What Are Your Reasons For Not Singing While Playing?

[drumvsbass]

It's beneath me as a human being.

 

[hieronymous]

I have a love/hate relationship with singing & playing - I wish I could do it like the greats: Chris Squire, Lemmy, Geddy Lee, John Wetton, Glenn Hughes, Paul McCartney... They are all big influences on my playing, and also ideals of what I would like to be like as a musician.

Even though I already looked at this thread earlier, when I logged on to TB this time I thought it said "What Are Your Reasons For Not Smiling While Playing?" - I guess that's another thread!

 

[Claymore]

...because they have my family at gunpoint and everybody lives if I don't sing.

 

[TyBo]

I don't agree that the bar is low for being a singer. I do agree that a lot of people think it is, which is part of why there are a lot of bands out there with poor vocals that nobody ever wants to go hear twice.

That said, as mentioned before, everyone starts somewhere and the goal should always be to improve. I'm in band with some singers that are so-so, though they strive to improve. One of those bandleaders/singers wants me to sing more leads so that he can step away from the mic more, and the other is too fragile to allow me to sing any song that shows off my range or skill.

I'm also in bands with some excellent singers, and I don't mind letting them do what they do. This guy is an amazing vocalist who really had a great night with us a few months back. Unfortunately this is an audience video and the camera setting was too dark to capture anything useful, visually. You can sort of see me a little. But listen to this VOICE. I had to put this up on YouTube in spite of the video just because he's singing so well.

There's something muffling the camera mic for about the first 20 seconds but it clears up after that.



That voice, and the harmonies that we also do (which are quiet but present in the first song here), along with our song selection are the reasons this band does so well. Between these two songs you can hear us bantering with the audience as tips were being tossed in the jar. We tripled our pay in tips that night. That's the way I like it.

Yeah, covering great vocals by McCartney and Burton Cummings - requires a good singer, and the dude has got it. Nice! I've seen McCartney say (reluctantly) when being interviewed that "Here, There, and Everywhere" is his favorite song he's written ... and even John Lennon heartily endorsed it. Beautiful in every way, and very well performed.

I wish I could sing that one effectively, but my voice isn't quite there - I can do it, but have to lower the pitch, and it loses something with that. But I definitely like to sing, and it's easy peasy with guitar. Considerably harder for me on bass, gotta really work hard on nailing it down. So that is a reason for me not to sing (while on bass) - so easy with guitar, so hard with bass.

(Yet another reason McCartney is so great, singing those songs while playing bass, effortlessly to all appearances. Plus his songwriting, arranging, etc. ... )

 

[Kipp Harrington]

I used to do some singing while playing bass in different rock bands in the 1970's, then I retired from gigging for 28 years. When I returned to gigging in 2008 I made a decision to do no singing, and I've had no problem finding jobs in bands that already have enough vocal firepower. My reasons for not singing are:

1. I consider myself to be a better bassist than singer, and I choose to not dilute my brand by singing.

2. I find some songs difficult to play and sing simultaneously, and I'm not about to dumb down my playing just so I can sing.

3. I don't have to tote a mic stand.

I know that good vocals are hard to come by, but, honestly, I hear a lot of instrumentalists who also sing who I wish would simply stop singing, even if it means that the band does more instrumentals.

So, if you play but don't sing, what is your reason for doing so?

I suck

 

[knumbskull]

court order.

 

[Phalex]

I can sing really well. I can play bass really well.
I cannot sing and play bass really well.

For some reason it’s an either or kinda situation.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I don’t have much range when singing and I’m limited to something like “Under The Milky Way”. So I’ve never developed singing while I’m playing because there is too much of a limit on my singing to make it worthwhile. But I probably should work on it for backups if nothing else.

 

[fdeck]

I can't sing and play at the same time, period. It's something I'd like to learn. A friend of mine learned to do so by taking voice lessons, something I've considered.

 

[Ekulati]

Can’t help you. I love to sing.

Same here. I'm a musician first, who just happened to gravitate to bass. It never occurred to me not to sing.

 

[Iristone]

First two the same, plus I've got pretty bad aerophagia whenever I sing out loud

 

[bobbybass85]

1. My inability to hear harmonies

2. The overall tone of my voice is not great

Those points aside I’m learning to sing and doing it more. But when people ask if I sing, I tell them they put me back by the drummer for a reason.

 

[BlueRock]

I can't sing and play at the same time, period. It's something I'd like to learn. A friend of mine learned to do so by taking voice lessons, something I've considered.

Take the voice lessons. That's what got me off the fence. Dumbing down bass parts at first helped too. I was loathe to do this but when it was pointed out to me that the audience won't notice an abridged bass part but they will definitely notice you slaughtering the vocal part I started doing it. Then with a bit of regular work it got much easier hear how both parts fit together and to be able sing and play the full bass part.

 

[DWBass]

Not needed. Plenty of singers in the bands I play with.

 

[bigdaddybass12]

I just can’t do it!! I end singing what I play!

 

[Bullitt5135]

Timing of the vocals throws off my timing on the bass. I’m not a natural (or trained) singer, so I do not usually find my harmony easily. If someone can sing my part to me, and if I practice it a lot, I can sometimes pull it off. It’s definitely something I want to get better at.

My cover band hit the jackpot when we landed a lead singer who majored in vocal performance and is great (and patient) at helping us with our vocal parts. It is making us a much better band. I’m hoping I can find the time to work with him one-on-one so I can become a better singer.

 

[zontar]

I can't sing and play at the same time, period. It's something I'd like to learn. A friend of mine learned to do so by taking voice lessons, something I've considered.

Same here--and then of course people tell me what I should try--not considering this is not a new thing for me--but has happened over many years--and yes, I have tried what you're going to suggest.

That said I can't ing that well either--so if it's a choice between having me play bass or sing?

99.9% of people will pick bass

the other .1%?

You decide.

 

[Five or Six]

I sing lead vocals on up to 20 songs a night. The rest of the night I do backing vocals on most every song. I sing all night long and love it. I guess I'm lucky. Ive been doing it for years and It doesn't compromise my playing at all.

 

[conttador]

I can't sing.

It messes with my playing when I try.

This is me too! I can barely speak and play more often than not so singing is probably a slow motion train wreck waiting to happen.

 

[James Flowers]

Last time I sang, the US Military sent out a Broken Arrow team to secure the Weapon of Mass Destruction that was on the lose. I stopped and they lost track of me and I have no desire to spend the rest of my days locked in a dark deep hole, fed by a sling shot, and tortured night and day with broadcast K-Pop.