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Playing And Singing

B

Bachh

Guest
Apr 8, 2014
41
4
#1
It almost seems that this topic is brought up each time a bass string is plucked, but there never seems to be one correct answer, partly because everyone has their own way of learning. Some people are born that way (which I envy), others like me are dying to.

Even if it's a simple 8th note bass line, I simply can't say a word while playing it.

I needed to know if there were any books or techniques or anything that could improve multitasking, and being a bassplayer you need to be versatile and flexible in most cases.

any help is appreciated.
 
#2
Bachh said:
It almost seems that this topic is brought up each time a bass string is plucked, but there never seems to be one correct answer, partly because everyone has their own way of learning. Some people are born that way (which I envy), others like me are dying to.

Even if it's a simple 8th note bass line, I simply can't say a word while playing it.

I needed to know if there were any books or techniques or anything that could improve multitasking, and being a bassplayer you need to be versatile and flexible in most cases.

any help is appreciated.
Click to expand...
Yes there are all kinds of books on how to sing, lead and harmony. The two are not the same.

First, for some reason the bass and drums are not expected to sing. So singing is optional. How to do it starts IMO with singing along with the vocalist under your breath - which I do anyway to help me stay with the rest of the band.

After several months of singing under your breath, increase the volume. Join in on a chorus first, then sing accompaniment as needed. There is a difference in singing lead and singing accompaniment. Accompaniment is harmonizing with the vocalist. Most guys struggle with this and end up singing lead not harmony. The gals seem to pick up singing harmony faster.

Good luck.
 
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#4
I think it just takes a lot of concentration and practice. I can sing backup playing bass, but I can't do a lead vocal on any thing more than a thump, thump bass line. I used to play with a guy that was left handed, played a right handed (right handed) guitar and sang lead vocals. That took concentration.
 
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#5
As far as the concept of "when do I 'get' it and start singing while playing?", it's the same as learning to use the kick pedal and sticks when drumming...it boils down to nothing more than practice and trying it. Start playing and try to belt something out, stop playing and sing then try to hit SOMETHING while doing it. Don't pay attention to singing the right note or in key, just work on your timing/multitasking. This is something that literally just comes by doing it and plain old bench time. It helps to know both parts intimately (bass and vocals) and there are a few other things to consider. I just came off doing lessons for this very thing and I can tell you that some songs were made for a bassist to sing along to and some were not. Start with uber simple doo-wop songs from the 50's-60's that are mostly 3-chord I-IV-V progressions (or Hotel Yorba by White Stripes!). Also keep in mind that it's not just a point where you automatically can sing and play whatever on command, a drummer needs to learn a beat and break it down mentally before they can play it correctly, you will likely need to dissect the song some to get the timing down perfect.
 
#6
You need to have the bass parts down solid. Like play 'em in your sleep solid.
Then you can slowly add your vocal (either lead or backing) to your playing.
If you don't have the bass parts down cold, trying to sing on top of playing will be nearly impossible.
 
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#7
Here's an "exercise" to try. We used to play a game we called Whose song is it anyways? The band lays down a jam and you imrovise lyrics and singing over it. Start by just trying to build your vocal comort then add in bass in the jam and continue with singing. Worked for me back in the day.
 
#9
Drummers call in indepentant coordination. That is learning to make each appendage do it's own thing regardless of what the others are doing. This is much easier to say than to do.
Learn both parts independantly. By that I mean when you learn the bass part, keep your mouth shut. When you are learning the vocal part, put the bass down. It does help me to use an acoustic guitar just strumming chords when learning the vocal part. Once you have them both down, it is much easier to combine them.
I don't know how many other bands do this, but what I have always done is have band vocal practice. No electric instrument, just one acoustic, and practice nothing but vocals.
 
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#12
I'd say that very few people find it easy to sing and play bass at the same time. But if you persevere you'll no doubt be surprised by how much you'll advance. Start with singing along to your bass lines. This will get you used to using muscles you're not used to using while playing. Then find some music that has a simple bass line (not too syncopated) and simple enough vocal part. The two areas of difficulty tend to be timing and melody. The instinct is going to be to sing in sync with what you are playing, both timing-wise and melody-wise. Once you know your bass line cold, learn the vocal part. Then try playing them together. Chances are this will be a disaster. :) Break the parts down into smaller sections and try again, this time much slower. Playing and singing rely on muscle memory, so starting off slowly is the order of the day. When it comes to singing harmony, you will probably automatically tend to lapse into the lead melody. This is normal. Again, muscle memory. You have to teach your vocal cords - not just your head - the parts you want to sing. That way, when you open your mouth, you can be confident that the right sound will come out. Believe me, if you approach this slowly you will succeed. Even guys like Mark King have to take a similar approach.
 
#13
I sure don't fancy myself a great singer, but here's a couple things about my experience.

Like most complex skills, it gets easier with experience--for two separate reasons: (1) you're getting better at doing it, and (2) you're (rightly) getting more confident in your ability to do it. An essential mindset thing is to enjoy the gains you're making, bit by bit. Positive psychology helps, IOW.

What works pretty well for me, singing backing parts, is to first get the bass part down to where I can put that on autopilot, and then think about the vocals (prehearing pitches, putting a little style in the articulation, stuff like that). When I'm woodshedding at home, prepping for a band practice, I'll cop the bassline of the tune and play it along with the record until it's in my comfort zone, then put the bass down and start picking out vocal parts. I don't bother with words much until I have the notes; repetition gets me there. Then I put the two together.

A cool thing is that working on singing middle parts got my ear better at hearing all the chord tones. Pretty cool benefit; that spilled over immediately into my basslines. :bassist:
 
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#16
I am able to sing and play the bass just with one song where I don´t have to look at the fretboard which is in my opinion the first step to do. I think the mere gazing at the fingers can confuse the brain.. but it depends, it´s all very individual...
 
#18
I can sing and play pretty well; I play a lot of Rush. As others have said, it's about knowing them both so well that you don't need to think about them too much.

I run into problems when trying to sing and play Peter Gabriel stuff, though. So often I just want to groove on the bass that I mess up the vocals, not to mention that there's a lot of syncopation and such, which makes it harder to multitask. It's all practice.
 
#19
A couple of weeks ago I saw a Roger Waters concert where he sang the first part of "Time" holding the bass on which he wasn´t playing during the singing parts, having behind him another bassist who did it instead of him. I think he had pretty dishonoured himself by this act. I think, why didn´t he just take the guitar to avoid to look like an unable amateur?
 

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