I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

[Creedis777]

I have been struggling to learn how to sing and play at the same time. I just can't seem to do it. I really can't go to much further with my guitar playing skills until I do! I need something, someone, anything, anyone to help me out. Seriously, I am getting VERY discouraged :sad: . I have tried playing with CD's and using tab w/words and playing slow and everything I can think of! I just can't seem to do it! I either can't figure out the strum pattern of the song or can't sing it due to the key and not knowing what to change it to or both. I don't know what to do. It almost makes me want to :rocket: my guitar and just give up playing completely. Luckily I enjoy playing to much to do that. But, I still need HELP!!!! Thanks a million in advance :yourock: to anyone who even gives me a little bit of help!

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

Takes practice dude. I used to have a hard time singing and playing at the same time but I've gotten alot better over the years with practice. For some it comes easy and for others it takes alot of practice. Just keep at it and don't give up. Goodluck.

 

[kramer]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

Practice....for me it really helped to start with songs that I knew how to play very well so that I could concentrate on the singing. I'd say start with some songs with simple chord progressions, and it will come.
Matt

 

[moog1000]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

As GuitarGuy says, it takes practice. Some people are lucky enough to be able to do two different things with great ease, a beleive it's something to do with the co-ordination part of the brain. Others, like yourself (and me!), aren't so lucky. What we have to do is make one process as automated as possible, i.e we don't have to think about it. To do this, takes a lot of practice to 'engrain' it into your brain so you don't have to think about it.

 

[Creedis777]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

(Sigh) Not what I was hoping for.....though it is what I expected you guys to say. Man, The only thing about guitar I can't quickly pick up and I have almost no patience for it, Thanks though guys I appreciate it.......... :15:

 

[danglybanger]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

start simple. I started (hard to admit this) playing guitar to Elton John, Niel Diamond, and Roy Orbison songbooks that only listed chords, only used about 3 chords to begin with, and had words listed. Just concentrate on singing and rhythm, not playing So I've sung along with myself as long as I've played my guitar.Just strum simple patterns, nothing more complicated than simple chords.

You'll eventually be able to work out more complicated sh*t. If you're starting out trying to play and sing Metallica or something... it's going to be quite a bit harder.
dan

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

Creedis,

Hang in there dude and continue practicing. I know how overwhelming guitar can be sometimes but you just have to be persistent and keep at it. You dont gain anything by giving up. You only gain when you put forth effort to achieve something. I think Kramer's suggestion is the best way to start. Find a song you know that has a fairly simple chord progression and try to play and sing the song at the same time. Just do it a few times a day, even if its to the same song, and once you master that song, find another to master. Eventually youll find yourself getting into more complex songs. If you find you get frusterated, stop for a while and just have fun exploring the different sounds you can get out of your guitar, and go back to it later. Guitar is supposed to be fun. Dont let it get you down, just do your best, and thats all that matters. Best of luck bro.

 

[Creedis777]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

Thanks guys I really apprecciate all the help and advice. It is certainly nice to know I am not the only one who has struggles with it! :dance: I wasn't planning on giving up, though. I was just wondering if maybe there was some kind of trick I didn't know about. Wow, I am tired I had to edit that 3 times! I should go to bed LOL!! :smack:

 

[chenchio]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

dude ur not the only one, i have that problem too , lots of people have that problem, one time i gave up , i thought maybe im not a singer im just a guitar player but one time a music teacher at college was teaching me some chords and he asked : hey you sing too ?? and i replied no i cant and he said hoo thats the most common problem it just takes practice , so i just kept practicing and still cant do it but i keep trying , i can do it just with easy songs , try practicing with nirvana acoustic songs they are easy they r like 3,or 4 diferent chords of course if u like nirvana if not try something of ur taste and just keep prcticing

 

[MikeS]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

For me, I have to know the song well enough to be able to either sing or play a part without even trying. One of the parts has to be second nature to me so that I can focus my attention on the other. Only problem with that is the second nature part begins to sound sterile since I'm not putting the life into it that I otherwise would.

 

[texasguitarslinger]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

If you never learn you'd be in good company. B.B. King cannot play and sing at the same time. :smoker:

 

[y2stevo]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

How i did it is, Basically learn the rhythm you need to play while suinging so as you could play the rhythm in your sleep,,,then you will be able to play and sing at the same time.. Dont do it the opposite way round because if your singing you Have to consentrate, Guitar (if its rhythm) you can learn to do automatically so as your on autopilot while playing the guitar part so all you gotta do is sing your little heart out..

Soon you will be able to sing "puppets" or "battery" and play, its not that hard, all you gotta do is practise..

 

[Frantic_Rock]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

(Sigh) Not what I was hoping for.....though it is what I expected you guys to say. Man, The only thing about guitar I can't quickly pick up and I have almost no patience for it, Thanks though guys I appreciate it.......... :15:

Hey man u better get A LOT of patience.

I have good hearing - I hit right notes all the time. I've been playing for 5 years and STILL i can't pull off something like "Sultans of Swing".

Sultans for instance has lots of lead fills in between the vocals. If i'm thinking about the words only i'll just be playing chords with no lead. If i think about lead - i mumble the words and don't project or forget the lyrics.
The progression is different for every part of the song too - all these things make it a very challenging piece.

Try the blues at first - the step up to something faster/harder.

If you've been playing for less than 5 years - don't even think of getting discouraged - its too early.

I've been playing for over 5 and I still need to practice every song hard to pull it off on a jamnight without mistakes.

 

[nuntius]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

Theres two ways I do it.


1) Have a conversation with someone while playing.. play something simple like chromatic scales to begin with and work you way up.

2) Read while playing, preferably out loud... my guitar teacher makes me do it. It really does help because you have to focus on reading the word and playing the guitar at the same time. Its actually harder than playing and singing because (hopefully) you'd know the lyrics lol.

Start slow it'll come in time.

It's mainly to do with your breathing i suspect your holding it slightly and being tense?

 

[tone4days]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

you can start by simply strumming a major chord in the open position .. start with C ... a metronome can help, but not necessary ... start by simply singing 'do re mi fa so la ti do' with a simple up and down strum ... sing one note per strum ... then do it with another major chord and sing 'do re mi' in that key ... try singing ascending and descending scales ... then sing two notes per strum ... then sing triplets .. if the words 'do re mi ... ' are to hard to do, just sing 'la la la la la ' or some other syllable ... you can change the rhythm of the major chord too ... two strums per one note - triplet strums per note sung ... or alternate .. one strum on the odd numbered notes and two strums on the even numbered notes ... you get the idea - mix it up and have fun ...

once your coordination gets going, you can increase the complexity by singing the "do-re-mi" while playing barre chords in the scale like this ... for C major "C maj7 - D min7 - E min7 - F maj7 - G7 - Amin7 - B min7b5 - Cmaj"

then you can try songs with easy progressions you know ... if you ever need to get coordination of a song, just play the chords til you know then real well while singing a nonsense melody ... then you can add the words

hope these ideas give you some ideas on your own to improve
good luck
t4d

 

[y2stevo]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

What he Said ^^^^

 

[Biu]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

tone4days, that is some really good advice. I just started learning how to sing and play at once (just almost barely getting the hang of it :yell: ) and I did something very similar. I think a lot of it has to do with syncing up your voice with the rhythm. Now I have to learn how to actually SING without sounding like ****.

 

[Creedis777]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

Thanks ALOT again guys! I must admit that I already knew most of this stuff. I guess I just gotta buckle down and do it! I will try the reading thing and conversation thing. I will have to find a song I can easily learn, though. I am partially lazy when it comes to doing something really hard. But, also I haven't had much time to practice now that I have a job......erk :smack: and on top of that I am going to be starting an internship at my church soon. Maybe I will be able to play worship on sundays for the kids ministry as back up guitar or lead (something I could/can do.) Maybe that would be a good way to start. Learn to play those songs THEN sing them and play. Who knows! Thanks again guys!! :yourock: All of you guys! Later!

 

[No_Where_Fast]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

Two words... 'Wild Thing' Easy to play & easy to sing.

Just keep jamming on it, once you can play it straight "jazz up" the vocal, screw with the vocal timings and add random "yeah"s, "come on"s, and possible even a "woman!" [wur-maown] or two!

It'll teach you to separate your hands from your voice.

 

[Davey]

Re: I can't sing and play!! I need Help!!

chill man.. noone's a born hetfield.
i find it hard to sing while i play, but with practice it gets easier. learn the lyrics, become one with the song and play along records and sing along. it will become embeded into your blood and brain and it will become easier over time to do your original songs, where you cant practice along the record.

just keep it up and it'll become easier