How you sing against acoustic guitar rhytm?

i doubt anyone is going to understand your question.

but in general you practice guitar a lot until you can do that well, then add singing, and finally when you can do both add singing with syncopation (the hardest).
 
You could mean; How do you two things at once.. And that comes from doing each thing enough for it to begin to be second nature', and along the way you're also doing both together. After both are sort'a nearing 'auto pilot, you get to where they can even be more independent of each other. Then you can get creative with the phrasing, timing etc.
Or, before that point, record the backing tight (or not) first, then be free to experiment/refine with messing with the vocal phrasing.

.. Ukraine Wow! All around the world :>)
 
From a sound engineer (rather than vocalist--I can't sing at all) point of view...

A trick I've often used is to record a track with the vocal melody (any instrument or synth can do) and give the vocalist that in his headphones. This track can be scrapped when you get into the real mix but it gives the vocalist a guide track to help with pitch and timing.
 
Thank you for taking the time to share all of that great information with me. Your support, encouragement and advice have been extremely helpful.
 
Old thread, but...
From a sound engineer (rather than vocalist--I can't sing at all) point of view...

A trick I've often used is to record a track with the vocal melody (any instrument or synth can do) and give the vocalist that in his headphones. This track can be scrapped when you get into the real mix but it gives the vocalist a guide track to help with pitch and timing.
...I found this amusing since we so often give advice that's almost the opposite: Record a scratch track of guitar and vox at the same time, then go back and record each separately to that reference. Maybe it's just me.


The answer to the OP really is: For recording, don't do both at the same time. For live, practice.
 
Oh, I'll often use the "vocal and guitar at the same time then re-record each separately too" trick to avoid cross talk. However, quite a few vocalists can't find the melody line without something to lead them, hence the suggestion of also doing a melody track for them to work to even if it's not going to be included in the final mix.

FYI, in the live theatre work I do, it's pretty common for the Musical Director to use a recording of the vocal melody in early rehearsals, then drop it later for the full orchestration once the case is confident.
 
Yeah, I guess the OP itself is kind of the opposite of our usual "I have to play and sing at the same time to get the feel right" crowd. I didn't get the idea that he has a problem with the singing or the guitaring on their own, but that it's the playing them together that is the struggle. I can still see where hearing the melody might help. In fact, you might just actually do the opposite of typical - record the guitar part, then sing over the top of it, then practice playing and singing while listening to that.

Part of it for me, though, has always been about adjusting both the guitar part and the vocal so that I can actually pull it off. That means sometimes some compromise. Maybe you simplify the guitar part some while you're singing. Maybe you change the rhythm of phrasing of the vocal to match or work with your strumming a bit more easily. Once you figure out how you do that, you're most of the way there. Often these things actually improve the song/arrangement.

But then that's the trap. Now you get to where the guitar and vocals are intimately tied both dynamically and rhythmically and you just "can't" do either one on its own and have it work right. I have that issue pretty often, but I have enough experience to know that I actually can do them separately - and it's usually better than when I do them together - as long as I have a scratch of both together to start from.


Anyway, like I said, you kind of just need to dive in and do it. Pick some songs you know separately, and sit down and do them together. Listen to the song on the record (or YouTube) and play along, but don't worry so much about doing it exactly like the original. Figure out how to make it work for you. In most cases it's much better to deviate from an original with confidence and style than to try to get it exact and fail.
 
There's only one way ... practice. No shortcuts, no workarounds. You just need to do it, and do it, and then do it again.
 
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