lot and play some very syncopated bass lines and the only way I know how to get this working is to slow the difficult parts down quite a lot and really analyse how they interact and then practice practice practice. No short cuts I’m afraid.
EatS1stBassist’s suggestion helps too.
EatS1stBassist’s suggestion helps too.
"(other than practice)"
In other words, "(other than the answer.)"
In other words, "(other than the answer.)"
Now you know why so many singers either play no instrument, or strum an acoustic guitar or play electric rhythm guitar.
<How can I get better? (other than practice).>
There is no way I've ever heard of to get better other than practice. This includes performing in public which will accelerate your progress, although probably not for the purpose of learning to sing and play bass simultaneously.
<What I am hoping to find is a tip or trick I can utilize.>
There is no tip or trick to it, I don't think. Just lots of playing experience. Not everyone will agree with this, but for me, anyway, message No. 2 above says it as well as it can be said:
"You have to get the bass line down so well you don't think about it, then add the singing. Or get the singing down so well you don't think about it, then add the bass playing."
Remember when you were learning to drive? I don't know about you, but it took all my concentration not to crash. Or, that's what it seemed like, anyway. Once while pulling into a parking stall I was talking to my mother and failed to apply the brake soon enough to avoid crashing into the wall at the end of the dang stall! I got so mad I started crying and said I didn't want to learn to drive anymore. My mother said, "Shut up and get the car into the parking place right!" So that ended my whining real quick. But as you remember, after a while you get the moves down reflexively, and then driving seems like second nature. What your trying to do singing and playing bass simultaneously is like that.
I would say being able to play your instrument on autopilot and then adding the singing is how it seemed to work for me back in the day. Although now I'm all thumbs and my voice is not in shape and it's a lot of work getting back there!
I can do it with simple guitar parts as then it's 'strum A lala strum A lala strum E la la strum E lala' and so on. With bass there's more going on unless I am just bashing out root 8th notes which is pretty rare.
This is a very good tip and it actually worked for me. Not as a main singer but for backup vocals.
Analyze your bass lines and hook every transition to the corresponding word on the lyrics. Repeat the process until you do it without thinking.
I've never been able to sing and play, even playing just quarter note roots. Then again, I haven't made much effort to remedy this. Everyone in my band sings except me, and we're all good with that. I consider myself very fortunate to be in such a good band without contributing vocals.
I would suggest starting with just the root note for each chord. Keep it simple. Once you are comfortable with singing while playing the root notes, you can start adding in the other parts of the bass line - the walk-ups, ornamentals and so forth.
You may find that it makes sense to keep the bass line a bit more sparse if it's just you and your bass (although that might seem counterintuitive). You don't need to fill space with extra frills on the bass line - instead, focus on filling more space with your voice.
You may find that it makes sense to keep the bass line a bit more sparse if it's just you and your bass (although that might seem counterintuitive). You don't need to fill space with extra frills on the bass line - instead, focus on filling more space with your voice.
It's like playing the piano, left and right hands doing completely different things.
That said, for most (not all) songs I sing lead on, I get my bass part down COLD, because it's static, I don't vary it much. Then I can float my vocal on top of it and with practice actually sing and embellish occasionally.
That said, for most (not all) songs I sing lead on, I get my bass part down COLD, because it's static, I don't vary it much. Then I can float my vocal on top of it and with practice actually sing and embellish occasionally.
I found it to be a bit easier once I changed my right hand playing style to use my thumb and 3 fingers vs just using my 3 fingers... Think how Geddy uses thumb/index flamenco-style or the Damian Erskine fingerling style, almost like using a pick at times with fingers.
For me, this felt a bit more rhythmic and helped me to keep time/rhythm/play/sing as one unit more fluidly. Definitely takes practice just like 2 handed playing or syncopated playing and leading with fretboard hand. Everyone is different, but found working out the singing playing together to be faster than focusing on one vs the other. YMMV
There's a really good YouTube video from Mark King where he talks about doing this together vs one or the other. And he's got a lot going on while singing.
For me, this felt a bit more rhythmic and helped me to keep time/rhythm/play/sing as one unit more fluidly. Definitely takes practice just like 2 handed playing or syncopated playing and leading with fretboard hand. Everyone is different, but found working out the singing playing together to be faster than focusing on one vs the other. YMMV
There's a really good YouTube video from Mark King where he talks about doing this together vs one or the other. And he's got a lot going on while singing.
With me, it's simple, when I want to sing and play, I pick up my guitar..
There are very few bass lines that are possible to play and sing at the same time.. Even some "easy" bass lines are nearly impossible to play and sing at the same time! It really depends how the bass lines follows the vocals, because it usually doesn't.
There are very few bass lines that are possible to play and sing at the same time.. Even some "easy" bass lines are nearly impossible to play and sing at the same time! It really depends how the bass lines follows the vocals, because it usually doesn't.
Actually I'm being a bit pessimistic, a lot of bass lines are easy (or as easy as a rhythmic guitar) to play and sing at the same time (Californication, Billie Jean, Pea, Smells like teen spirit, etc..)
But there are other groovy lines that will make you rip your hair off, like for example Good times, Bad Guy, Dark Necessities, etc...
Just random examples here, you're welcome to try!
But there are other groovy lines that will make you rip your hair off, like for example Good times, Bad Guy, Dark Necessities, etc...
Just random examples here, you're welcome to try!
In my most recent band, we played 3-4 hours a night and I sang on 99% of the songs. It was intimidating at first but you get pretty used to it once you get it down. The biggest advice I have for getting started is that strumming is easier to sing with than plucking, so if you're a fingerstyle player like me and you get to a part that's tripping you up to play and sing, try using your thumb as if you had a pick (or you can just use a pick) and use more of a strumming motion (or at least all downstrokes) on each note (not strumming all the strings like a guitar though) to get through those parts. It's amazing how much easier it is to pull off when you do that. Then, when you get more comfortable with those harder parts, the easier parts will become a total breeze, and as that happens, you can try to mix back in the fingerstyle.
Not only do you have to put in the hours but you have to trust the rest of your band to watch and listen to you and not just operate as if they were the ones singing. They have to act like bass players in a way. The easiest way to do that, is to sing and play so well that they become part of your audience. That gets back to you practicing a lot.
Another juggler!
I think learning to juggle is another great example of breaking down a complex skill into smaller parts--first you practice the toss, then exchanging with two balls, then short cascades. When you learn five clubs, you work on your doubles, and your exchanges, and flashing 3 in a five-club pattern, and starting and stopping with 3 in a hand, etc, etc....
Somehow you've got to break down the singing and playing thing into little steps, in the same way. And at first it's a whole new hill to climb for each new song (or part of a song). Eventually it gets a little easier.
(Disclaimer: my five club juggling and singing-while-playing are at about the same level: pretty reliable for short runs in a controlled environment. May fall apart quickly under pressure....)
