Can You Play Lead Guitar AND Sing in a Band?
Keep the lead guitar questions coming! I liked this one:
Question: I really want to be a lead singer and a lead guitarist,even though it seems hard.But most of the lead singers I’ve heard play rhythm guitars instead of lead.So is it possible or do I have to choose?
It’s harder because my mind hasnt focused on doing two big things at once.Most of the song I play are fast paced,not all,but sometimes when I sing it messes up my playing,or vice versa,but I havent been playing even a year so hopefully I’ll get better
It’s harder because my mind hasnt focused on doing two big things at once.Most of the song I play are fast paced,not all,but sometimes when I sing it messes up my playing,or vice versa,but I havent been playing even a year so hopefully I’ll get better
Answer: Hello there,
There are no rules. You can do anything in your band, that your band-mates will let you do.
I have seen bands where any member may be the main singer. A keyboard player, the bassist, the rhythm guitarist, the lead guitarist or even the drummer. No rules. Just what ever works for your band.
Later,
i mean i guess its possibble, if you ya know work extra hard
you could just get a lead guitarist and then like you said play rythym
Let me answer this this way,
Jimi Hendrix, ’nuff said, then there is,
Seven Nation Army
Nirvana
Lou Reed and The Animals
Patty Smith
Joan Jett
Heart
Pink Floyd, David Gilmore
and the list goes on and on.
Amateurs are restricted to rhythm when they sing (which is most of the crap bands today).
Any decent musician can tell you it makes sense for a lead guitarist to be the singer. Who is playing melody? The lead guitarist. What does the singer sing? The melody line.
It’s practical to combine the two. If you know you sing in D or E, you can transpose the melody and your solos to the right key. It’s better than being one of those useless never-go-beyond-my-garage musicians who keeps barking at a lead guitarist to change the key.
Look at the great rock bands of the past, and you’ll notice the lead guitarist is often also the singer. Speaking of which, how is it harder? I can solo just as well when I’m singing. Plucking or soloing should be just as intuitive as strumming. If it isn’t, then no offence but you need more practice.
alexi laiho seems to think so
You generally wouldn’t be singing and playing lead at the same time. How often have you ever seen that happen in a song?