Andy, this is a great topic that doesn't get covered. I am glad someone asked the question and you are taking this on. Playing guitar is one skill, singing while playing is another, and keeping the timing right is yet another hurdle. I struggle with this and I am looking forward to this series. Take care my friend. Cheers from Texas!🤠
I really enjoyed this video and actually find it to be helpful the way you described playing a guitar is like building a house from the floors to the roof. Very good way of describing the different levels, which I feel I could relate to. Thank you for this information Andy. Now to video Part #2 on this topic.
Andy, great idea and video. Looking forward to the series. 100% agree with your comment about the Dylan song. I am working to learn it, but the speed everyone seems to use causes me trouble trying to fit the words with the guitar. Now I feel more at liberty to slow it down.
Hi, precisely! The words and construction are quite profound, so a slow tempo suits the "story" far better. If you would like one-to-one guidance, I have some vacancies at present.
What perfect timing for me for this series. I have been working on changing chords smoothly and feeling like I am getting pretty close but when I add in the singing, the two just don’t mesh. Loki g forward to each episode of the upcoming series.
Looking forward to this series. I'm sure it will help me. I can play a few songs without paper infront of me in pubs(three songs gets a free pint) and community centres but really need to get tighter with keeping in time and to find an ' easy' voice as I sometimes struggle with pitch.
@@SillyMoustache Might be just a Liverpool tradition, if you get up and perform at an open mic night there's a free drink at the bar. Keeps live entertainment going and a safe opportunity if you are learning your craft. I just do it for fun,or as they say do something that frightens you to show you are alive.
Hi, My guitar is a "00" sized build. Actually, there is no absolute definition of a "parlour" guitar, but prior to the 20th C guitars were far smaller and designed largely for ladies in polite society to "entertain" friends in the "parlour" or lounge/sitting room. Martin decided to make guitars in various sizes based on anticipated audience size "1" ("standard" -hardly ever seen) a size 2 (smaller, "amateur"), then with reverse logic - size "0" (concert - large room - maybe 15-30 people) Size "00" - (Grand Concert" - for maybe village or church hall, 40-250 people) then "000" - Auditorium" (Small theatre, i.e greater than 300 seats) . NOTE: these are my estimates based on my research, and could be contested. The Auditorium was the largest Martin available from 1902 until 1931, when Martin introduced the original (12 fret) dreadnought in 1931. Maybe I should do a video on this! Thanks for watching!
I’m looking forward to this series Andy. Just for the fun of it, in the last few months I have been giving guitar lessons to a couple of friends. I have played guitar for over 50 years, but I have never tried to teach anyone before, and I anxiously await your thoughts on the learning process.
Hi, I really started teaching in Spring 2020 during the first covid lockdown. I have had to learn how to teach, and no two people are the same. A good teacher needs to learn how best their clients learn.
Thanks, Andy. I started more as a singer and needed something to keep me on key. Sometimes I have to change tempo or speed because those singing with me slow with the volume of words to get through. Even working with some of their speech therapists. Folks can sing even if they lose speech. Singing can bring speech back & is.
@SillyMoustache correct. I meant to finish that we are bringing speech back to 3 folks. Song, music, and rhythm are the last to be impacted by dementia. Trick is to find what songs a person remembers. Few children know what their parents liked way back.
So I started out being made to play the piano as a kid. I eventually quit that and in school picked up the cello and finally quit that in highschool. And for finally got back into music in my mid 40s and picked up the banjo. Frustrated with the type of lessons I moved into guitar. For me it's like you said to me in a comment I want to play guitar, banjo etc. I don't want to just play songs. Only time I sing is driving alone. Mainly because I don't have the correct knowledge to put it all together correctly. So this has got me curious and excited to see where it goes.
I enjoyed your comments about "Don't Think Twice It's All Right." I listened to the original and Dylan's playing of the song was leaner than others that have followed. The accompaniment should fit the mood of the song, not overwhelm the singer.
This week I had a great experience: had about 22 of my regular audience (average age 88) and had 19 2nd graders (age 8 or so) at the sing-along session. It was fun, and they knew many refrains/ choruses. Thanks Andy
“ the guitar is secondary but vital. “ that’s so true. That’s why practicing my guitar playing helped me a lot. Because now I can focus more on my singing and my voice while the guitar playing still sounds good and functions as the orchestra or supporting sound for the singing voice.
I''m interested to see where you go with this. Great topic. I'm still struggling with this. Often when I practice just play the root of each bar or chord change, then sing. It seems to help me.
Good topic. It can be discouraging watching online guitar instructors doing all sorts of fancy things… but remember… they usually are not singing! I look at it like this, you can sort of play without thinking too much. But you can’t sing without thinking. So unless you are Eric Clapton, the playing has to be simple while singing. It’s got to be on autopilot.
Um, yes, I guess so. A considerable amount of my repertoire I've been singing and playing for 25-30 years, and my hands have developed the playing stuff - that's all pretty much automatic, but the lyrics ? Well I'm 75 and starting to gorget loads of stuff, so I do forget lyrics. um, I don't think my playing is "simple" though, as I play my rhythm, bass runs and melodies all built in.
Thanks - before I added the fretmarkers, and the pick guard - no-one took much notice of it. 25 years old now. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7VZho3s9DNA.html
As usual your videos are very informative and this one is no exception. But, as some who as a singing voice that scares small children and makes babies cry. I try not to sing except in the shower. George in Montana
Coincidently, I started off as a drummer too. American folk boom in the 60s influenced my learning to play guitar, sing and play harmonica at the same time. It seemed natural to me. A kid with a dream.
Hi Joshua, my "conversion was in about '64,65, when a "ladyfriend" convinced me to drive her to a folk festival to see Tom Rush. As a long haired R&B, and Soul" drummer I disdained such things until I saw him and thought - "I wanna do that!"
That is frequently advised, but in in my experience, those who practice x 3alone without any advice or mentorship, frequently practice mistakes which once imprinted are difficult to correct.
Everybody is different , if you are born to sing you will sing , otherwise you might need to do that 1 2 3 4 thing , but it seems robotic like predictible and so very unnatural .
Thank you for your comment, however, I think that it is a little simplistic. We can all benefit from guidance, in skills AND confidence, and I aim to offer it to those who feel they need it.
