Singing While Playing

[bass12]

I’ve sung backups for many years and have been doing more lead singing lately. Singing while playing does not come naturally to me. There are a lot of factors that come into play for me. One is knowing the bass and vocal parts but there is also the simple aspect of being comfortable with your voice and how it sounds when you project it. It’s one thing to think you sound decent singing in the shower or along to the radio in the car, but when you’re belting into a microphone over a band it’s often an entirely different thing. I have a fairly limited vocal range and choosing songs that suit my voice is not always easy, so there’s that. Then there’s choosing the right key. What works when I’m alone in my music room isn’t always what works in a band context. Trial and error.

As for the physical side of playing and singing simultaneously, it’s not an all-or-nothing /you can do it or you can’t thing. Some songs are relatively easy to sing while playing and some are extremely difficult (from what I’ve heard even Sting would sometimes simplify his bass parts live) And at first everything will be difficult because you’ll be trying to focus on two things at once (and likely evaluating/critiquing two things at once, which adds a layer of distraction). The auto-pilot idea is legitimate to an extent, but it’s not as if you just end up focusing on one thing during performance - at least that’s not how it is for me. When I’m singing while playing my brain is ping-ponging between the two tasks. I’ll mostly be focused on the vocal but I keep checking in with the bass part, especially when I’m playing a variation or fill.

Start easy. Syncopation is the killer so choose a song with a line that consists of quarter or eighth notes only - at least when the vocals are present. One of the first songs I learned to sing and play simultaneously was Bill Withers’ “Who Is He And What Is He To You”. Go as slowly as you need to in order to get things right. It’s amazing what can be achieved with repetition at slow tempos. “Walking On The Moon” is an easy enough one to tackle because there’s not too much going on bass-wise that’s against the vocal. As you build your repertoire you’ll become more confident so keep at it, one song at a time.

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

Although for the most part it's second nature to me now what helped me a lot early on was to consciously subdivide beats to hear where the bass notes and vocal notes fall in the measure or phrase. How it all interacts is what I try to internalize. I'm grateful that I'm able to sing and play. I probably wouldn't have any gigs otherwise!

BBB

 

[bigjames]

This is really hard to do. If you can do this, hats off to you! I have been practicing since buying a bass (never tried in 30 yrs on guitar). I have been trying by playing some of the Police songs since Sting plays and sings at the same time. Anyone who can do this got any tips or is it just practice, practice, practice?

Agreed. This is hard to do. I can sing back up and play, but singing lead and playing is harder. I do not know how Sting does it...I sat front row at his show watching in absolute awe of his skill at both.

 

[dbflats]

I'd say bass12's ping-ponging is the reality of it for me, and that songs and song sections vary in difficulty.

Like BBB says up above, subdividing the beat to determine where each thing fits is helpful.

 

[paddydaddyo]

This has always been my super power. Especially on tunes where the bassline and the lead vocal are coming at you from different sides of the groove. Some particularly challenging ones in different genres I've done over the years (and what I focused on during them) that come to mind are:

"Saturday Night Fish Fry" by Louis Jordan (vocal primary focus)
"Ramble On" by Led Zeppelin (bass primary focus)
"September" by Earth, Wind & Fire (phasing between the two)
"Rio" by Duran Duran (REALLY fast phasing between the two)

As someone else mentioned, one really can't focus on doing two things at once. The really hard songs call for constant switching back & forth. I will say though, my ability to sing strong lead parts while laying it down on the bass got me a LOT of work over the years ... it's well worth putting in the effort!

 

[Pep]

I've been doing it since I started playing. Most of the time it was easy until I had to play and sing Steve Wonder's "I WIsh". That was a bear but I eventually got it. If it takes away from your playing and staying locked in the groove with the drummer, it shouldn't be done.

 

[dbflats]

You're doing some hard stuff there!

 

[2thAche]

If you can sing and you can play, you can do it together. I worked through this over the last few years to become competent, it's a gradual and difficult process but IMO alot of fun when it comes together.

Start with something simple, where the bass lines are straight, repetitive and not syncopated. Try 2-3 songs to see which one clicks the easiest, put harder stuff on hold.

#1 Learn the bass lines until you can play them without thinking.
#2 learn the vocals (in the car or Karaoke tracks) until they are not "work"
#3 start putting them together.
#4 you'll be horrible at first
#5 at that point where you are thinking this is a waste of time, you're just getting worse and none of this will work, give it a day and try again

There will be parts where the timing of words and bass notes fight each other. Slow everything down with a metronome and let your brain figure out the timing. Gradually speed it up and it will come together naturally. It's really all timing, like playing drums. Don't give up, and keep practicing, and it will finally feel natural.

#6 Play and sing with Karaoke tracks, 'cause staying in tempo will be a whole other thing.

The more songs you get down, the more natural it will get and you'll try harder stuff.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

This is really hard to do. If you can do this, hats off to you! I have been practicing since buying a bass (never tried in 30 yrs on guitar). I have been trying by playing some of the Police songs since Sting plays and sings at the same time. Anyone who can do this got any tips or is it just practice, practice, practice?

Practice the bass lines until you have them DOWN! Then, when you can basically play the bass lines on automatic, add the singing. Also listen to the bass line to figure out what the recognizable parts are. A lot of times you can simplify the bass line while you are singing if it is not the defining riff to the song. But the real key is to get the bass line down pat before you start singing with it.

Remember, the thing folks will recall most is how the vocals were. I would NOT put them on automatic and pay more attention to the bass part than the vocals. That's what I've done it since 1966 and it still works. Also, be aware that you are going to run into some parts that you just can't sing and play at the same time because of different rhythms or syncopation in the bass line and the melody.

You can sometimes figure out what word needs to land on what note of the bass line and sync everything up and get it to work from there. I found that helpful when singing the bridge on the Beatles "Don't Let Me Down". I really needed to figure out what notes I was playing when I sang the different parts of that bridge ("I'm in love for the first time. Don't you know it's going to last, etc.). That will sometimes allow you to work out the singing and playing of a tough section to coordinate with your bass playing. Doesn't always work but if you are willing to put in the practice, you can usually be successful with it.

Good Luck!

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Another thing is that if you listen to Stings singing and bass playing, he is usually playing some pretty simple parts when he's singing. Of course there are few people who can sing like Sting so no one notices the simpler bass line he often plays unless you are listening for it.

I also play guitar and I can tell you it's night and day simpler to sing while playing guitar because you are typically strumming a rhythm that goes well with the song and is not playing a counter point rhythm to it. Even when finger-picking some songs, you get the pattern down and it goes automatically without a log of effort. It's tougher to sing and play bass at the same time unless you are only playing pedal notes, which is why you don't see a lot of bass players singing lead.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Start easy with something like U2's "With or Without You". The vocals aren't easy when he jumps an octave, so keep that optional. But it's something that you can practice and is easy. It won't be easy at first but at some point you'll start hearing both the bass line and the vocals as kind of a weird separate but simultaneous thing. At that point, start playing around with putting some slides and nuances into the bass line. When you have that mastered, move on to another song, maybe "All The Small Things". As everyone else has mentioned - practice, practice, and practice. I don't know how Geddy does it.

 

[Joesmintballs]

Police vocals and bass are pretty dificult. I recently read an interview with Andy Summers who said even Sting had to practice really hard to get some of his own songs down, it's almost all syncopated.

Being a huge Police/Sting fan and a four stringer, I feel your pain! I've read a few quotes from Stingo about HIS method for learning bass and vocal lines simultaneously and he always says that slowing both the bass line and the melody right down and then slowly building the tempo works best for him.
Hope this info helps.

 

[Joesmintballs]

Another thing is that if you listen to Stings singing and bass playing, he is usually playing some pretty simple parts when he's singing. Of course there are few people who can sing like Sting so no one notices the simpler bass line he often plays unless you are listening for it.

I also play guitar and I can tell you it's night and day simpler to sing while playing guitar because you are typically strumming a rhythm that goes well with the song and is not playing a counter point rhythm to it. Even when finger-picking some songs, you get the pattern down and it goes automatically without a log of effort. It's tougher to sing and play bass at the same time unless you are only playing pedal notes, which is why you don't see a lot of bass players singing lead.

Agreed. A good example of this is Spirits In The Material World, which is far simpler live.

 

[Queue]

Police vocals and bass are pretty dificult. I recently read an interview with Andy Summers who said even Sting had to practice really hard to get some of his own songs down, it's almost all syncopated.

^^^^ This ^^^^
The reggae-ish rhythms in most Police songs make singing and playing quite a challenge.

Try a different artist with more straightforward bass lines (most other bands). If you're dead-set on being Sting (I aspire to play and sing like Sting) take his advice, learn each separately, then slow it down and memorize the spots in the timing where the words/notes are.

I think "So Lonely" (first album) isn't as bad as most, and maybe "Walking on the Moon" or "Message in a Bottle" from Regatta de Blanc.

 

[Happy Face]

I found "Born Under a Bad Sign" (Cream version) to be too high a mountain to climb. The vocal and bass lines seem to be disconnected.

But for a real example of that... a band i was in landed a really nice wedding anniversary gig. There were two songs requests.

One was Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash. We all said "easy peasy" until we started to listen carefully. Cash wanders all over the place. It's remarkably difficult to pull off WELL.

 

[Patrice B]

This is really hard to do. If you can do this, hats off to you! I have been practicing since buying a bass (never tried in 30 yrs on guitar). I have been trying by playing some of the Police songs since Sting plays and sings at the same time. Anyone who can do this got any tips or is it just practice, practice, practice?

Watched an interview with Stewart Copeland and he said that Sting had to practice a bit to nail his bass lines and vocals. Yes, he is good but it’s not automatic…

 

[logdrum]

Jay thinks that "It is impossible to sing and play bass



Full show:
His trick is to do musical comedy instead

 

[salmon256]

Something needs to go on autopilot-- either singing or playing. Despite what people think, humans can't multitask.

First thing you learn in basic pyschology is humans cannot multitask! Thank you for sharing this, I had a long debate with a trombonist who kept telling me those psychologist who research the brain their whole lives were wrong b/c they claim Trombone was "multitasking"

Autopiloting is key!

 

[GreyBeard]

I've been doing it for so long that I just don't think about it. I do find myself simplifying some of the more intricate bass lines when doing both overloads my brain.

 

[paddydaddyo]

I found "Born Under a Bad Sign" (Cream version) to be too high a mountain to climb. The vocal and bass lines seem to be disconnected.

I almost included that one in my list! We used to do Robben Ford's version off his "Talk to Your Daughter" album in a trio I fronted.

Oh, and "Major Tom" by Peter Schilling is also quite outside ...