Singing and playing bass

[Tevin]

Learn to hit the notes without a bass, then go pick up the bass. If you can't hit them consistently without playing along, you'll never manage the two together. I have to do backing vocals in my band and I find it's just about locking down the bassline in your subconscious and focusing on the vocal line.

The really difficult one is a ska piece with an improvised walking bass fill every other bar and fairly tough vocal lines coming in over the top of it.

What do you mean hit the notes without the bass? Tap the rhythm?

 

[Fullback32]

just curious for those that sing...do you put the bass part on "auto-pilot" or the vocals...most seem to indicate that you need to avoid splitting your attention...what do you guys do?

I put the bass part on auto-pilot...especially since my voice isn't "all that". I definitely need to concentrate on the singing more.

 

[James_E]

I put the bass part on auto-pilot...especially since my voice isn't "all that". I definitely need to concentrate on the singing more.

Agreed. If you're going to sing, the vocals are more important than the bass. Miss note/timing on the vocals and EVERYONE notices. Miss note/timing on the bass and it still is not a good thing, but far less noticable.

I have to sing some backing vox (and some lead) in my band. In Californication, I sing the last line of each verse like they do on the record... I have to simplify the bass line while I sing it. But the vocals are more important. I just play the roots instead of the root-5th-octave that is normally played, and I forgo the run. I'm working on adding all that back but I only do it a home right now. Live... I play roots and try to NAIL the vox.

 

[Papa Dangerous]

Perhaps learn important spots of the song, lyrical speaking, with a certain note or phrase you play on the bass.

Than learn really get down the approach to that section.

Like if you have a complicated bass part, learn the bass part, sing over the bass part, but then really nail the transition into that part on the bass and vocally.

I wouldn't know from experience, but it seems to make sense to me