advice on singing AND playing... at the same time.

[upsetminded]

If this makes sense or is helpful....
At first I would sing songs and strum.  I found that when I was singing, my strumming would be off from the correct rhythm but it helped me sing the correct melody at the time. 

Once I got comfortable with singing melodies with whatever strum pattern helped (right or wrong).  I went back to just stumming the song without singing and LOCKED THAT RIGHT HAND IN.

Meaning, once I had "locked" my strumming hand into the correct rhythm through playing along with the song, and even sometimes just strumming a muted rhythym without bothering with my left hand and fingering.  As long as I got the correct rhythm nothing else matters at this point.

Once I had "locked" my strumming hand in to the rhythm of the songs I would go back and try singing along.

In the end I found I would be able to sing along and not have to think about getting the correct rhythm, resulting in more focus on singing the melody and having that solid thick rhythm sound coming as second nature.


This tip goes along with the theme of this thread...Tons of practice.  Once your strumming or rhythm playing hand works as an unconscious act like walking you can focus better on the other stuff easier.

Hope this makes sense.  I'm not a guitar teacher by any stretch so I'm not very good at putting practice into words.

[s.w.goatlips]

As everyone has said, it is all just practice. I'm intrigued that you have been "side tracked" by blues music. I used to play and sing for years (and in public) and whilst blues would definitely be my chosen genre/vocation/lifestyle, it is the most difficult for me to sing 'n play at the same time. Something like "Can't hold out" Clapton style can get my lips and hands and probably my knackers all tied up in knots.

[Oldrottenhead]

ah 1 and ah 2 and ah 3 4 9

[Oldrottenhead]

you are so oooooooooooooooooooooo byuootifooooooooooool

[Oldrottenhead]

two meat

[Oldrottenhead]

altogether now

[Wiley]

And it is like second nature to me as I self taught myself chords.  And they would be nothing without singing along.  After many years it is just a part of me.

[Oldrottenhead]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxQDpmueik0

[s.w.goatlips]

One possible alternative is that I don't have the tangled lips/hands thing when I'm playing my own stuff, I guess because a: I wrote it and I know how I want it to sound, and b: I'm really not trying to sound like or be in tempo like anyone else.

[Tony W]

There are so many great tips in here.

Upsetminded, I really appreciate the level of detail that you took. It was time consuming and very appreciated. I followed the concept well.

Goatlips,

48 offers a blues improv course. I was an absolute unmolded beginner when I bought my BR. I couldn't do anything on a guitar. Since taking lessons from 48, I have evolved into an average musician. I'm absolutely in love with playing, and get better weekly.

I've devoted a majority of my practice time to improv, and I put everything else on pause until later. Ironically, my entire playing level has increased even without practice.