What is the secret to playing and singing?
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Posted on Mar 21, 2010 12:36 am
Bluesdues
Member Since: Apr 26, 2006
May seem like a dumb question, but what is the secret to playing guitar or any instrument and singing" I have always felt out of sync when doing it> I it seems so second nature for some. I was just wondering if maybe a few of might have a suggestion or two.
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Mar 21, 2010 12:52 am Eh, i will say thats probably one of the things that is a bit more "natural talent" for some whereas its work for others. But anyone can do it with enough practice. Just practice with a metronome very often, record yourself. Take note of the dynamic on the guitar *"Yikes that was an ugly strum"*. And same with the singing, though usually i'll notice the singing mistakes more when im preforming. I wouldn't really say there's any secrets to it besides lots and lots and lots of practice. Tap your foot, learn how to play the drums better. That seemed to help my overall sense of time heighten. And since i started recording, i've definitely gotten a lot better at it, having to play so often with a metronome.
But ya, third time saying this, but its mostly just lots of practice with different rhythms. If you can make the guitar and vocals "line up" musically, it'll be much easier on you to sing while playing, but with enough practice you can do just about anything. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like learning drums in one important regard: i've found that USUALLY if i learn a new beat on the drums, its "conquered." I don't seem to really forget it. With vocals, i can sing and play one part and FINALLY nail it. but then the next day be back to square one.
Mar 21, 2010 02:09 am I found that a complete disconnect was the way to go -
*Know* the parts - That's a given. Either one at a time should be second nature.
Then start tapping your foot to a completely different rhythm - Concentrate on your foot. Everything else just pours out.
YMMV.
olddogMember
Since: Jul 02, 2003
Mar 21, 2010 02:13 am Yep, Fragile has it right, if you can sing while not playing, you can sing when playing it just takes practice and lots of it. Tapping your foot can definitley help, playing & singing to a metronome, practice the guitar part enough that you don't have to think about it and you're fluid with it. Practice lots of different rythms while singing, before you know it, it'll feel natural and become easy... well most of the time. ;)
When I started playing again after laying off for nearly 20 years, I couldn't sing & play at the same time to save my life, but it didn't take long to get it back, I just played & sang alot and it started coming back. Sill some stuff I can't do while singing, but I don't practice much any more either. :)
Dan
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Mar 21, 2010 04:24 am Im with you MM. That's how i do things and having a beat there helps imensely.
you have to Play "straight thru" everything.
Also, having word associations with timing changes is key.
once you play thru a timing change or thru an offtime, then you see fell the change for what it really is, but you gotta learn to get used to ******* it up a few times to know how not to do it.
another trick is that to me is a must, is to learn to use all fingers to do your note changes. ie; stretching those stubs to get the chords instead of sliding one or two fingers the whole time. You can cover a ****load of frets by doing that whilst keeping your original position.
Know the guitar frets without having to look at them all the time and train your brain to hear where the notes are rather than looking at em.
cruxTypo SzarMember
Since: Jul 04, 2002
Mar 21, 2010 12:20 pm When i was kid first starting out i couldnt play and sing either with guitar. But on drums when ur trying to get ur limbs independent of each other u more or less force them to do so but just trying to push them into playing. Like ull tap ur hi hat with ur right hand and just try to force ur foot to do another beat until it gets use to it, which it will.
When i was playing guitar i would look at stuff around my room and just shout it out, not singing, just talking or shouting out single words. Singles became phrases and phrases became whole verses and so on and so forth. Takes time but yes u can "force" urself to do it.
CptTrippsCzar of Turd PolishMember
Since: Jun 20, 2006
Mar 22, 2010 04:33 pm I agree with others on the "know your part". I play the guitar portion until it's second nature and I don't have to think about it at all. Later on after playing said song 500 times both become second nature and the performance can finally shine ;)
Quincysanhttp://www.unitedmusicians.infoContributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007
Mar 22, 2010 05:30 pm Not sure but if it's like most Mortal Kombat combo moves I'd guess that "down->down->right->a" is a good start. I always sort of mashed between down and right while mashing "a". Seemed to work well for me.
Mar 23, 2010 10:54 pm Thanks for the input, I plan to take a serious run at getting myself back in to the groove of regular playing and recording. Been away from it way too long. So I plan to use every tip that may offer a little help.
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Mar 24, 2010 11:17 am It's all about practice. When you learned to play guitar, you taught your two hands to cooperate in fretting and strumming/picking notes/chords. Now its time to add your vocal cords into the mix. Pretty much everybody's advice is what I'd advise as well, just make sure that you know the individual parts, start slowly, and practice until the song haunts your dreams.
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Mar 24, 2010 08:09 pm someone metioned playing drums here as being similar also.
I agree, learning to do a single hat over a double kick is pretty much the same.
you gotta force your body to detach. much like singing over chord changes with different time strumming.
Quincysanhttp://www.unitedmusicians.infoContributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007
Mar 24, 2010 08:24 pm If the Mortal Kombat combo move doesn't work; I've also noticed that playing drums with a click track helps a lot when learning to multi-task your pieces and parts. I still can't play all my songs on drums and sing at the same time...but it's a goal I shoot for and I think it's paying off. Playing piano and guitar while singing isn't a big problem anymore because I'm typically either on one or the other when I'm writing the music so I kind of have a head start on playing and singing simultaneously. Considering how impromptu the blues can be I can see where lacking a rigid song structure might make it hard to get the right vocal syncopation...maybe pick a song blues or otherwise on drums and just drill on that song for a while (maybe an hour every day for 2 or 3 days) and try a very rigid re-production of the song on guitar with vocals. I bet that would help...getting a natural feeling as to when parts transition by repetition.
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Mar 24, 2010 09:49 pm Here's a rare photo of Quincy while he was learning to play and sing Iron Man:
Quincysanhttp://www.unitedmusicians.infoContributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007
Mar 25, 2010 01:23 pm hahahaha
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Mar 26, 2010 04:59 am someone put him out! dude yer on FIE-YERRR!
