Do You Sing?

[TSJMajesty]

Just curious...

I used to sing lead and harmonies in all my previous bands, but would have trouble if the guitar parts didn't "meld" with what I was singing.

Example- Jenny 867-5309 always gave me trouble (I sang the harmonies/callbacks)

Our bass player was really good at it. He could do bass fills and walking basslines while singing lead!! He'd tell me, "You just DO IT!" Ok, that's quite helpful.

 

[dbagchee]

I sang lead in my band, and as a power trio, couldn't let the guitar drop out too much. We did mostly originals, but would throw a cover or two in our sets.

I tended to write parts that were easier to sing over - it was mostly when my drummer or bass player wrote some riffs that I would get in trouble - but most of the time, by practicing a bit slower and learning where certain phrases hit with the riffs I was able to make it work. After a while you don't even think about it anymore, it just becomes second nature (unless we decide to tweak a riff or change a lyric!).

 

[Chocol8]

I can sing like Vogon's can recite poetry.

 

[duzie]

Hey all
What are some easy songs to play and sing at the same time ?

 

[TSJMajesty]

Hey all
What are some easy songs to play and sing at the same time ?

Happy Birthday is real easy!

I don't know why, but Smoke on the Water came to mind.

We actually used to cover it, mainly b/c our keyboard player came to rehearsal one night and goes, "GUYS!! Check out this Hammond B3 patch I made!"

It sounded so good, and we all just kinda started playing SOTW and it all just fell right into place. So with a little work, and me learning the solo, we nailed the harmonies..., it sounded killer, so we kept it. And it went over quite well, airc.

 

[duzie]

@TSJMajesty
Do you transpose keys to match your vocals?

 

[duzie]

I can’t carry a tune in a bag nor can I play in time while singing
I keep trying though to the dismay of my wife

 

[TSJMajesty]

@TSJMajesty
Do you transpose keys to match your vocals?

Never! I hate that. I have a great ear, and it messes with me so bad hearing a song played in a key it wasn't recorded in. Fortunately my bandmates all agreed, so we'd just find a different song, if one of the 3 of us couldn't sing it.

Come to think of it, every band I've ever been in had either a lead singer plus at least 2 instrumentalists who could sing lead, or 3 players who could sing lead. So usually one of us could cover it in the original key. The bass player I played with the longest was a phenomenal singer! He'd pull out "dog whistle" harmonies on occasion that would make our jaws drop!

Fun times! He currently has a solo acoustic gig where he plays something like 200 dates a year. And 'over-winters' in Puerto Rico. Fucker! Makes his living completely on music. I'm so jealous. But he's also a great entertainer.

 

[Sleezy E]

I've been the singer in the majority of my projects even though I'm a lousy frontman with a mediocre voice.
Trick is.. I have really good pitch and harmony comes easy to me.

I was the lead guitar/backup singer in the first big(ish) local band I was a part of. The lead singer was very charismatic, but couldn't carry a tune. When he diva'd out on us I took over singing while we shopped for another singer.... which never happened.

Muscle memory is the key for riffs and such. Learn the song solid on guitar first so you don't really have to think about it.
Sometimes it feels like a magic trick when you can be playing and singing to unaligned parts while also thinking to yourself, "that hot chick in the red shirt has nice tits!"

 

[Stone]

Hey all
What are some easy songs to play and sing at the same time ?

There's a tear in my beer song

 

[TSJMajesty]

Sometimes it feels like a magic trick when you can be playing and singing to unaligned parts while also thinking to yourself, "that hot chick in the red shirt has nice tits!"

Now every time I sing while playing, I'll be thinking of that too!

 

[Stone]

Now every time I sing while playing, I'll be thinking of that too!

Frank Marino is an excellent harmonizer guitarist Vocalist

 

[la szum]

Sometimes it feels like a magic trick when you can be playing and singing to unaligned parts while also thinking to yourself, "that hot chick in the red shirt has nice tits!"

Haha! And sometimes she may be inspired to show them to you. Especially, if you are singing to her.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I picked the last one. I guess I can sing lead ok if needed, as long as it's in my range. But over the years I sang more harmonies than anything.

 

[metropolis_4]

I sang before I ever picked up an instrument. I was in choir from an early age and I still do a bit of it. I’ve also spent my share of time singing in bands and such. But I don’t do as much of it these days.

In college I went through a big thing of learning to sing and play every Dave Matthews song I could find. That really taught me to be able to sing and play anything at the same time, no matter how different the rhythms are

 

[SillyOctpuss]

As long as I know the guitar part well enough to play without thinking I can sing pretty much anything over the top. I prefer just playing the guitar though and having a different singer but I can do it just fine.

 

[ctreitzell]

I used to sing; first on my recordings of original songs in the 80s

then in a band of 5 vocalists in 90s (all originals as well)
then quit that group to play (mostly) instrumental improv 3pc

In '98 I stopped singing and gigging altogether
so many great singers in the world, I'm a guitarist

musically I prefer not to be told what the music means
that doesn't mean I don't appreciate great lyrics and great vocals

I've been toying with modern remakes of those 80s songs; some of them really deserve it IMO

which would have me singing again

I certainly would likely never gig covers and wouldn't sing; especially after 20+ years of vocalist tv competitions. I'd only want to do original songs...

I voted I can sing lead and harmonies...

One thing that put me off playing and singing at the same time was I found that that time literally completely disappeared for me...I have zero recollection of those hours of my life and I didn't want to continue to lose that life experience

 

[Dave Lewis]

I sing only when this is plugged in

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Only when one of these is plugged in .
View attachment 42325

I didn't know you did a Cher tribute act.

 

[DrewJD82]

Pretty sure most here have heard me runnin' my mouth in my tunes.

The singing while playing thing wasn't a pain in the ass only because I realized it's the same independence you utilize when playing drums. Some stuff I still have to break down word by word to figure out where I'm coming in, but once I 'hear' it in my head it usually falls into place.

For a good 10 years I was far more focused on my vocals than guitar. I was still playing regularly, but that whole 10 years the guitar was definitely on the back burner while I continuously bombed live, forcing myself to 'get gud'.