Ok, so heres the deal...Since I originally posted this message, and having taken all the responses into consideration, and practicing "Peaceful Easy Feeling" about a gillion times, I can in fact do this! You have all been very helpful & encouraging. Practice is the key. Being able to play through the song without thinking about it, then going back and concentrating on adding the words, I am able to complete what seemed a week ago-IMPOSSIBLE.
I am now starting on the fingerpick version of "Imagine" so this will no doubt be another obstacle to overcome..But now I know I can do it.. Thanks everyone! You are the BEST!
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
The "PickPocket" The ORIGINAL Guitar Accessory
http://www.waxpatterns.com/customguitarpick.htm
Just do what I did man... forget learning other peoples songs and write your own... then you can say what you want WHEN you want and claim that it was for 'artistic expression' ;).
No but seriously the advice here is very valuable, practice practice practice, slower slower slower.... keep going... you'll get it :D.
Nath
Just do what I did man... forget learning other peoples songs and write your own... then you can say what you want WHEN you want and claim that it was for 'artistic expression' ;) Nath
Bingo! Give the man a ceeeegar!
Cat
"Feel what you play...play what you feel!"
Just do what I did man... forget learning other peoples songs and write your own... then you can say what you want WHEN you want and claim that it was for 'artistic expression' ;).
No but seriously the advice here is very valuable, practice practice practice, slower slower slower.... keep going... you'll get it :D.
Nath
Right, well you see, thats just it. I have been writing my own stuff right from the beginning. However, its quite hard to play with others when all you know is your own stuff, thats why I am now learning some covers..
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
The "PickPocket" The ORIGINAL Guitar Accessory
http://www.waxpatterns.com/customguitarpick.htm
Gidday, Koy...
Okay...I see your point. As I've mentioned before on a few occasions...get a Mel Bay "chord cycle" book. I just saw one for "the cycles of fifths". You'll soon discover that a whole heckuva lot of tunes are in there...
There's also the old R/4/5...probably THE mainstay for jammin'
This guitar playin' keeps ya busy, huh!
Cat
"Feel what you play...play what you feel!"
I really found this thread to be quite informative. I have been spending a lot of time particularly over the past year focusing on performance- playing and singing at the same time. As a result, I feel like I have really become a lot more comfortable doing this. It did take a lot of practice. Still, I fing some songs much easier than others. Vic mentioned "Sweet Jane"- on that one the rhythm of the vocal vs. the guitar just seems to be so different- those are the hardest types of songs for me to get.
The onces I find easiest, no big surperise, are ones where I am very familiar with the lyrics and the melody, and it helps if the chord progression is relatively simple, so I don't have to think much about which chord comes next while I am singing.
I do ahve a question, though. Throughout all of this, I have found myself sticking to relatively simple strumming patterns while doing vocals. I'd really like to start the next step of making the guitar accompaniment more interesting. What do some of you more experienced guys do on guitar beyond just basic strumming when you are doing vocals? What might be some easy concepts to start out on. I was thinking maybe working in some alternating bass note/strums or throowing some simple riffs in between the vocal lines. Actually, I already do a bit of the latter on a few tunes. Any other idears?
Regards,
Mike
"Growing Older But Not UP!"
Throughout all of this, I have found myself sticking to relatively simple strumming patterns while doing vocals. I'd really like to start the next step of making the guitar accompaniment more interesting. What do some of you more experienced guys do on guitar beyond just basic strumming when you are doing vocals? What might be some easy concepts to start out on. I was thinking maybe working in some alternating bass note/strums or throowing some simple riffs in between the vocal lines. Actually, I already do a bit of the latter on a few tunes. Any other idears?
As Nick said in this lesson
Someone once asked about how to sing during solos. Personally, I take the B.B. King approach to singing during solos: I don't. Sing, solo, sing, solo. It works for him, it works for me.
In this lesson AJ says this:
There are some musicians, although extremely rare, who can play a solo like Jimmy Paige, and sing something entirely unrelated at the same time. If you watch Pendragon's video Live at Last, it's amazing to see Nick Barrett soloing and singing at the same time. But, as I said, people like this are exceptions.
I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep
People probably get sick of hearing it, but Hendrix was probably the ultimate when it came to playing and singing at the same time. He seemed able to play complicated rhythms or lead guitar while singing with ease. However, he often copied his own voice while playing single notes. George Benson the Jazz guitarist is also a master of this.
Hard to beat Jimi on Hey Joe for playing complex rhythm while singing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGjHTEi6rgI
Jimi liked to play little runs between chords, he also hammered off and pulled notes on chords. This was primarily how he did it. He rarely simply strummed a chord.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
So, what I hear you guys saying is- the vast majority of singer/guitar players only strum chords while they are singing, with the strumming in somple patterns that pretty much go along with the rhythm of the vocals. Is that right?
Regards,
Mike
"Growing Older But Not UP!"
Rum,
I'm not really sure if that's what they are saying but in general that is true, most singers are strumming fairly simple rhythms but not all the time. Like Wes mentioned some people like Hendrix had the ability to sing and play complicated rhythms at the same time.
Some of the solo artists might do both a bit better because they have to but alot of singers that play guitar are really first and foremost singers that play a little guitar.
I guess it depends on the music you are playing, the band situation etc. Obviously if you have another guitar player you could get away with simple strumming.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
An example of Hendrix playing lead while singing is his live performance of Machine Gun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVvtIS2YGVI&feature=related
As you can see, many times he follows his own voice on the guitar. But many times he plays something completely different. Fantastic.
I personally think the single note at 4:19 and the trill with vibrato bar starting at 5:16 are the most incredible electric guitar licks ever. :twisted:
To do this type of stuff you have to practice guitar so much it is second nature.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
