Singing while playing

[thetroy]

How do you practice singing while playing? I can sing and I can play but I completely fall apart if I try to do both at the same time. What should I do to try working up to it?

[Number Of The Priest]

My technique for this is to "automate" what your hands do on the guitar so you can focus on delivering the vocals. What I mean by this is learn the song to the point where it it second nature for you and you don't think about what to play, with your hands feeling like they're on autopilot.

And then there are some songs out there that just have such weird syncopated guitar parts that don't quite follow the rhythm of the vocals that you realize the guitarist and vocalist absolutely need to be two different band members to perform successfully.

[lerxstcat]

I think some artists do this more naturally than others. If you write the song with guitar in hand you may naturally phrase the vocals and inswtrument so that when you're busy on one, you're doing something simple on the other. Like hitting a chord and letting it ring while you sing the vocal line, or hitting accents with both voice and guitar.

I've seen a number of bands where you can tell they DIDN'T do this, and they have to phrase the vocal lines a little differently when they play live. You can tell they're transferring their conscious thought from vocals to guitar as they go.

But really, the more you practice it the better you'll get. You have to go back to sucking for a little while, but you'll get better.

Of course my big singing/playing showcases are Snorting Whiskey by Pat Travers and All Over Town by April Wine, not that hard!

[markD]

i do it. to practice, i just play and sing the songs over and over until i can do both. some stuff is easier, some is really complicated. it just took LOTS of practice.

[RacerX]

Of course my big singing/playing showcases are Snorting Whiskey by Pat Travers and All Over Town by April Wine, not that hard!

I can do Rockin' In The Free World... and that's it

[SeventhSon]

turn your guitar down and turn your mic PA up and sing loud and confidently. you'll hear immediately when your vocal phrasing goes off. if you sing softly and timidly, you'll have trouble not tracking your guitar playing.

[Special-K]

Play the riff, song or whatever... and walk around...when you got that down try to sing to it...it will work just practice!!!

[Rage]

necessity is the mother of invention they say. If you have a gig to work toward... you'll find a way. Plus if I can do it ANYBODY can!! Keep practising.

[Endrik]

turn your guitar down and turn your mic PA up and sing loud and confidently

yup, it's a good way, it's also scary at first because it will give you idea how much you really suck at singing

[OnlineStageGear]

I think it basicly boils down to if you have to think too much about both parts at the same time. If you do, you are gonna have trouble.

[nor]

Open chords are your friend.

[skorb]

My technique for this is to "automate" what your hands do on the guitar so you can focus on delivering the vocals. What I mean by this is learn the song to the point where it it second nature for you and you don't think about what to play, with your hands feeling like they're on autopilot.

+1
that's it, really.

I learned how, just sitting around with my acoustic and a lyrics sheet and trying to recreate songs. it takes a while to get it, but again you have to get your hands so that you don't have to concentrate on them, and it also helps to have syncopation in the song that lends to the vocals with the guitar. most songs do.

singing used to scare the shit out of me when I was young, but now as I'm older it doesn't bother me at all.

[Newc]

I saw a live clip of Megadeth and Dave was singing along to the guitar riff (Welcome to our fortress tall/etc etc). Sounded funny

[krimson]

I sing half of the songs in my band and I am also the only guitar player in my band, which can be very challenging sometimes. All I can say is it will take losts of practice, but eventually it will get much easier. I would say the easiest way to start is to find an a song that you can just strum chords to, something like Knocking on Heavens door. At first it will feel like you are trying to rub you tummy and pat your head but eventually it will feel very natural. Once you conquer one song the rest will be much easier.

[CharvelRocker]

The only song I can sing and play is Come As You Are I find it easier though to sing to originals rather then recorded songs, as I know what I'm playing inside out and just kinda playing.