Ross Brown Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 I sing lead vocals on several songs. I sang back up for the first time in my life today at rehearsal. We got no one else that will do it and we have a few places where we need it. I did not suck but I have work to do. Today was more about seeing how it felt and if I could pull it off. My voice projects loud... I need to really step away from the mic. Any advice on singing back up? Picture ZZ top or Howlin Wolf singing back up... it's a bit rough but I think I can smooth it out. The lead vocal is a female. "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally Malone Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 Phrasing, breathe together! Wally I have basses to play, places to be and good music to make! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted February 5, 2012 Share Posted February 5, 2012 .. I need to really step away from the mic. ^^This^^ Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 I used to sing a lot of backings with The Dapper Dans but in retrospect it was more a case of co-lead vocals in places. With Dusty Dollar I have started doing proper backings and have found it to be a discipline in itself. The key, I guess, is listening. What range do you need to sing in for the backings, can you handle it and does it harmonize well or not? I am terrible at it, but my band mates are patient plus I usually sing backup on the songs in E or A, and tend to sing in a low E regardless :grin: "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 No harmonies..... just simple stuff. "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b5pilot Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 No harmonies? Not much point singing backup without harmony. Anyway, watch your volume and stay back from the mike if you are overpowering the lead. Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it. http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Gollihur Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 MONITORS!! An absolute necessity for successful backup vocals. 1000 Upright Bass Links, Luthier Directory, Teacher Directory - http://www.gollihurmusic.com/links.cfm [highlight] - Life is too short for bad tone - [/highlight] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddiePlaysBass Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 No harmonies? Not much point singing backup without harmony. Well it depends. If your voice blends well with the lead singer's voice, that is cool too. I had that with The Dapper Dans, but neither the singer nor I were good singers so it was more a case of matching off-key vocals Ross, did you record anything? That too, can work wonders! "I'm a work in progress." Micky Barnes The Ross Brown Shirt World Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 No harmonies? Not much point singing backup without harmony. Well it depends. If your voice blends well with the lead singer's voice, that is cool too. Well, sure. But I agree more with the "Not much point in singing backup without harmonies". The harmonies really really really kick it up. Things are just the way they are, and they're only going to get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 The back ups I am talking about are not fancy. No one else in the band is singing back up. Think Some Kind of Wonderful, where I sing "some kind of wonderful" over and over while the lead singer does her stuff over top.... I do think that there were parts that she sang in unision with me. It may have been different harmonic parts by accident. I will go back and listen to the recordings. Another song Medicine (Grace Potter) I just sing together with her during the one chorus... Attitude (Wynonna) I just give a few phrases some extra beef... and I do a call and response with her... Nothing fancy yet... "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Fascinating. I had a conversation with a bass prospect for my cover band, and this was one of the questions that came up - how are the backup vocals handled? I happily informed him that not only do we have two "lead" vocalists (mother and daughter, both are ridiculously good sopranos with outstanding presence and control), but both I and the lead guitarist sing, and we participate in the backing vocals on a number of songs along with each of us singing lead on occasion. I suggested that, if he were interested, we could certainly get him involved in our regular "harmony sessions" we do outside of full band rehearsal. Come to find out, his question was more rooted in his experience with cover bands, that most of them don't put any effort into backing vocals other than the occasional singing along in the chorus. It was a great relief to him to know that we had four capable singers in the group and that he would not be pressed into service with his self-described "raspy, weak-ass voice"... A bunch of loud, obnoxious music I USED to make with friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Dan Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 No harmonies? Not much point singing backup without harmony. Well it depends. If your voice blends well with the lead singer's voice, that is cool too. I've never heard that sound good. Usually it just comes off as amateur-ish. It's a big pet peeve of mine - where the harmonies are supposed to be, one or more of the band members chime in with the singer in unison, except singing badly. Even if they sing well, it usually sounds better without them. If they're not singing the correct backup parts, I'd rather they just keep their mouths shut. And I've never understood why it's so hard to pick out a harmony. We're musicians in cover bands, we pick out our instrument parts all day long. It's just another part to pick out - you listen and figure it out. Once you figure it out, you practice it until it's burned in your brain. Done. As far as mix goes, if you're ONLY singing backups (no lead), then why not just turn down your mic if you sing louder? That's why God invented mixers. Now for sure, whether it's lead or backup, using good mic dynamics will improve any vocal performance. A compressor on the vocals can help as well. Dan Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard W Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 I can sing pretty well, and can play bass pretty well, and I would give my left nut to be able to both at the same time. My band spends a lot of time working on vocal harmonies, and I feel like I'd have more to contribute if I didn't find it so difficult to sing and play at the same time. It's a frustration of mine. "Everyone wants to change the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves." Leo Tolstoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Step back from the mic. Sometimes simplify either the bass or the vocal part. I found it easier sometimes to sing higher parts as they were very distinct from the bass in my imagination. When I started singing back-up I thought the problem would be singing and playing bass at the same time. It turned out that that was an awful lot less of a problem than singing in tune was. Luckily I don't have to sing back-up these days - I pity the poor people who had to listen to me. http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 I think singing backup and playing bass is tough. I've done a little and I always sacrificed my bass line in terms of difficulty, and quit singing if I got really messed up. I found/find it easier to sing higher stuff as well. As with any skill, it takes practice. You just have to do it a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBFLA Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 I had to have either the bass part or the vocal completely memorized to be able to do the other with no distraction. As mentioned, monitors are a godsend - especially to hear how your blend is with lead vocals. Jim Confirmed RoscoeHead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Dan Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 Practice, practice, practice. Learn each part well enough that it's almost involuntary - a no-brainer. THEN put them together. Usually timing is the initial issue - if so, start very slow and nail down in your brain exactly how the 2 parts lay together. When you're comfortable with that, start speeding it up. Practice them together until you can do them together without thinking - you will need to, because in your brain, you have to lock the bass to the drums timing-wise, and backup to lead vocals pitch-wise. They are 2 independent things that require you to sort of focus on 2 different things at the same time. If you're still trying to remember your part, you can't do it. Your parts have to be nailed first. I think the most difficult backup and bass line combination I played was The Tubes "She's a Beauty" on the part "but don't fall in love" ...the little bass run it does comes in on the upbeat during "fall" and doesn't really go with the part. Dan Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally Malone Posted February 7, 2012 Share Posted February 7, 2012 What 80s-LZ said above!"Practice, practice, practice. Learn each part well enough that it's almost involuntary - a no-brainer. THEN put them together." I don't see how anyone could expect to do two things at the same time if they can't do each individually. Wally I have basses to play, places to be and good music to make! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I've actually found it easier to sing backup vocals and play bass. At least, it's easier than singing LEAD and playing bass. And everyone has been pretty spot on here: -Know both your bass part and the vocal part like the back of your hand-Use good monitors so that you can hear yourself well-Record your rehearsals so that you can review both your playing & singing-If it is at all possible to hold a vocals only rehearsals, do it. At these it can help to have either a keyboard or guitar player present, but not the full band. Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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