Strum and sing not so easy

My music background is mainly solo fingerstyle guitar, and I've pretty much avoided strumming and singing. Now that I'm focused more on the ukulele, I want to do more of the latter, and can do so passably when I'm doing a simple up-down-up-down strum, or winging it on varying the strum. The problem comes when I try to use a less regular strum, change chords, and sing. Maybe I'm too much of a klutz to ever learn to coordinate these things, which so many others seem to have mastered.

I'm enjoying playing chord-melody solos on the uke, but I'd also like to do better with strumming/singing. Any ideas or strategies for how to work on developing this besides practice, practice, practice?

for one, slow it way down, like half speed or below, secondly, if you're using tabs or reading the lyrics as you play, mark in where each strum goes, for example:

X________X______________X______________X
Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow.

that way you can emphasize it (at a very slow speed) until it you start to develop the coordination to play. While some coordination is natural to very lucky people, its a learned skill to the rest of us. Goodluck!

i thought i'd never get the hang of this, and on songs where the strumming pattern is completely different from what you sing i still have a very difficult time. i played weeks without being able to do it then one day i noticed i was, then as weeks went on i got better and better. i absolutely must have the song parts memorized into muscle memory but now i have no trouble on most songs.

Tell me about it have you heard my videos

You MUST actually learn the song. Start with a simple 2 chord song like "Jambalya" learn the words. When you sing you will hear the chord changes. Whatever chord you are holding change to the other.
Don't think about the strum, just keep time with your strumming hand. Once you have learned and are comfortable with a few 2 chorders go to a three chord song and learn it.

If you need to read words, chords, strum patterns and think about th echord shapes you are lost. We as humans are not wired to do so many things at once.
I believe the key to being successful at strumming and singing is learning to play a song without having to read it, it allows you to hear what you and others are playing.
There are some great players, like B.B. King, who can't play and sing at the same time.

I started playing guitar when I was about 14, and strumming and singing didn't come until this year (on ukulele, my point being I'd been strumming on a guitar about 2/2 and a half years until I could do it), and the only advice I could give you is keep on trying, it will come eventually, there may be techniques to learn, but I just persevered, and one day it clicked. It also really helps to know the chords and strumming to the song so well that you almost don't have to think about it, allowing you to focus on singing.

it took about 2 years of playing, but one day, "bing" I could do both easily. It's like riding a bike, once you get it, you get it and never lose it.

Playing and Singing at the same time?

Hey guys, so I finally finished learning how to play Somewhere Over the Rainbow and I even discovered that I can sing it pretty well if I do say so myself. However, I can't seem to do both at the same time . Does anybody have any tips on how to improve this? I want to put a video up on YouTube but I don't think it would look good if I was singing and playing separately. Thanks in advance!

-UM :shaka:

Here's some previous threads regarding playing & singing, pretty sure you'll get some good advice from them.

http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?20967
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?9474
http://www.ukuleleunderground.com/forum/showthread.php?21840

Thanks a bunch!

-UM :shaka:

From my experience, singing a song and playing ukulele is harder than singing the same song whilst playing guitar, especially as a lot of the songs I like to play were written for guitar and the uke versions came later. I have also found my uke's less forgiving than my guitar if I get the timing mixed up, and I have to work harder to make them work as songs. Hey, but thats why I love the uke, it's challenging but so rewarding when you get it right, and familiar songs take on a whole new feel.

Like yourself and others have said, its practice and repetition, but also

its so much easier if you actually like the song in the first place, and want to sing it.
Its useful to know the words off by heart, so that you know where the tune matches the chord changes.
Always remained focused on what you need to do next, but in a relaxed way, so you can perform the singing, chords and strumming, whilst keeping the rhythm.
Do the song over and over again until you perform it naturally
I think its better to learn 1 or 2 songs really well, than stumble through 20 badly.

I think it's hard to do both for beginners is because you're focusing so hard to play well, that they have a problem singing it. Get comfy playing, and when it comes natural to you start singing along with it slowly.

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE