Bass & singing

I played bass primarily for 20+ years and never could get the hang of singing while playing. I could *sometimes* sing backup vocals if my bass line was simple root or root-5th. But a walking bass line or a counter melody and my brain would freeze if I tried to sing. I don't know how some people do it.
 
And also Rush.

Geddy Lee's vocals are amazing but, if you listen, he's either singing between bass riffs or his bass lines are following his vocals rather than opposing. The others mentioned, like McCartney and Sting, are a different story...
 
Just stumbled onto this video from almost 40 years ago. Heard of Talking Heads but never really listened to their music or seen their videos. Tina Weymouth is outstanding on bass - amazed she can keep the beat while doing those movements.

https://youtu.be/jShMQw2H2cM
 
Just stumbled onto this video from almost 40 years ago. Heard of Talking Heads but never really listened to their music or seen their videos. Tina Weymouth is outstanding on bass - amazed she can keep the beat while doing those movements.

https://youtu.be/jShMQw2H2cM

Dang! That's quite a workout!

Love Talking Heads, check out their video, Stop making Sense...

 
I believe that Nick Lowe and Sting are two more examples of singing bass players.

I can't claim to do it, since I can't really play bass, but I keep trying to do it for "Fever". That works well with singing and bass if only one could nail it.
 
Back in the days before he was famous in Sheffield Joe Cocker used to do loads of cover numbers, One he sang was "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" Four Tops i think.
His Bass player at the time was a great musician Chris Stainton .. he once told be that he dreaded playing the bass line to this song because he found it almost impossible to play and sing the backing vocal at the same time.
 
I can sing a bit, strum or pick and sing ok. When playing bass I find vocals very difficult.
 
Haven't been playing bass regularly, mostly guitar & Shakers. Recently, had the opportunity to play bass & noticed that it's getting easier to do.

At our last jam, a lady asked me why I wasn't singing. I told that I have a hard time singing while playing the walking bass lines to Eight Days a Week.
 
As I’ve said elsewhere somewhere, I’m not a bass player, but I have and DO try!
A couple of years ago I met a guy (in his 70’s now) who was performing at our local pub’s ‘Big Jam Night’. He apparently toured once back in the day as a session bass player / backing vocalist for P J Proby.
He got up to play and sing with the resident band and he was amazing. I’ve seen him ‘on stage’ a few times now and he’s always of a high standard.
He says playing bass and singing lead vocals at the same time has never been a problem for him.
Funny (and frustrating 😂) how we all have different abilities and each find different things hard or easy, isn’t it? 🤷‍♂️
 
I have seldom played bass. When I do, if I'm singing, I stick to root/five with some walk ups/downs. Pretty simple.

My son Darcy's primary instrument is bass and he can play some intricate bass lines while singing.
Darcy with Hofner.jpg
 
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