Sang tonight...

So I showed up tonight, and the WL asked the sound guy for another mike so I could sing backup! This is the first time I've ever sung for people, ever. I'm not terrible (I used to be in the church choir back in elementary school), but it felt like it went pretty well! I noticed 2 main things:

1. I didn't look at the fretboard. Like, at all! I was really surprised about how well I did.

2. I made a lot less effect changes. I just turned on and off whatever I needed before the song, then left it that way... Sound a ton better. Simpler.

I have also decided to use a ton less modulation. With both signals (guitar and voice) blasting out of my monitor, I realized just how hard it is to stay in harmony with the guitar's pitch being bent and twisted so much. Gonna do the singers a favor and back off quite a bit there.

Anyone have experience singing AND playing? Anyone do it on a regular basis? And how do YOU think it affects your stompbox/modulation use?

Yup... I lead the band on Wed nights and two services on Sunday morning, plus whatever extra music is needed. I play my LP 99% of the time, even those times when the band is light.

I found out those same things when I started leading on electric; I have a few drive pedals on my board, but tend to leave my Eternity Fuse on most of the time, and kick in one of the other drives for a solo boost. The Fuse is very touch sensitive, so I can go from fairly clean to crunch by altering my picking... it's too tough to do much tap dancing when you have to sing, too.

I also don't use modulation for the same reason you mentioned... it makes life miserable for the singers, me included. Even too much distortion can make it hard for the singers to find their harmony notes; they tend to have my guitar lower in their monitors & the keyboard turned up.

i have always been much more comfortable singing while playing an instrument than not (piano or guitar) ... and i think this very common ... did you ever try to throw a baseball without a baseball glove on the other hand ???

CONGRATS to you on that achievement! I'm still trying to get there . . . I could do it when I used to play guitar, but now that I've switched over to bass, I find it oh so very hard to do. So, when we play every Sunday morning, I sing out loud . . . no mic . . . while still executing my basslines. I too, have noticed that I don't look at the fretboard when I'm singing. The bass playing is good and the singing is getting easier . . . maybe one day . . . I'll be as brave as you! Good job!

Wow, Congratulations on the WIN!!
I have been trying to sing while playing without stopping playing.
Can't multitask well enough yet...

Maybe I should learn to sing first.

I've been doing both together for so long I can't remember learning how to coordinate them
I regularly switch multi fx programs, turn on & off fx and often control drum machine, including the a/b footswitch, all the while singing and calling out cues and "leading". It's just become second nature
I'm only mediocre at all these things individually.

I lead singing or sing harmony while playing bass, occasionally guitar, with bass, it is quite a trick. You do not see too many pro singers playing bass while singing. Paul McCartney is one.

I lead singing or sing harmony while playing bass, occasionally guitar, with bass, it is quite a trick. You do not see too many pro singers playing bass while singing. Paul McCartney is one.

Sting.

And Lydia (she plays bass for saxiphonist Candy Dulfer):

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