finding it impossible to stay in time when singing and playing guitar at same time...

  • Thread starter Thread starter kratos
  • Start date Start date
It might sound strange, but get two drum sticks. Sing along with the song and play drums on a bed or pillow or something. It's a dexterity issue. being able to sing and make your hands keep time is the problem.

Try it. But like everything else, it takes lots of practice. Maybe months to get in the groove.

It's true that some people just can't do it, but those people can't play a guitar riff and stay on time at all. If you can, then you will be able to overcome this.
 
People get so convinced that they have to play, play, play... more notes, more notes, more notes...

The better way to handle all of this is to start leaving out stuff. Stop playing when you sing. Play between your vocal lines. You don't have to be playing all the time. To me the whole "play, play, play" thinking is sorta beginner-ish.

It comes from playing drums. When you start out, when you go fast you tense up. You wish you could play real fast. Then you realize that as the tempo increases, if you start leaving out things you can avoid all the tensing up. With that thinking you can play songs at 250 and it's no sweat. Just keep leaving out stuff as you go faster. Don't let your mind go into a panic. That's the problem.

Realize that it's ok, and even often desirable to stop playing.
 
dintymoore said:
Realize that it's ok, and even often desirable to stop playing.
Click to expand...
Only if you're in a large enough band that someone else can cover the rhythm.
But not if you're playing the rhythm part and if you stop there's NO rhythm part. There are plenty of songs where stopping and leaving only bass and drums sounds like ...... well, like you're not good enough to play the part.
It's ok to stop when it's ok to stop; but that's hardly the vast majority of songs.

Unless, as I said, the band's large enough that your part isn't needed ..... and in that case the guitar's just a prop isn't it?
 
I guess it depends on what type of music you are playing and the specific song.

The way I play it sounds fine when it's just bass, drums and vocals - I love that sound. I don't play without bass and drums.

I am always trying to find ways of playing less. I am of the Ahmad Jamal type of thinking, I try to play as few notes as possible and still get the message across. I can't stand busy... I find almost all music has too many notes. It seems like nervous fidgeting.
 
Before you get to the point where you can stop playing to sing, or get all fancy in between vocal phrases, does it not make sense to be able to sing and play at the same time ? Then you have options and scope. And that's what Kratos was saying in the OP. The problem isn't one of overplaying nor is the solution recommendations of minimalism, though in part I agree that it can be a truly effective thing ~ once one can sing and play simultaneously, consistently.
 
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