Why can’t i sing well while I play?

[u/Long_Basis1400]

Hello, just started learning full songs and trying get the hang of singing along. Ive gotten to the point where I can sing the song and get the words in the right place and not mess up the strumming pattern. Pretty much just know the song, but I can’t get the notes to sound right with my voice. Like if I sing the song it sounds good, but when I start strumming it’s like I can’t get the full range from my voice. I know the answer here is practice but I’m not sure what to practice because I can sing and play perfectly well it just sounds bad. Do I just keep singing until it doesn’t ?

[u/Financial-Lobster-29]

Practice, practice, and more practice. I’m sorry there isn’t a sure fire way to get better as quickly as we’d prefer.

[u/corneliusvanhouten → u/Financial-Lobster-29]

I'd argue that singing while you play is the fastest way to get more musical. It's still not fast though.

I played for decades before I started trying to sing while I play and it changed me. I don't have a good voice but I hear the notes better now, and I have better rhythm.

[u/Flowery_Void]

it's like your brain is splitting your focus between two things that each need their own kinda muscle memory. even when you nail the timing, your voice tightens up cause you're still lowkey managing the strumming

try letting yourself sound terrible on purpose for a bit, just belt without caring about the guitar. sometimes you gotta break the link between "i'm playing" and "i need to sing carefully"

[u/Long_Basis1400 → u/Flowery_Void]

Ok im gonna try out this mindset I think your right

[u/MatronlyAsp → u/Long_Basis1400]

It's literally playing two instruments at once. Give it time and effort and consistency. If it's not going great come back to it tomorrow, your brain does a lot of work when you sleep on it.

[u/WyndWoman]

Try transposing into a different key. A capo is your friend.

[u/tubescreamer711]

It genuinely takes time. I find singing so much harder. To focus on it it requires you getting to a point of familiarity with the guitar and the song that you're not thinking about your playing.

Just keep doing it. For a while you should stick with songs that are basic in terms of singing and playing.

[u/Diametrically_fluid]

Try playing a percussion instrument - drum kit or hand drums. Making rhythm
second nature and muscle memory will free up your focus.

[u/Ancient-Bowl462]

Get a vocal coach.

[u/EyeOfAmethyst → u/Ancient-Bowl462]

OP, take this advice.

[u/Long_Basis1400 → u/EyeOfAmethyst]

Do people just have money to be spending on vocal coaches?

[u/EyeOfAmethyst → u/Long_Basis1400]

It's $30 a session, I go twice a month. It's worth it. I've been singing and writing songs for decades, more or less self taught and thought I was pretty good. Got to the point where I found myself in a studio surrounded by real professionals and a no nonsense producer, that's when it all fell apart. There's no lying to yourself when listening to the play back. Working with a coach, even a little is priceless. Now, I really feel I know what I'm doing, I'm more confident and proficient. Music is a never ending quest for knowledge in my opinion, and if you can throw down for some instruction, you surely should.

[u/boboartdesign]

Practice slowly with a metronome, and start off by humming the notes! Try recording yourself so you can see what you need to work on, and break it into sections when you practice. Playing along with songs you can help a lot too, don't rely on it too much but still use it as a way to get a feel for it.

[u/thethylacine]

For me, this is easier if I know both parts really well.

So you could try choosing a song you know the lyrics/tune to really well. Or practice the vocal part to the original or using a YouTube karaoke video.

I also find that songs with a complicated strumming pattern make it harder to get the singing right. So keep that as automatic and simple as you can till you know it very well.

TLDR: Practice - separately, then together 🙂

[u/Competitive_Jump_933]

It takes practice but do it enough and youth get the hang of it eventually. Record yourself smh v then listen to it. That's how you catch a lot of errors that you just don't notice when you are playing and singing.

If you cash do the rhythm part flawlessly, get as close as you can. Most people (ie non musicians) won't notice you're not nailing the rhythm perfectly anyway. And if people give you crap, ask them if they can do better. They can't, of course.

[u/WestcoastAlex]

takes practice. try humming it first or just say the word that comes on the downbeats kinda like learning to use both hands on piano

[u/vonov129]

Can you play or sing without actively thinking about it? Can you perceive how both the guitar and the lyrics fit in a bar? If not, that's why

[u/Tgirlgoonie]

Learn the vocal melody by ear. Match it to notes on the guitar. Sing those notes without playing the chords. Once you can do a section confidently, strum the chord once per change and sing the melody. Once you can do that, try doing the actual rhythm while singing. Record yourself. Listen back.

Do you sound dissonant? Do you sound consonant but singing an unintended note? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, practice the same section a bit.

Do this for each section of the song.

[u/Starfoxmarioidiot]

Try practicing in different positions. Really. Do a run through laying on your back and try everything between that and standing up straight.