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

[launched]

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.

Ah, that is great advice and is exactly how I'm doing it. I bought an acoustic guitar a few weeks ago, and aside from always wanting my own acoustic guitar, I was dying to learn to sing and play at the same time. An ominous, if not hopeless task at first, though.

Playing some other artist's song was just not cutting it, and almost all of my original material had been multitracked. To make things worse, it was all weighted in a way that made impossible to play and sing at the same time.

So what I did was write a simple simple little song with a couple chords in it. I played that dumb f**ing thing for two hours a day for three days. I'm sure any neighbors that walked by were laughing their asses off. Eventually I was able to play for three minutes or so while singing an easy little rhyme.

I know it falls in the line of "practice a lot", but I think we need to keep in mind that you have to practice right. Just because you are sitting behind your guitar for several hours a day, it may not help you at all if basic technique is not being adhered to. And trying to start with a cool Zakk Wylde acoustic piece ain't really the smartest thing to do, either.

I saw where "Jim make funny joke" earlier in his thread, but I'll have to say he made a lot of sense - Peanuts make the elephant big. Ah one and a two... Not always what should be done, but definitely worth a try when trying to coordinate dexterity and motor skills.

[bannybassman]

To start off with, learn the chord pattern to a fairly simple song, play it over and over until you can do it almost without thinking, then open you mouth. It'll take some practice, but thats what I did/ do!
You'll get there!

[Pipes]

Relax and day dream (trance like) when your playing and singing at the same time.. If we think about something too much it becomes soo much harder. we can multi task... it's not just for the opposite sex:)) Use your own material when singing at the same time.. it's much easier to have something original and the original interpretation in your head. Once we can do that then move on to other peoples stuff:))

[phantasm777]

its an odd thing i cannot sing while playing guitar, nor bass, but i can while playing drums, not every song but i can on some. i dont know why, you would expect that drumming and singing would be the hardest since unlike a bassist or guitarist or keys, youre using your legs and arms - hands, and many other muscles etc,  more continously than most instruments, it would seem that would make it harder to sing and play drums. overall i do not prefer to sing and play any instrument at the same time, mostly cause i cannot, but i always feel more comfortable focusing on one thing at a time, as in recording.

[chip]

When playing live with the band I often drop out the guitar when singing or just play a chord or pick out some notes, let it hang then hit the next chord, this adds space to the song. All this depends on the tempo of course, the faster the song the harder it is to sing and play , the slower easier.

Playing on your own is loads easier than with a band, the band changes the dynamics of the song so me the guitarist /singer can look for gaps when the guitar can come and go. It does help that I have another guitarist to to fill in the bits I leave out. Usually we all come in on the chorus then drop back again.

 Just keep at it.

[phantasm777]

i concur chip. if i can do a bit of shords while singing but not all and another guitarist can, then thats the way i'd go, especially with having such an apparent mind block on being able to sing and play at the same time. i suppose it is practice, but ive got like 4 instruments to practice, practice singing and arranging, composing writing, mixing, etc. just dont have the time for that specific feat. : \

[phantasm777]

one would think it would be hardest to play drums and sing yet it seems to be the only instrument i can come close to singing and playing at the same time. i am lucky if i can sing, while singing!