General Music Chat

Ok, I got this dillemma. I can play a few songs now, and am having a blast doing the whole guitar thing. I think I am advancing quite nicely. Maybe even way ahead of where I should be just 8 weeks into this journey. I have been learning a few Eagles tunes, the easier ones, and after a week of practice, I am finding that I can do "Peaceful Easy Feeling" all the way through with little or no mistakes, even able to jazz up the simple tab version quite a bit. So then I thought I would try to sing along with my playing. BRICK WALL! I dont know how anybody does this! Even with the dumbed down, simple tab version, Its very difficult to do! I either crap out on the playing and forget whats next, or do the same with the words. Is this something that not everybody can do? Will I ever be able to conquer this obstacle, or am I destined to just do one or the other?
I know a guy that frets with one hand, plays keyboard with the other and sings all simultaneously! I am AMAZED! He must have 3 brains! Any tips you guys willing to share?
Thanks,


Koy Carson
West Texas

**60th Anniversary American Strat
**Carvin AC175 Thinline Acoustic
**Ibanez EW20ZW Electric/Acoustic
**Arbor AJ145CR Jazz
**Fender Marcus Miller 5 String Bass
**Fender Geddy Lee Signature Bass
**Warwick Corvette 4 string Bass
**Tradition Fretless Bass
**Takamine Hollow body Bass
**Digitech JamMan

http://www.myspace.com/k5koy


The "PickPocket" The ORIGINAL Guitar Accessory
http://www.waxpatterns.com/customguitarpick.htm

Hey,

Being a teacher for 15 yrs Ive used different methods to get a student to sync the rhythmic structure of a tune to the lyrical syncopation.I would need to hear your strum pattern and what beats your placing your words on in Peacful Greasy.I would advise NOT to dumb the tune down (leavin out the F#m? B sus4?)Your vocal sounding right will depend on chords like that.The emotion will be missing also...One thing I also suggest that works is learning a tune you've never played or sang before.Learn it in 4 bar phrases like "I like the way your sparking eaaarrrings lay" then the next phrase. Do them seperate for a whole day maybe even 2...THEN on the 3 rd day, combine them..That way each form of muscle memory at work will deliver a smooth flow of info to your hands and vocal.Both have to become second nature.If ya can ,post an example on your player.I need to hear how your changin with the rhythmic strum and what words your changing on..Ive often changed the strum pattern temporarliy to get a student to sing on the right beats.Also, slow it WAY down. Give the muscle memory a chance to store the info accurately.

You'll get it.... Just think small phrases right now..

John

Good advice, John!

Practice until you're so sure of the guitar parts that they come without thinking - sing the song until you know it in your sleep. Putting the two together will come, & when it does, it will help in every song you do.

Singing & playing bass is a whole 'nuter can of worms for me. Can you do it, Koy? I can on the simpler stuff, but when I have to concentrate too much on the beats & off-beats I'm playing, it throws me off. I find that I must learn it so well it's 2nd nature before I can sing with my playing.

I've been playing guitar for so many years that singing is natural while I'm playing, as long as I'm not playing leads while I sing. I often use my right hand like a pendulum, & catching the chord changes on the down or up strokes is easy. I don't necessarily hit the strings with every swing of the pendulum, but the hand works that way all the time, unless it's a more complicated thing that I've worked on a while. That's one of the things I try to teach my students, & when they finally grasp it, they tend to shine.

Sound advice John..Thanks..
Philby, No! I cant..Fact is, I cant even utter a word on bass. Barely shake my head yes or no..I find that to be peculiar. Dont you?

Ha!

Koy Carson
West Texas

**60th Anniversary American Strat
**Carvin AC175 Thinline Acoustic
**Ibanez EW20ZW Electric/Acoustic
**Arbor AJ145CR Jazz
**Fender Marcus Miller 5 String Bass
**Fender Geddy Lee Signature Bass
**Warwick Corvette 4 string Bass
**Tradition Fretless Bass
**Takamine Hollow body Bass
**Digitech JamMan

http://www.myspace.com/k5koy


The "PickPocket" The ORIGINAL Guitar Accessory
http://www.waxpatterns.com/customguitarpick.htm

As has been mentioned, practice the music until you can do it without looking at the fretboard. Then start to work in the vocals; sometimes the chorus is easier to sing than the verse so start there. But realize that 8 weeks is not long; you can't expect too much. Many of us have been playing over thirty years and are still working on it.

wow so I'm not the only person who has trouble vocalizing while playing a four string my first open mic night I realized just how hard it was having never rehearsed anything with the guy I was playing with buut hey spontaneous jamming is good for you riight?

Just keep doing it over and over again (time permitting) and one day (hopefully soon) you'll get it. You might surprise yourself with how rapidly you pick it up. Within four months of starting bass I was gigging for real, even singing a few songs. That's after developing blisters because I practiced so much. It just takes WORK. Later...

ted, I think that spontaneous jamming is a wonderful thing & very good for any musician who is capable of doing it. It makes you learn new stuff & write new licks on the fly. I do it at every opportunity, & sometimes it's great, & sometimes, well, not so great. But it certainly keeps you on your toes!

Koy, I have one helluva time singing while playing the bass. There are a cpl, though, that I find really easy to do. Try "STICKshifts & Safetybelts" by Cake. I know, he's not a great singer, but that makes it even EASIER to pull off well, & it really is super easy to play. I sing "Comfortably Numb" while playing bass, but it takes every brain cell I have to do it.

I sing a LOT of back up vox in Flamingo Road, though, & yeah, it's a challenge.

Love Comfortably Numb!!

Was introduced to that song by my last band. Way cool

Instead of singing while playing, start with humming the melody first then gradually add words. Good luck. It's really tough sometimes.

Practice until you're so sure of the guitar parts that they come without thinking - sing the song until you know it in your sleep.

Yep/ Starting by humming will probably help too.

I'm ot sure how I do it, I learned at age 5 and was singing and playing from day one, literally. It's always come natural to me. Since I learned both at the same time I never even think about it.

Offbeat rhythm parts give me fits, sometimes I can't sing and play, and forget lead while singing, and for some strange reason I can't talk to you and play. I can nod or get the occasional "yeah" out, but that's about it. Bass and vocals is really difficult too, I guess since I have to pay attention to the bass. On guitar, with straight rhythm parts it's second nature, but I always learn the guitar part before ever trying the vocals. Once I can play it well, then I add vocals, but usually I don't try both at the same time when learning a new song.

And keep it simple. Eagles songs are great but usually they have a lot of chords to remember. Try some CCR songs, usually dead simple so the guitar parts won't be a hurdle. I'm sick of Proud Mary, but it's doable, then there's Green River, Born on the Bayou, mostly sitting on an E chord, ditto for Old Man Down the Road, and several others.

Some of Neil Young's stuff might be worth a try, and some of Tom Petty's songs aren't too difficult. Check around, listen to some radio or sift through your CD collection, you'll find plenty simple songs to work with, but try to stick to mostly 3 and 4 chord songs to learn on, avoid more difficult tunes.

There have been a couple times that I shocked myself by talking to someone on the side while I'm playing, but it's a rare thing.

Whenever we get someone new to the act, whether it's open mic or someone sitting in with our band, it always falls to me to tell them the changes as we play. I can usually call out the chord changes before they occur as I play on the fly, but it isn't easy.

Hello all!

This thread takes me back to a band I was in during the 80's.
I was on bass and lead vocal, doing songs like (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea by Elvis Costello and the Attractions... must've been pretty dedicated in those days

Never did get round to Watching the Detectives though... now, that would have been something!

Welcome to the forum, Madigan.

Love both of those Elvis tunes.