How to sing while playing the guitar (6 practical tips for beginners)
By Margaret | June 15, 2019
Accompanying yourself on the guitar (so-called “self-accompaniment”) can be a tricky thing, especially if you are a beginner guitarist. The main challenges arise due to the combination of the different strumming rhythm patterns and the voice itself.
Songs (as well as instrumental and classical music) are based on four main elements—melody, rhythm, harmony, and dynamic. The first three are essential and bear the main composer idea. When you sing a song, your voice performs a melody while your guitar plays harmony. Both have equal characteristics—its rhythm, but the rhythm of melody and accompaniment are often different. And it is the combination of different rhythms that makes the composition complete and incomparable.
So, what’s happening when we sing without instrumental accompaniment? The only things that control your brain are vocal intonation with the rhythm of your melody line. If you have good ears, singing a cappella or with backing tracks will not be difficult for you.
Quite another thing happens when we try to sing and play an instrument at the same time. Here the real challenge starts. Below you will find six tips on how to sing correctly while accompanying yourself on guitar:
- 1. Choose the easiest song in terms of intonation and rhythm. If you are a beginner, you may not be able to sing and play such songs as “Chandelier” by Sia, “Halo” by Beyoncé, “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele or “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston right away. I suggest starting with “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift, “A Thousand Years” by Cristina Perri, “Photograph” by Ed Sheeran, “Love You Like A Love Song” by Selena Gomez or “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz. In the beginning, try to avoid difficult or syncopated rhythms or songs with key changes.
- 2. Choose the easiest strumming pattern. Below you can see four of the most useful beginner strumming patterns. Hundreds of songs can be accompanied with them. Practice them slowly first without singing and learn them by heart. You need to know both vocal and accompaniment parts to a state of automatism.
- 3. After you’ve mastered the guitar accompaniment, it’s time to sing while playing the guitar. Break the song into short phrases and perform them at a slow pace. It’s important to notice which direction you move your strumming hand on each syllable. Below is an example of the song “Riptide” by Vance Joy. You can see 10 syllables for the ten strums contained in two bars. Try to break down your new song in the same manner.
- 4. Once you have successfully completed the preceding points, you can play your song faster. Increase the pace step by step.
- 5. Generally, beginner guitarists cannot keep the tempo stable and tend to speed up without realizing it. A metronome can help you correct this tendency, so practice with it sometimes. And remember to play your song slowly from time to time, controlling every hand movement.
- 6. Tip for vocal intonation: The guitar is your friend and can help you sing on pitch. Playing melody notes on the guitar as references will help you improve your pitch intonation and accuracy.
Follow these easy steps, and you will be able to accompany yourself skillfully. If you need individual support, sign up for vocal lessons at Edora MS. I would be happy to help you with your learning.
Choose the easiest song in terms of intonation and rhythm. If you are a beginner, you may not be able to sing and play such songs as “Chandelier” by Sia, “Halo” by Beyoncé, “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele or “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston right away. I suggest starting with “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift, “A Thousand Years” by Cristina Perri, “Photograph” by Ed Sheeran, “Love You Like A Love Song” by Selena Gomez or “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz. In the beginning, try to avoid difficult or syncopated rhythms or songs with key changes.
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