Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Uh, I can play bass.
I sing pretty well(I think).
Mix the two and I can do neither......

I was wondering how some of you guys learned
to do it, as my friend in our "project" suggested I try, and I'm now interested.

As with everything, there will be songs that are more easily sung & played than others. See about starting off by identifying which songs those would be for you. As for being able to "do" both at the same time, it's a matter of time; time put in practicing... and time getting comfortable with the "brain-splitting" that's required.

And don't forget... patience will reward you well in this endeavor... yours and your bandmates'.

I can play and sing just about anything I know the bass and words too. Quite nice actually. Some stuff I can't do though. Some Kiss songs impress me. Gene Simmons is great at multitasking. Can't beat geddy Lee with multitasking though.

I never really learned to sing and play. I just did it. My only problem is I need a band to show off in. Splitting the brain is necessary. Pracitce the song until it is second nature to you and then try to sing the song. If the music just flows out concentrate on the lyrics. If not stop singing. This might be one of those thing that you have to choose weather to sing or play bass.

You just get better and better at it, also knowing the words and bass lines cold helps too, I have had trouble with syncopated lines that are different from what I'm singing. There are certain bass players who always amazed me because they could sing and play so well together such as Peter Cetera of Chicago, he is or was one of the best that I've ever heard, his bass lines were fast and fluid and he had that great voice, also was one of the best pick style bass players I've ever heard.

Clankchris - it really varies from song to song.

I usually start out learning the bassline first. Then the vocals. Then, making them coexist, on the beat, in my mind... haha. Sometimes the two are symbiotic. I currently sing "Family Tradition" by Hank Jr., and play bass, with my band. Two lessons I learned from that song: 1) the girls really love a classic singalong country song, and 2) sometimes its actually easier to play bass and sing simultaneously than do either separately.

It can be done, but it takes some work, and it varies from song to song as to degree of difficulty. The only way to know is to break it down and give it hell. Good luck, and let it rip!

Hey thanks for the advice, guys. I think I'm going to try some simple songs I already know.

If I had to choose between the two, well let's just say I'll still be on this forum hehe!

Playing bass & synth and singing in a Rush tribute band, I can tell you that the most impressive thing about what Geddy Lee does is how he constructs his bass and vocal parts to work together and seem more complicated than they are. Don't get me wrong, it isn't *that* easy, and there are some parts of songs that seem impossible, but I've found that most of what he does is just very cleverly put together when the song is written. Sometimes the vocal follows the songs melody line (which some people frown upon) like in Freewill, sometimes it doesn't, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. Geddy's knack for pinching out melodies with his bass *and* vocals and a keen sense of timing means he finds phrasing that is interesting and yet allows him to play interesting lines with his bass as well. If there is one talent of his that many people overlook, it is his ability to create simple but interesting melodies on bass and with his vocals, and I'm sure that getting into monophonic synthesizers like the Minimoog in the late 70's didn't hurt either. For advice, like Dean says, get the bass down first then the attack the vocals. The bass lines should be down cold to the point where you don't have to think about them. Sure, the bass part still has to have feel, but if you have to think about what bass note comes next then the vocal will likely stumble. To add to the list of bass cats who can sing I always thought Sting was amazing. He sings and plays stuff sometimes that seems so far apart I don't know how he manages. And he's smiling that evil smile of his the whole time

I am the bassist and singer in my band, as I used to play bass pedals too. The only way I find thatworks is if you play the bass line of the song over and over til you don't have to think about it anymore. then add the vocal. Gets easier with each one.

Don't forget also that in order to remain a 3 piece band Geddy also uses:

"Korg MIDI foot pedals while he's playing and singing to trigger extra bass parts, keyboard chords, or even looping guitar arpeggios."......Geddy quote from Bass Guitar magazine from last year.

Rush is amazing.

Chris, I can sing and play Genesis tunes like "Heathaze" and "One For The Vine" on piano...I can sing almost anything on guitar.

I become a semi-competant back up singer on bass. Of the three instruments I play that one can sing with, I definitely find it hardest to sing and play the bass.

As a lot of people have already said, it is a matter of practice. Since I haven't been singing much for the last year and a half, all aspects of my singing/playing have suffered, but the progress of me singing and playing bass has been slow. I'm sure if I sat down at the piano I'd be playing and singing the Genesis and old Jazz standards within an hour or so...

I must agree with Mikmik, you have to play the song over and over until you can speak to your buddies without losing the pace!!! For me, the hard song was twist and shout! It took me a while to be able to sing it while playing the bass riff! Now it's like I'm wondering why I found it so hard at the begining! I do it like anything!

Ged is amazing... look at "Turn the Page". On A Show of Hands he simplized it a bit but the off timing is still there. That is one song I have trouble with.

I can see where "Twist and Shout" would be hard to both sing and play. I'll bet that McCartney's tunes are easier to play and sing than Lennons or covers like Twist and Shout. Ronn what do you say? How about the other people here in Beatle bands?

Erm..Don't think so! Try Paperback Writer or Taxman's second verse ( he's singing harmony there)

yeah but don't forget that he was in studio...lot's of magic happens there! I'm sure that he would have been able to play and sing it at the same time though!