Why can't I sing while I play an instrument?

Question:I don't know why this is. I have a very good sense of rhythm, and near-perfect pitch (only when relative to other notes though).

I play an electric guitar - usually the lead part, so the peice is more complex than simply changing the chord every few beats. There's a separate melody to follow. Whenever I try to sing while a play, I almost immediately lose my timing on the guitar, or I have to stop singing to think about when to hit the next note.

Is this common? I've seen so many guitarists able to sing and play at the same time. Is it a matter of 'some have it and some don't', or does practise change anything?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I don't know why this is. I have a very good sense of rhythm, and near-perfect pitch (only when relative to other notes though).

I play an electric guitar - usually the lead part, so the peice is more complex than simply changing the chord every few beats. There's a separate melody to follow. Whenever I try to sing while a play, I almost immediately lose my timing on the guitar, or I have to stop singing to think about when to hit the next note.

Is this common? I've seen so many guitarists able to sing and play at the same time. Is it a matter of 'some have it and some don't', or does practise change anything?

i've been playing and singing for over 20 years and if you can find a good answer to this question let me know. I'm convinced it's a matter of some have it and the rest of us don't. i have adapted my playing style to a call and response type where i sing the melody line and do sweet fills between lines and then do my thing on lead, but to play and sing at the same time, other than basic chords underneath, is damn near impossible. the only time i can make it work is when there is lead under the vocal which closely follows the vocal line. good thing for me i have a good rythm guitarist who only wants to be a rythm player. i'd be willing to bet alot of these guys you see "singing and playing at the same time" aren't really playing that much, just looking like they are....alot of times i'll hold a chord form and scratch the pick across muted strings to give the audience the illusion that i'm playing and singing when i'm not. bet that's happening when you watch alot of these people sing and play.....i know quite a few other guitarists who do this as well....it's rare the peson who can sing one line and play a different line or chord progression under it......it's almost like thinking about something while you carry on a conversation with someone about something completely different....it's just to much of a disconnect between brain and fingers and mouth......the big problem is with recording and making a recording that i can actually perfom on stage....lol...sometimes the lines i pplay recorded i can't reproduce live because i can't play under the vocal line the way i recorded it....I practice several hours a day, and practice hasn't seemed to help with this one bit

its a skill... you are no longer thinking about playing you're thinking about singing... practice, practice, practice... it'll come.

you need to train your brain to think in two different directions, since you are dealing two different strains melody/counter-melody or harmonic melody, and also you have added fingerings and words together so sometimes what you are doing with your fingers on the fret, does not jive with the pattern of words coming out your mouth. to do this follow the other guys advice and practice man -- practice

EASILY u cant collect ur self doing many things, u just can concentrate doing only one thing, on the contrary , i can read something and sing a song, and write something else and look at a picture ! lol , i can concentrate doing many things at the same moment but not as fast as if doing each one as single job.

its hard
but you can

Since you do have a knack for rhythm, that's a certain degree of talent right there, more so than most common citizens. Although I am not a commercial musician (no personal albums released) and I enjoy playing Asian music more than Western music, only teaching my daughter music at home, I do agree, for the most part, with the professional rockstar above. I learned the guitar first, at the age of 7, before taking any professional vocal training lessons. So singing and playing at the same time, even with the ancient/traditional Vietnamese and Chinese string instruments, has never been a problem for me. I think it was the familiarity with the contrasting traditional Asian musical rhythms and Western musical rhythms, along with learning the guitar first before starting vocal training that helped me. But I do know exactly what you mean with the contrasting harmony and vocal melody coordination.

What I would recommend is try practicing each part separately first before putting the 2 together. For example, when you practice your vocals, make a conscious effort to hear the guitar part in your mind, and vice versa. And in your spare time, listen to a wide variety of musical genres. Listen for each individual part, how each instrument is played for each part. Practice this listening skill until it becomes 2nd nature to you. This technique/ear-training enabled me to "hear" other music parts in my head when singing or playing, which contributed to the coordination of vocal and instrumental playing. My personal struggle was more in the breathing coordination of developing the correct vocal technique (4 years of basic vocal training and daily practice before moving to the next level) than in the rhythm coordination. That part took some patience for me. And now I am into the Chinese/Vietnamese opera level, which I find is a bit harder than Western opera in that Chinese & Vietnamese are "tonal" languages, so I have a harder time focusing on "enunciating" the actual tone of each word into the notes. Indeed, there are----and have been in history, such as Mozart or Beethoven----some musical prodigies out there, capable of professional level since toddlerhood and childhood, but most musicians (professional or not) still need to practice, practice, and more practice. They just don't broadcast how much they have practiced, that's all.

Therefore, don't be so hard on yourself right now. And don't give up just because people tell you, "some have it and some don't." Innate talent might help a bit to make the practicing process a bit easier, but we still need practice. I know you will get there.

its an aquired skill?...however!...you will always find someone who can't walk down the street and chew gum at the same time!...I pity the drummer of the band he has to split his brain into 4????...