Singing and playing at the same time.. whaaat!? HALP!

Call and response came from working in the fields, singing was almost always done when working in the old days. An echo of that is in the US Army, we sang a TON, most of it call and response style. I'm sure the melodies go back to the 1800s if not the 1700s too, although the words get changed. All the melodies had a "blues", almost "pre-blues" tone to them. Good times....

I think singing plus playing just takes a ton of practice. We had it easy, we just hadda sing while running and carrying an M-16.

Singing is playing an instrument - the vocal instrument. It's made up of all the different parts - muscles, joints, tissues - things to do with breathing, mouthing the words, shaping the sound, volume tone etc. It involves the brain and the nervous system, co-ordination and importantly the connection between ear and all those other things. So to sing well, in tune and time and with confidence and heart - that's quite a challenge.
Then playing the uke is playing an instrument - and all that goes with that - rhythm, strumming, plucking, timing, notes, chord, tone co-ordination of brain and body etc.
Putting the two together - singing and uke playing - that really is a demanding thing and not surprising that folks find it difficult. I recommend practice with voice, practice with uke, practice putting them together. I keep a lot of cds in the car and singalong when I'm driving around - that's great singing practice - especially choose songs that you actually want to perform. And go gently, happily, relax and enjoy. Then learn the song on the uke, and try to bring it all together. Definitely as some others have said start more simply, and go slowly. For sure the most important thing is practice, practice often but in a way that is joy-making.

nahtanoj said:

my trick for songs i'm struggling with, where the words don't necessarily land on the strum, is to just play through the song, no singing. next, you add humming. easy to throw out notes, no need to think "what's the next words". then, start singing what you can, and if you start to get stuck go back to the humming, then back to singing when you are back on track. you'll be cruising through the song in no time.
jon

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++ to this.

I'd say that I can't sing and strum rather than I can't play and sing. If the strum is off where the singing lands then I have problems so far (since Christmas). I can't yet play "Werewolves of London." Actually I can play it, and I can sing it, but I can't do both. Either one is VERY easy by itself, but together I have trouble.

Funny story. I had my uke over to my Mom's house about a month ago and I was playing a bit. I mentioned to my sister that I don't think I can play and sing at the same time. Then I did "Wild Rover" and she laughed at me. She said, "What do you mean you can't sing and play at the same time?"

I guess I was really "on" that day. It reminds me of the old saying, "Amateurs practice until they get it right, professionals practice until they can't get it wrong."

What about getting yourself a singer to work with?

When I first typed that I meant to have the singer do the singing so you wouldn't have to do both, but now that I'm thinking about it that might be a way to learn to sing while you play too.

Let the singer sing the whole thing, sing the parts you can. Keep expanding the parts you can sing. This would work with recorded music too. Listen to your parts separate and then listen to how they go together.

Inner Prop said:

++ to this.

I'd say that I can't sing and strum rather than I can't play and sing. If the strum is off where the singing lands then I have problems so far (since Christmas).

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I know what you mean, if the vocals a bit lazy and meandering, like Billie Holiday often is, it's difficult as you're dealing with 2 sets of timing at once! Most of them time the playing and the singing match up pretty well though and it just a case of practising, dropping back volumewise on the playing for yourself when you're singing, and I like the foot tapping tip too, helps you get 'into' it. And yep, there's nothing like practise, a year ago I was sure I'd never sing and play. You just have to keep going even when it's going badly and you start to hate your own voice. It passes

First of all, get the beat down.Rhythm is everything, and once you figure that out, the song will come to you. Find a comfortable tempo, and try to be relaxed. Singing and playing simultaneously is easier than you might expect.

I agree with doc. The other thing too is that you just need to know the song well. Once you got the rhythm, chords etc down so that the playing side of things is happening unconsciously, then adding the vocal won't be so intimidating

I can't sing in tune for the life of me by myself but if someone else is singing, I can sing right along without a problem. I follow well, so what do I do when it's my turn at the local jam session? We're expected to start out and "lead". (They maybe changing their opinion of my doing it that way.) I've been doing this 6 weeks now and I can tell a difference in my playing but not my singing. (learning the uke, not going to jams, I've been to 3 of those)