Singing and Playing

[NotOneWithNames]

so im having some trouble singing and playing at the same time.  could anyone give me some tips on how to improve.  i mean its hard to sing along with simple chord progrssions such as D - G.

[Engel]

practice the strumming pattern of the song you are playing without singing whatsoever... eventually you will get to the point where you can strum it no problem and you hardly have to concentrate at all on what your hands are doing, at this point you will be able to sing and play.

[acoustic_raine]

ah yes. That is a good idea Engel, but I suggest this: try to play and have a conversation at the same time..so that you are used to multi-tasking..this way, it won't be as akward when you try to sing.

[Engel]

yea that too

[The_Tom]

It may also help to start with songs where the rythem of the guitar and the singing are identical. What I had trouble with, as a beginner, was not allowing my singing to screw with the rythem I was playing. I just kept practicing and I eventually got to that point where I could sing along with anything I could play.

Unless it's most anything by jimi hendrix.

!#@!er

[jazzstar]

also try playing and singing in your head
it helped me heaps
then play and humm
until you can sing along while you play!

[mrbagel]

what does palyin mean???  it sounds like a mystical beast

[Jerusalem]

what does palyin mean???  it sounds like a mystical beast

I think it's like a Paladin...

[CallOfCthulhu]

Well, I find singing and playing on bass is a lot harder with guitar, but this'll work either way, it does for me, associate hand moments with the words you're singing, and the tune you're singing in.

[-G]

so im having some trouble singing and playing at the same time.  could anyone give me some tips on how to improve.  i mean its hard to sing along with simple chord progrssions such as D - G.

IMHO: I find playing with the chords written above the lyrics and an easy way to start to learn how to play and sing.

[nicklz]

Like the old fashioned piano, guitar, vocal books that I have a 2 foot stack of.

[tyrocks00]

im new to it also but it only takes practice...once you understand how to play and have the chords and keys down, the singing comes easier

[Marblemouth]

To do singing and playing at the same time you need  to concentrate your mind and you will be able to do so if you do meditation.

[-G]

I still think I was able to accomplish playing and singing Glycerine by just playing the chords properly with the lyrics no meditation needed, lol.

[nicklz]

Rubber Boots Ray meditated a few minutes before gigs, but I think that was just to get focus for the overall performance. He always seemed like a quieter one of my kid's friends. He was a guitarist, but after a few lessons he had a great singing voice, too.

(The Rubber Boots name came from when he was playing once he kept getting zapped off the equipment on the school stage so one kid's dad gave him a pair of rubber boots to wear. )