[crazychu]

Let me know if i'm not alone!

how do you guys do it?

what do you play?

my problem:
I tend do play rhythm during some parts with some overdrive, it's really hard to play lead, and riffs/solos while singing. Yeah i have a problem playing syncopated notes and singing at the same time, is there a way to fix this? or improve on this?

[relient nelson]

I lead with my les paul all the time. I usually run it something like this...
Guitar>Chorus>Jekyll and Hyde>DD-6>Volume Pedal>Roland Cube amp> Direct out to the mixer

Sometimes I swap out the chorus for a flange or a few other pedals, but I try to keep it pretty simple.

Usually when I lead I'll play rhythm and take a solo every once in a while.

[rockerclb]

its tough, i usually lead using my electric also. Playing lead and singing at the same time takes lots of work. I'm really not even that great at it so you aren't alone. I usually have another electric playing lead guitar but now our other electric left so i'm kinda entering a new realm as well.

[relient nelson]

I think he means leading worship, like directing the whole band and singing lead vocals, not necessarily playing lead guitar.

[gtrdave]

I lead with my electric about 99% of the time...rarely do I use an acoustic and usually only with small groups and such.

How I do it is simple: I play it and what I play depends on the context of the song that I'm playing.
The effects I use most are a DigiVerb, DOD chorus, DOD analog delay and a modded Boss DS-1 into an Epi Valve Standard tube amp.

The best way to improve your singing and playing is to continue to practice them both, find the one that you're stronger at and practice that even more so that it becomes second-nature, allowing you to focus on the other if needed.
For me, I'm a much stronger guitarist than singer so I make sure I have my guitar parts down so that I can play them in my sleep...then I can concentrate on singing when I need to.

[nate95366]

I lead with the electric guitar quite often - what I do on any given week will usually depend on the band roster for that week. As far as the singing and playing issues go, I would echo what Dave has already said about practicing and add something like, "don't do anything on the guitar (while you're supposed to be singing) that you can't do unless you stop singing." It's a rule that's meant to be broken every now and again, but in general, it lets me know when I'm getting a bit too focused on my guitar playing.

Nate

[rippinforjesus]

I lead my youth group of 200+ every Wednesday night with an electric, and have yet to encounter any problems with it......

[niangelo]

I'm 90% electric. And if I schedule another guitar player, he's electric most of the time.

Syncopating your playing with singing? Practice, practice, practice. Run over the trouble spots slowly, repetitively. Just like piano lessons in grade 6.

[Joe F]

Well it worked for me!

I normally play acoustic while leading in Sunday services. Tonight our church had "Youth Lock In" night. There were like 200+ teenagers at the church playing games, watching movies, listening to sermonettes etc. They are locked in for the night. The Youth Pastor had invited me and the band to come by and do a 45 minute praise and worship set.

Inspired by this thread, I picked up an Epiphone LP Special on Craiglist yesterday for 75.00. I used it tonight instead of my acoustic. I'm am extremely rusty on electric and playing lead so I just played it the same way I would an acoustic. Stumming the rhythm/chords while leading the vocals. Whenever there was a break in the vocals, I just did some simple runs and fills. Just a touch of chorus on a clean channel with the pickup toggle set to give it a little bite. It flat jammed. Sounded a little like a Skynrd praise and worship set! The kids had us do three encores. It's going to be hard going back to acoustic on Sunday, but our multigenerational congregation is still adjusting to our year old transition from hymns only to blended services. Maybe next year! I would want to upgrade the LP though! Ugh..EGAS.

[rummelhart]

I am working on it!

[trpullen]

Yeah, the short answer here is practice.....lots of it.

You need to be able to take your mouth and hands into autopilot. I can do it on a few songs but I need to put in lots of practice time to get there.