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Playing your bass and singing
- Thread starter B-Mac
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If you scroll down at the link, you'll find this:
Singing and Playing the Bass at the Same Time
OK, this is the thing that you guys are probably most interested in. Youre not gonna give up bass for singing. Plus being an egotistical singer is an anathema to our wise low-end nature. But for whatever reason you gotta sing, and play bass. So heres some tips.
- While you are singing, try to stay in one position. Reduce the amount you go up and down the neck. Doing this will reduce the amount you will look down to see what fret you are hitting as well as the likelyhood of moving to the wrong note.
- Work on your plucking hand. The plucking hand is what locks in with the drummer, provides the pulse, and pumps the groove. Missing with your plucking hand is more noticable than missing with your fretting hand. Practice plucking eighth notes, quarter notes, syncopated plucks, etc. If you are a finger picker, while you are singing along with the song on the radio in the car, tap out the pulse of the song with the index and middle finger of your plucking hand on the steering wheel.
- Memorize some generic patterns with your fretting hand. Learn patterns for funk, rock, blues, etc. The patterns should be moveable, i.e. a pattern played on the E and A string can be moved to the A and D string, and a pattern played on the 3rd fret could also be played at the 5th fret. From there it's just a matter of learning the changes of a song and adjusting those patterns to them. The advantage of singing along is that you'll know when the changes are coming.
- Use your vocals to cue your bass playing. The other tips are to help with independence, this one is for interdependence. Use a note or word to trigger the note you are going to play on bass. For example, when the first word of the chorus is sung make a mental note to play "X". Practice this and let your vocals and bass work together. It's sort of like how the two hands of a pianist work together. It will also make remembering bass lines and lyrics easier because you'll have another thing to associate them with.
When I learned Sultans of Swing I used a drum machine or the drum machine in my Zoom B -1 to keep me consistent on the bass line. Songs that have little rests or quick set of notes like Wild Wild West or Love Shack would be tougher. I do Fast as You, which has a consistent bass line.
Having the lyrics memorized helps me.
Having the lyrics memorized helps me.
It's like playing piano, two independent hands doing different things. Start simple, practice, repeat.
For me, I pick one to nail the same way every time, amd one that will have a little freedom.
In other words, I either sing, or play, the same way each time.
For instance, if I am asked to song a "blues" song.... let's say "Pride and Joy" ..... I have two choices. I can sing it exactly the same way every time, memorized to the enth degree vocally, and play a more "expressive and creative" walking bass line. Or I can play the walking bass line mostly the same way every time, with little or no "creativity", and be more expressive vocally. But expressing myself vocally AND making up a fantastic walking bass line as I go is virtually impossible for this mere mortal.
(In that particular case, I would choose to he more expressive on the vocals. Trust me, your audience doesn't give a crap how repetitive your walking bass line is. In fact, they don't even NOTICE it's repetitive.)
But one has to give in that case. Even in the case of songs with complicated bass lines AND vocals, I have to NAIL one or the other in my memory, and then just "do" the other. For instance, any Rush song.... the bass part has to he so engrained in me that it just falls out of my fingers. I could stop it if I wanted to. That way I can "just sing" the vocals.
Sometimes I really have to break something down slowly, and note-for-note. One example I recall from years ago is "Good Times Bad Times" by Zep. If you'll notice, there's a lot going on vocally AND on the bass. To add to that, most of the vocal lines in the verses really drag behind the beat toward the end. I haven't performed that song for an audience in over a decade. But I could do it right now with no notice. Why? Cuz I broke that sucker down and pounded into my head. It's still there. What I had for breakfast yesterday isn't. But that dang song is.
In other words, I either sing, or play, the same way each time.
For instance, if I am asked to song a "blues" song.... let's say "Pride and Joy" ..... I have two choices. I can sing it exactly the same way every time, memorized to the enth degree vocally, and play a more "expressive and creative" walking bass line. Or I can play the walking bass line mostly the same way every time, with little or no "creativity", and be more expressive vocally. But expressing myself vocally AND making up a fantastic walking bass line as I go is virtually impossible for this mere mortal.
(In that particular case, I would choose to he more expressive on the vocals. Trust me, your audience doesn't give a crap how repetitive your walking bass line is. In fact, they don't even NOTICE it's repetitive.)
But one has to give in that case. Even in the case of songs with complicated bass lines AND vocals, I have to NAIL one or the other in my memory, and then just "do" the other. For instance, any Rush song.... the bass part has to he so engrained in me that it just falls out of my fingers. I could stop it if I wanted to. That way I can "just sing" the vocals.
Sometimes I really have to break something down slowly, and note-for-note. One example I recall from years ago is "Good Times Bad Times" by Zep. If you'll notice, there's a lot going on vocally AND on the bass. To add to that, most of the vocal lines in the verses really drag behind the beat toward the end. I haven't performed that song for an audience in over a decade. But I could do it right now with no notice. Why? Cuz I broke that sucker down and pounded into my head. It's still there. What I had for breakfast yesterday isn't. But that dang song is.
sweared"sweared"
Verb
- (nonstandard) simple past tense and past participle of swear
Something tells me you ‘ain’t’ going to do that. See what I did there.
- Apr 11, 2019
- 340
- 381
- Disclosures
- Lincoln Learning Solutions - Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center
You just have to be proficient at both! Actually, I think it helps if you've been a singer and played other instruments before you jump on the bass. I started with piano and guitar and was always the (or at least one of the) lead vocalists. So, when I moved to bass it was actually easier than guitar or piano. I admit, there have been one or two songs that have given me a problem (Shock the Monkey is a b!tch), but all in all, it's second nature.
I do have a habit of learning both parts at the same time. If I'm singing a tune that I play bass on, I'll practice singing and playing bass. Also, (and this is was covered in a recent post), if you have to look at your fret board all the time, you might as well give up on singing and playing until you resolve that. It's okay to get your bearings once in a while, but it's bad for your neck to sing and look at your neck constantly.
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- Apr 11, 2019
- 340
- 381
- Disclosures
- Lincoln Learning Solutions - Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center
That's nonsense. Alcohol will damage your voice just as surely as smoking a big blunt before you sing.
He’d gargle with it between sets. Had it in a small water bottle.
It wasn’t like he was drinking all night.
Solo acoustic guitarist singer harmonica player that played locally in my area who went to Nashville to give it a more serious go. He’s been in Nashville about 10 years now (maybe somewhere in California now). Don’t know how things worked out for him there, but since he hasn’t returned here I’m assuming (hoping) maybe they turned out good.
Terry Mullins is his name
Last edited:
- Apr 11, 2019
- 340
- 381
- Disclosures
- Lincoln Learning Solutions - Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center
- Apr 11, 2019
- 340
- 381
- Disclosures
- Lincoln Learning Solutions - Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center
Now this is some serious business. The rhythm and the vocal are so different.
First and foremost: Focus on delivering a convincing vocal. Play your bass almost instinctively as if on automatic. Takes time, but it will be well worth the practice.
A pro I read about, I believe it was Geddy, said he slows it way down when he first starts putting the bass and vacals together. I've heard others (i believe either Dave Mustaine or Ben Burnley) who have been doing it for years had a particular complicated guitar rhythm did the same thing, slow it down and break it into chunks to work on.
- May 3, 2019
- 92
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- Disclosures
- I have no disclosures and am not receiving any product endorsements
When I played bass in rick trio, I had to sing half the songs as well as harmonize. Wasn’t really a problem as I worked out songs on guitar & mostly were 3 chord wonder songs. I can’t do that when I am walking my bass through jazz songs mostly because I don’t play the same thing every time through.
Playing bass has made me a better musician it helps me understand where the song is going and anticipate the next chord I am walking to. But don’t ask me to sing while walking.
Playing bass has made me a better musician it helps me understand where the song is going and anticipate the next chord I am walking to. But don’t ask me to sing while walking.
I was a bassist in a metal band and took up lead vocal duties too after a couple of months looking for a singer.
I always wrote the bass first and nailed that before focusing on vocals.
It’s like separating your hands from the rest of you and takes a bit of work but is very achievable
I always wrote the bass first and nailed that before focusing on vocals.
It’s like separating your hands from the rest of you and takes a bit of work but is very achievable
By no means do I claim to be great at it, but what works for me doing backing vocals is to first have the bass part down _cold_, to where I don't have to think about it. That puts me in the place where I can pay attention to the vocal part (intonation and phrasing), while my fingers get the bass line done.
The trickiest thing for me is to match our lead singer's phrasing, as he often syncopates the beginning of a vocal line. It sounds good, and is very expressive; it serves the song. But I def need to separate what my fingers are doing on the bass (mostly on the beat) from what my vocal cords are doing.
Practice, practice, practice...and one day it'll just happen. If there's a particular passage that's frustrating, it may help to consciously think through where the rhythms of the bass part and vocal part diverge, and then drill it until it's automatic.
The trickiest thing for me is to match our lead singer's phrasing, as he often syncopates the beginning of a vocal line. It sounds good, and is very expressive; it serves the song. But I def need to separate what my fingers are doing on the bass (mostly on the beat) from what my vocal cords are doing.
Practice, practice, practice...and one day it'll just happen. If there's a particular passage that's frustrating, it may help to consciously think through where the rhythms of the bass part and vocal part diverge, and then drill it until it's automatic.
One thing that stands out, as far as singing and writing bassists, is that when they write a song, the bass parts work around the vocal, instead of having to figure out how to do both together. Most of Sting's best known Police songs were fleshed out while he had a bass in his hands, so he played what worked within the fact that he was singing at the time, and maybe did something extra when he wasn't singing but maybe not. The simplicity works. He writes great bass lines that are custom made for a bass player to sing with.
OTOH, man, Esperanza Spalding is f'ing unbelievable! : ) She could probably sing a totally different song against the world's most complicated bass line and shoot hoops and never miss a note.
OTOH, man, Esperanza Spalding is f'ing unbelievable! : ) She could probably sing a totally different song against the world's most complicated bass line and shoot hoops and never miss a note.
