Singing backing vocals

[Matthew2250]

I tried to search for this but found nothing so I thought I'd go ahead and ask. In my new band I have been asked to sing backing vocals as the only person apart from the singer who can hold a tune. Trouble is, as soon as my mouth opens my hands stop moving, and when my hands get back into motion my mouth closes.

Any tips for the best way of learning this as I don't want to disappoint them (curse pretty female singers and their demands!).

[Hardinge]

the best way is to keep practicing

[PaulSimonon]

Get the bass line down perfectly in your muscle memory, and the singing will be much easier.

[rage f*****g rule]

ha.
you want to simply know the songs so well that you don't need to concentrate on the playng aspect so when it comes to singing you'll be able to do both... works for me... just know your bass parts as best as you can...

what stuff you playing?

[alexmonty12]

The only way I've been able to do it, is by learning the riffs so well that you can play it behind your head in the dark, and then learn the lines so you can say them at double speed, so they'll both become second nature. If you're doing quite a few songs then it will take a lot of effort, but shes a pretty female musician :)

[Jody LeCompte]

Find easier stuff just to get used to singing and playing. What I did was made a list of songs I know in order of difficulty and went through singing and playing each until I could do it fluently

[rage f*****g rule]

good advice... ^

[Jody LeCompte]

Alot of the problem isnt knowing the bassline but hte lyrics, if you allow your mind to wander to think of the lyrics you tend to mess up, thats why bands with frntmen that also play will scream random things at times

[Shuffle It All]

i sing lead and play bass in my band, and have never had a problem with it, mainly probably because i started of as a vocalist, an then started playing bass. I suggest extremely simple songs. Hurt by johnny cash, lucky man by the verve, sucker train blues by VR. Keep on going and it gets easier, although when lyrics are out of time, its impossible.

[Shuffle It All]

also, i forgot to mention, learn the lyrics first, so you dont have to think about them. Singing them while looking at the fretboard is a good idea, because when your learning your not singing into a mic, so try this method, by singing to yourself.

[:amaze:]

play the lines enough times where you can play them and talk to someone at the same time without messing up. then, you're about ready to try ading the vocals.




:amaze:

[The_Fender_Bender]

Keep practising the tune untill u can play it without knowing what your doing eg talking to people and playing it or watching tv and playing it etc

I had that problem but now I can do lead vocals and bass and do some pretty busy stuff vox/bass wise

All in good time my friend

[kilian]

I would say: start with Oasis - She's Electric.

You can do simple quarter notes and then sing the text along, for me it's all about the simplicity of the line. So if I have to sing backing vocal, I don't have a super complicated bassline.

What also helps to get the line + vocals together is to have the vocals in front of you and actually 'read' them. It really works for me :amaze:

[Sammy_L_D]

Become female.

Their brains are multi-tasking.

[Linkinbassist]

Learn to hold a note, and play a simple bassline...Then change the note every half-bar, and play the same bass line, and so on and so forth untill vocals and hands work independently...