Do You Sing?

[GibsonRocker]

If not you are really missing out. There are few things more enjoyable than sitting outside on a nice day with an acoustic guitar and just belting out a song or 20.

[EnjoGuitar]

I sing. I like to sing and write. I've been writing a lot. My coordination for singing and playing at the same time keeps getting better.

As for the nice day thing... It might be a nice day in Canada, but in Tennessee it's hotter than the devil's taint out here.

[GuitarToneFreak]

Sure do, since about 2007. I've gotten a lot better since then, and it's very satisfying to be able to sing your own material. It's awesome to be able to do covers as well, it's something, just like guitar, that I'm really glad I stuck with.

[Shred Astaire]

I keep tryin!

[michaelinokc]

Depends on who you ask. My kids say no, but I say yes...

[Rich]

Just backup with my band; I never was very good at singing and playing at the same time though. But, I have been a lead singer back-in-the-day.

Cut me some slack - it was the 80's.

[bscenefilms]

I sing backup on our jam band's tunes and lead on Reelin' but that's it. We have been having a guest singer sit in of late and she has a great voice and can just NAIL Plant's vocals, so that's nice.

[Cruznolfart]

Originally Posted by Rich

Just backup with my band; I never was very good at singing and playing at the same time though. But, I have been a lead singer back-in-the-day.

Cut me some slack - it was the 80's.

I gotchyer slack and then some. Here's me takin' a break from drums and frontin' my band in about 1964. The song was "Cry to Me".



I started singing when I was a tad in Sunday school. Always enjoyed singing and still do.

[SJJMcGhee]

It pours of rain here in Glasgow (that's all it's done for 3 weeks! in July!) so can't do that man. I wish i could sing alot better, just aint got it, maybe as i get older i'll get better?

[Fred61]

Yeah, I do it because I hate lead singers.

Now I couldn't imagine just playing guitar

[GibsonRocker]

Originally Posted by SJJMcGhee

It pours of rain here in Glasgow (that's all it's done for 3 weeks! in July!) so can't do that man. I wish i could sing alot better, just aint got it, maybe as i get older i'll get better?

Just gotta practice.

[cmh6122]

Probably would be much easier to replace as a guitar player than as a vocalist.

[zontar]

Wish I could.

I've been trying for years to sing & play at the same time, and I can't do it.

[Cruznolfart]

Originally Posted by zontar

Wish I could.

I've been trying for years to sing & play at the same time, and I can't do it.

It's weird, isn't it? I can play/sing guitar, keys and drums. But, for the life of me, I still have a real hard time playing bass and singing. Don't know what it is.

[DLChance]

Singing, like anything else musical, just takes practice and concentration.

I grew up playing and singing in church - in front of some of the most judgmental people you can imagine. While I fully acknowledge that I've never been the best singer who ever stepped up to a microphone and belted one out, I've never gotten any complaints either from those who book me (and re-book me) or those who listen to me. I think it's because, except for a few years when I was getting over throat surgery, I've never been afraid to play and sing in front of people, and audiences sense that.

Exuding self-confidence goes a long way with audiences that already want you to be great, and most do.

You don't have to be the best singer there is to be a credible vocalist, but if you show ANY fear or hesitation the crowd will pick up on it instantly; and there's nothing more distressing than an audience that turns on you.

If you do have any self-confidence issues about your singing, try something that worked for me after that throat condition cost me my voice for those years and I had to get back to singing and playing, or find some other career. I got a couple of appointments with a certified hypnotherapist, who helped me bridge the chasm between wanting to sing in public again and having the balls to actually do it with the new voice I was left with after surgery. It cost me $150, and I've made thousands of dollars more than that since going back to singing. I knew I was starting over again with the new sound, but because of the hypnotherapy tapping into my old confidence I was able to sing in public again and concentrate on the new style I was forced to develop without worrying about what the crowd might think. Twenty-five years later, I don't sound like I did before, but I still don't get any complaints.

LOVE that singing!

[b3john]

Yes, despite all advice to the contrary.

[cwness]

If you don't sing and play your limiting yourself. I use to have the worse time singing and
playing some songs. La Grange just killed me. I didn't give up and just kept stomping my
foot harder to keep time and now I wonder what the problem was. I still run into songs
that give me grief but I now know with practice I'll get it eventually.

CW

[DLChance]

Originally Posted by Cruznolfart

It's weird, isn't it? I can play/sing guitar, keys and drums. But, for the life of me, I still have a real hard time playing bass and singing. Don't know what it is.

I know what you mean. I had the same problem when I started bass. Your voice wants to follow the single-note lines you're playing on the bass, and you can't do that.

Singing and playing piano at the same time was the hardest skill for me to develop. Getting two hands to do different things, and trying to sing while that was going on, really took a lot of time and intense effort; and I'm still not as comfortable with it as I want to be - even after playing piano and singing for most of my life. But since I don't have any plans to do anything else with what's left of my life I figure I still have plenty of time. I hope.

[zontar]

Originally Posted by cwness

If you don't sing and play your limiting yourself. I use to have the worse time singing and
playing some songs. La Grange just killed me. I didn't give up and just kept stomping my
foot harder to keep time and now I wonder what the problem was. I still run into songs
that give me grief but I now know with practice I'll get it eventually.

CW

In my case it's not limiting myself, but being limited in that way.

I have tried it over & over throughout the years, and been given and tried lots of advice.

I just can not do it.

I still try it sometimes.
But my hands and my mouth don't along very well it seems.

[6stringelectric]

Although like most I suppose I started out thinking I would become a hot lead guitarist, I became the vocalist/rythm guitarist in my first band by default.

The guy who was supposed to be the singer succumed to a bad case of stage fright on our first gig, and refused to do anything but stand right in front of his amp, back turned to the audience, and play.

Somebody had to be the singer, so I went to the mic and did my best - not the greatest, but we didn't get boood off the stage.

Next we tried a few lead vocalists - no go, either they were worse than me or else wanted to take over the band.

So once again it was on me. As you may know if you've tried, singing and playing guitar at the same time is much harder than doing either by itself - but it did make me develop into a much better rythmn guitarist (by which I mean simpler, more basic, more locked in to the drums and bass - not throwing everything I could think of in all the time) so that became my position in the band.

Besides, it's always been easy for us to find lead guitarists - rather strange that rythmn guitarists seem to be few and far between.

[EnjoGuitar]

To me, singing and playing at the same time is kind of like a puzzle. There are certain guitar parts and vocal parts that fit right on top of each other, and certain parts that overlap at the edges. And, of course, there're always parts that don't seem to fit but just take a hell of a lot of work and practice. Those are what get me right now, but I'm making progress all the time.

Hell, you can always pull a B.B. King and alternate. Seems to work out for him.

[River]

It took me about six weeks to coordinate the two activities, during which I very nearly gave up. I persevered because finding a vocalist who can commit to rehearsals of the songs I want to play is just not gonna happen.


http://soundcloud.com/river-bottom-blues-band/goin-to-mexico

[EnjoGuitar]

Originally Posted by River

It took me about six weeks to coordinate the two activities, during which I very nearly gave up. I persevered because finding a vocalist who can commit to rehearsals of the songs I want to play is just not gonna happen.


http://soundcloud.com/river-bottom-blues-band/goin-to-mexico

Sounds awesome, River. I was already aware that your guitar playing is great, but it's really cool to hear a clip of you singing along.

Persistence certainly did it's job.

[guitarbob123]

Originally Posted by Rich

Just backup with my band; I never was very good at singing and playing at the same time though. But, I have been a lead singer back-in-the-day.

Cut me some slack - it was the 80's.

That drummer's kit looks insane!

I wish I could have hair that long, so don't worry about the rest of it

[Malikon]

yes, but my guitar has a much bigger range and she sings better.

[PapaSquash]

I kind of yell.

I'd sing for ya Riv.

[GuitarToneFreak]

Originally Posted by River

It took me about six weeks to coordinate the two activities, during which I very nearly gave up. I persevered because finding a vocalist who can commit to rehearsals of the songs I want to play is just not gonna happen.


http://soundcloud.com/river-bottom-blues-band/goin-to-mexico

Sounds great, bud.

[Electroman67]

Originally Posted by River

It took me about six weeks to coordinate the two activities, during which I very nearly gave up. I persevered because finding a vocalist who can commit to rehearsals of the songs I want to play is just not gonna happen.


http://soundcloud.com/river-bottom-blues-band/goin-to-mexico

Thats good stuff River

[RedSkwirrell]

Yes.
Though, to be fair, I have many detractors.
Many, many, MANY, detractors.

[Malikon]

meh, don't let it stop you.

Some of the worlds most revered "singers" really weren't very good at it.

(some 'classic' names would be on that list.)

"3 chords and the truth is all you need."