Playing and doing vocals at the same time.

I've been attempting this, and I just can't do it. Like, AT ALL.

Trying to "just do it" seems absolutely impossible, so I figure there must be some trick to it.

What technique do people use to learn how to play and sing songs at the same time?

Get really good at both first. Having a keen sense of note values and timing can't hurt either.

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i found just talking to someone while jamming away at riffs was a great way to help.

Patience is a technique that never seems to fail. My friend can sing and play guitar simultaneously and it took him about a year to get it down for the most part. It's just all about focus. Start with songs that have simple playing and vocals and work your way up. It also helps if you already play in a band or to play/sing along with a recorded song.

edit: withinexile is right, also.

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first learn to play the guitar part well. then learn the vocal part. Then play the guitar part while hearing in your head where all the vocals should go. Then apply the vocals to the playing at the same time. This seems to work the best for me. also practicing to the cd doesn't hurt either

I dabble in my band, and some stuff I can't do, but other stuff isn't too hard. If the guitar and vocal rhythms are similar it helps of course.

I agree that knowing the guitar part very well helps, you then can concentrate on the vocals more. Might be useful to practice along to a metronome/drum machine or something to help you stay even.

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people like dave mustaine and alexi laiho are very disheartening when trying to learn to play and sing at the same time. It's one thing being a rhythm guitarist and singing, but a lead and vocalist..impossible.
Practice helps the best, and the slow to fast songs helps too

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Take in the fact that when the guitar is pressing down on your lungs while you're playing, it's a hell of a lot harder to sing and play at the same time. I started out with just growls and gutterals thrown in with whatever I was jamming along to (kinda like backup vox) to get myself used to how I had to sing when I had a guitar laying across my chest. As other people have suggested, learning how both parts work together slow helps you dig into the timing more and get the proper messages going to your brain of how to sing x and play y at the same time.

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practice the riff you want to sing over until you can do it without even thinking about it.

After a while the harder riffs aren't really super bad to sing over. I've been singing and playing at the same time in my band for about two and a half years. The more you do it, the easier it becomes.

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First I learn the guitar part well. Then I write the lyrics in big block letters and place them in front of me, reading them while I play, over and over. I find that after awhile I pick up cues and create associations with the words and notes that create memory triggers.

Then I try singing, then I go back to reading. Singing - Reading - Singing - Reading - Singing until I get it.

This works for me I hope it helps you.

EDIT: I find it works better if I'm not plugged in

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try just practicing singing with struming songs. like acoustic style shit. i think its alot easier to sing along with. then when you get used to that move up and start playin harder songs with alot of picking and shit like that. i could sing along with holy wars at one time but ive goten shittier with less practice. but im getting back into playing now so ill be better soon

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Ya man, I know in my band's song Godforsaken, I match the beat of the vocals with the beat of my guitar part (I do lead vocals + lead guitar) so it's easy for me

I've actually found from experience it's far easier to not thing about doing both things at the same time, and do it when it feels natural. Don't FORCE yourself to sing and play at the same time, rather practice in little pieces. What I mean is, play a portion of the riff (a small piece) and try to slowly sync your voice with it.

It's easier than playing it full speed and going for the kill while you really don't have much practice, which would lead to infinite frustration.

Give Muhammed Suiçmez a call and ask for some lessons

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my suggestion for learning to play and sing at the same time is playing a song over and over until you can sing along with it...Like the first song I learned to sing and play was Seek and Destroy by Metallica...I had the guitar down pretty well...i.e. memorized the song and then I started to try and sing along with the track. I fucked up a lot but I made sure the track was a little higher than my guitar so as to not get discouraged on my fuck ups while trying to sing along. Eventually I got it to where I could sing and play.

With my own song I wrote I didn't seem to have nearly the trouble of playing and singing...which makes sense...

Oh one thing you might want to be able to do before you move on to playing and singing is being able to rock out and play...sounds dumb but if you can walk around, talk, and dink around on guitar while still maintaining your ability to play the song it will be way easier to sing to...

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knowing the song really well helps, and i set checkpoints for singing. like when does the verse start, when does the chorus, etc.

Like other said before, learn both separately, and learn them well. Otherwise you will go and do the two things at the same time and you will put stress to the singing and guitar playing and things will go wrong. Relax.

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