tips for playing guitar and singing at the same time

[sesshin]

Problem:

Anyone have any tips on singing and playing at the same time?

[bulldawgu812]

practice practice practice... u have to be able to play the song on the guitar where u dont have to even think about it. this way u can concentrate on singing. whats even harder is leading worship, because u must sing and play without thinking about it. but just practice, that is one of the only things that can help.

[kensington]

Write your lyrics so that they're in perfect sync with the strumming you do on guitar. That's what I have to do, and that's why most guitarists who are singers just play a rythym. It's almost impossible to play a solo or something while singing... except if you're Eric Clapton or whoever.

[spoonless]

You must fit the lyrics around the rhythm of the guitar part like one of the last posts said. Jimi Hendrix was a master guitar player because among other things, he was so skillfull at seperating the singing from playing. thats why to appreciate Jimi fully you should at some point try learning a few of his songs.

 

Start listening to bands who you know dont have a dedicated singer. Get the tabs and try to figure out how to play and sing the songs. The lyrics should be familiar enough from radio play that you dont have to focus on the lyrics/melody too much. Then just work on it. After enough songs you get ideas of how people fit the lyrics and guitar around each other.

 

good luck

 

Greg

[Docktor Rocktor]

 

Originally posted by spoonless Start listening to bands who you know dont have a dedicated singer. Get the tabs and try to figure out how to play and sing the songs.

 

Good advice from spoonless, but be careful about modern bands that record he guitar and vox seperately. Try and get a live recording if you're not sure, or you could end up getting stuck on a phrase that even the original performer has to adjust to deal with live.

And definitely, definitely, keep the guitar simple while you're singing. This doen't mean you can't play lots of complex changes, or that you have to strum in perfect 4/4 through the vocals, but save the flashy riffs and catchy hooks for the bridge (when you're not singing). This will not only make it easier to sing and play at the same time, it will make you a better songwriter. Playing full-throttle lead guitar under the vocals (even if it's a repeated figure)will detract from both. Let the vocals be the lead instrument while you're singing. Play guitar parts that give tonality to the rythm section, and that carry the groove, and compliment the singing. What I'm getting at is this: If the guitar part is honestly difficult to play while singing, you might need to rewrite it. A riff that sounds awesome by itself might overpower everything else. Save those riffs for when the vocals take a breather.

If, on the other hand, you can't play and strum simple 1-4-5 progressions while singing, just parctice, and you'll get the hang of it. Cheers.

[Nick James]

Well being a newbie here, I hate to say you're wrong, but you're at least somewhat wrong.

 

When you learn something to play, that already requires two different types of motion:

 

left hand chords

hammer on

pull offs

 

right hand finger picking

strum pattern

alternate strum pattern

volume control

 

you are demonstrating that you can do two rhythmically contrasting things at the same time.

 

When you learn the song, you add abilities as you feel comfortable with the one before it.

 

In order to sing while playing, even contrary to the playing rhythm, you must simply slow down your playing to a level that you can sing with. Even one note at a time. Practice it line by line til you have it mastered.

 

You can sing solo while playing solo. Heck you could sing solo, play solo and balance a spinning plate on a stick with your foot if you wanted to take enough time.

 

two disclaimers tho':

 

1. It is a bear. But hey if a drummer can do it......

2. I don't sing during solos.

[zelmobeaty]

It is a great challenge - as is playing bass and singing. The only solution is to practice performing the songs until it is effortless. Otherwise alter your guitar part so it works.

[cool_E]

practice, practice, practice

 

and don't keep the pic in your mouth

 

and PRACTICE!

[JackSonic]

Repetition really helps here: I learned by building a "repetoire" of old strummed pop songs I liked (easier ones from the Beatles, Niel Young, etc.). I used the tabs (and my "ear") to learn the music and then I just played/sang them over and over until I had them wired. From there I've moved on to some more difficult fingerpicked tunes like Jethro Tull's "Dun Ringul", Simon&Garfunkle's "Scarborough Fair", Doobie Bros. "Black Water", etc. (pat, pat).

 

If you get stuck on a particularly difficult passage, zero in on it and play/sing just that part until you either nail it or can fake it in time (if it the way you fake it works o.k.)

 

Don't worry so much about how your voice sounds, at first. Just concentrate on singing in time with your playing. Once you nail the timing, you can concentrate on the subtleties (emphasis and balance) between your voice and the instrument.

 

You can do it, but you'll probably be sick of the song by the time you have it wired (then, just quit playing the song for a while and it will be fresh again)

 

Now, do the same with your original material.

[Taylorman]

Practice the guitar parts until you're ready to throw up. The singing comes easily after that. I hope you're not trying to play leads and sing at the same time though.

[lyxian]

Yep drums. Whenever I need to sing and play at the same time I do it like a drummer. I try to absorb the relationship between each rythmical element. It can really help to know how to read and write rythms. Isolate. Take your right hand. Learn what it does by itself. Do the same thing with everything else. Once everything is in place, try to bring them together at a very slow tempo. To play a drum beat, I have to feel it, which is kinda hard if I can't play it...( Catch the vicious circle? ) When trying to break the circle, aborb everything, be conscious of everything. Its like playing with Legos... You can forget that they're only blocks once they're assembled. The great thing about this is, once you get it, it rapidly becomes easy...unless your a masoschist pig who wants to sing and play Dream Theater songs, for example.

Hope this helps

Music, my friends

Lyxian

[EggmanRules]

I often have that problem, so this is what I do. I find it easier to read the lyrics as I sing them. But also type out the tab (chords) to the song also. Therefor as you're singing, you see the chord right by the words and your hand automatically goes to the chord without realizeing it. this works for me, I dunno if it'll help you.

 

Egg

[incubass]

wow. i never stopped to think about how i learned to sing and play at the same time. it just sort of evolved for me, but i would echo the sentiments of the previous posts. what i sometimes do is i will simply strum the rhythm while muting the strings and get my vocal pattern down, just humming and stuff. eventually, i'll begin articulating words and then i add those to the song. but its different every time. now, i'm getting to the point where i try to find a singer and a guitarist playing separate and try to pull off both. incubus is a great challenge as they both are magnificent at their parts!!

[Mike&aGuitar]

Originally posted by bulldawgu812 practice practice practice... u have to be able to play the song on the guitar where u dont have to even think about it. this way u can concentrate on singing. whats even harder is leading worship, because u must sing and play without thinking about it. but just practice, that is one of the only things that can help.

 

DUDE. the worship thing is sooooo true. Im lead guitar in a worship group and i gotta sing in harmony with the lead vocalist at the same time as playing. that takes some getting used to