Do you sing in your band??

[TSanders]

I just started singing background vocals about a month ago, and I tell you what. Its much tougher to sing and play bass than I thought. I have had an ear for harmonies for a long time, and have done singing while playing guitar in the past, but staying in the pocket and singing has been taking me some time.

Do you sing??

Does singing and playing come naturally to you??

Look forward to your responses.

 

[Mobay45]

I've been a back-up singer in just about every band I've been in. The quality of my voice has never been very good (and getting worse every day), but I can usually hit the notes. I like to be waaayyy in the background so that my note just adds a little color to the sound. I would really like to have a good back-up singer in the band I'm in now so that I could just concentrate on playing bass.

 

[clanner]

I sing in my church band, but only when it's to high for our other male singer and when I haven't come up with a difficult (to me) bass groove to go with whatever the drummer's playing.

or if we have our other bassist there (who happens to be my instructor). I sing very high harmony then.

 

[LeftyLB]

It has taken me the best part of 20 years (I started playing at 18) to get confident enough with singing and playing at the same time.

For the past 10 years with my current band I would sing backing vocals for any number of songs in the set (20-25 per night). Slowly I got the confidence to sing a full lead vocal, one became two, then after a while 2 became three.

In the past year, if our lead singer is away and it is a "pub/bar" type gig, we will do it as a 4 piece without him rather than cancel and lose £100 each. Now I could sing up to 8-9 songs myself, my brother on guitar would so the same and the drummer might do 2-3. However, the songs I sing we have been playing for years, so my fingers simply work on autopilot whilst I think ahead to the next line of the song and sing at the same time.

3 or 4 years ago, I don't think I would have the confidence to do that, but at some stage it just "clicked" and I could isolate my hands and my brain so that I could so both at once.

Stick at it and it should come eventually.

 

[phatduckk]

ive always done backups and ive done lead vox on at least few songs in each band ive been in

 

[oldbluebassman]

I sing backing vocals all the time. Also get to sing lead occassionally, but only on songs that I really know so the bass can go onto autopilot.

 

[Mobay45]

That's one thing that just amazed me about Jason Scheff of the band Chicago when I saw them last year. He is not only an fantastic bass player who incorporates several different techniques in his playing, but he is an excellent singer as well. I really think he is better than Pete Cetera at both singing and playing bass.

 

[cgworkman]

No I don't. Can't. Wish I could.

 

[midopa]

I too would love to be able to sing. Alas, I can only do so when either playing a really simple bass line or not playing bass at all. If I try to, my playing and singing gets all out of sync and my mouth goes, "Blwah".

 

[armybass]

I sing harmony and some lead. It is not too difficult for me but mostly I play in country bands. The bass lines are not usually that hard but it still takes a little bit of work to stay in the pocket and hit my pitch. It is easier on guitar because you can actually stop playing and sing for a minute and the whole tune does not fall into the depths of hades.

 

[xcental34x]

I'm about to start doing screams in my band.....

 

[MingusBASS]

I sing back up on quite a few tunes in one of my bands. I really enjoy the challenge and it feels real good when you can balance the two(bass playing and vocals) and nail both of 'em.

Andrew

 

[skabassist13]

i used to sing a lil. i cant sing very well but i tried. and the songs we were playing were very very simple. but i did. but it was very much backup.

 

[oddjob]

Does try to sing count??? You would think that after 20 years of bands hinding my microphone that I would get the hint... nah

 

[bovinehost]

I try to sing only backups but am sometimes forced to sing that other part that I do not want to sing.

Funny - I can play walking rockabilly lines and sing with no problems, but do NOT ask me to play a root-five line and sing at the same time.

How odd is that?

 

[SteveB]

I sing backup while playing guitar. With some songs, it is difficult or impossible for me to sing while playing, but it really depends what I'm playing at the time. Practice really helps with this, but I never make the time at home to do it.

 

[Samingo]

In the band that I've rescently formed I've sort of become the de facto backup singer, and we also like to switch is up and sometimes each of us will sing lead. Also, in the album I just finished I sang everything, so I can almost always sing while playing acoustic guitar. It is however quite difficult, mostly with the bass. I also do my best to drum, so that really helps get the idea of doing several thigns in different times at once. Drummers who sing are just sick though. Ridiculously Sick. I think we can all agree on that.

 

[The Rodg]

Left Brain doesn't know what the right brain is doing.......

I have been playing bass 3 to 5 nights a week for almost three years. When I played violin (for 17 years) it was alot easier since I didn't have to play AND sing at the same time. It really helps to have the drums (atleast the kick) where you can not only hear them but feel them also. I find myself standing closer and closer to the drummer every night. I have also had to simplify a few bass lines in a song while I am singing and then play truer to the tune on solos. I fully agree that it will take time to master both. How much depends on you and the amount of time behind the bass.

I have been practicing playing bass and singing Asleep at the Wheel's version of "Route 66". It has seemed to help me better play and sing in the pocket on other songs as well.

 

[Aussie Mark]

I've sung lead vocals in rock and blues trios, and in my current band sing lead on 5 or 6 songs, and backing on 75% of tunes. Like anything, it takes practice.

 

[JB1]

No I don't. Can't. Wish I could.

+1