Can any of you play guitar but not sing (at all)?

stratoBobster · **Joined:** Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:21 am **Posts:** 959

Is it possible to be a good guitar player and not be able to "carry a tune in a bucket"? I am not talking about having a pleasing tone or range. I mean being a guitar player who can not sing in tune with a song.

If you can play, are you able to figure out guitar chords by ear?

Thank you for your input.

vinnypop · **Joined:** Tue Jun 16, 2009 6:34 am **Posts:** 908

Most people who start learning guitar cannot sing and never sing. The important thing is to learn how to play the instrument and a proficient guitar player will always have a job in a band ( I dont mean youll make heaps of money maybe you will ) a job. All and most bands really only care about good rythm or lead players and keeping in time and not stumbling on chords too much. Being out of tune in voice has no bearing whatsoever in learning to have a good ear in copying songs from radio etc so GO FOR IT !!!!! Pleased to meet you toooooo.

DanLindsey · **Joined:** Thu Jul 30, 2009 6:08 am **Posts:** 16

Ironic you would bring this up because I was in the middle of discovering a new technique to help with this yesterday!

Like you said, singing is about being in tune with the chords of the song, but if you don't know the sounds of each note (or chord) by ear, this is a great exercise to help with both.

I use my top E string (bass/low E) but you could use any string for different pitches etc.

Start humming at a consistent tone/pitch, start low, try to reach down for your inner Barry White.

I started with G, so I would fret the 3rd fret of my low E string and hum until I heard the tone of my voice match that of the amp, you'll get the same fluttering effect when the two tones match much like you do when you tune a guitar using the 5th/7th fret tricks.

Of course this can be taken much further. You could start playing a basic progression like G, C, F, C or something and just do basic sounds with your voice until you can match the key, then start using words.

I'm not the best singer in the world, but practicing this will absolutely train both your ear and your voice. I hope I explained it well, because I showed it to a few of my friends and they really enjoyed it.

mondo500 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 30, 2009 7:19 am

If I were ever to attempt to sing, I would produce a sound like geese farting on a muggy day (to paraphrase Leo Kottke). I'm pretty sure I used to be able to carry a tune as a child, before my voice broke.

In my time I've picked out some reasonably tricky stuff by ear, though... it's been a while since I've had the opportunity, but I used to learn all my flamenco pieces that way, constantly pausing and rewinding tape. I still find that the easiest way, as can never get back to the exact bit that I want on a digital recording.

I took this test the other day and scored 90... I know it's best to take online test results with a grain of salt but it seemed quite comprehensive. I know my ear is better than average (or maybe it's perfectly average for a musician), but I can't sing to save my life. Perhaps if I allowed myself to practice without inhibition sometime I could get over that; guess there's only one way to find out!

vinnypop · **Joined:** Tue Jun 16, 2009 6:34 am **Posts:** 908

If I dont sing for many weeks or months at a time I find that my voice sounds crap and it takes me at least 2 solid weeks of practice singing to get it back again the way it was: PS: My voice isnt a great voice but I have learnt to colour it with feel to make up for my technical prowess which in rock pop is ok.

strrygrrl · **Joined:** Tue Jul 07, 2009 11:05 am **Posts:** 11

There is no need to sing and play guitar at the same time. I did instrumental music for awhile to take a break from singing, and I also know plenty of guitarist who never sang. For some of us there is a strong association with doing both. But most guitarist I want playing lead beside me, don't really sing.

vinnypop · **Joined:** Tue Jun 16, 2009 6:34 am **Posts:** 908

Correctomondo.

nikininja · **Posted:** Thu Jul 30, 2009 8:34 am

I have near pitch perfect hearing, its something i've dilligently worked at for well over 20 years now. Although i can imagine and pitch a note in my mind i just cant vocaly articulate it. I know its due to nothing more than vocal practice, something i've never invested any time in.

flanker35 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 30, 2009 8:49 am

Yeah me

texasguitarslinger · **Posted:** Thu Jul 30, 2009 9:05 am

I never had any desire to sing until I had to start dealing with singers. I'm tired of singers in my band saying that they should be the band leader for no other reason but because they can sing. Singers are also very hard to find and very hard to convince that they need to come to practice. So I'm going to start learning to sing, even though I haven't really done any singing for quite a while.

nikininja · **Posted:** Thu Jul 30, 2009 9:19 am

texasguitarslinger wrote:

I never had any desire to sing until I had to start dealing with singers. I'm tired of singers in my band saying that they should be the band leader for no other reason but because they can sing. Singers are also very hard to find and very hard to convince that they need to come to practice. So I'm going to start learning to sing, even though I haven't really done any singing for quite a while.

Texas
a singer as a frontman in a gigging band is in a lot of ways the band leader. You can be sure no one is going to be enthralled at a lead guitarists ability to front a band unless they sing. Ordiances identify with singers, its a fact of life. The only people that identify with guitarists are other guitarists. That said a singer or any other memeber who refuses to rehearse is a dosser and needs sacking.
Heres some inspiration for you
Hendrix wouldnt have gotten anywhere unless he took the plunge on singing as well as playing. He saw dylan and thought well he cant sing either but he does it.
Its pretty much the same for clapton too.

Off to it that man, sing away.