How To Play Guitar and Sing at the Same Time

Playing guitar and singing simultaneously is a skill that takes a lot of practice to master, and while you may feel frustrated because you can’t do it, you should not give up. Being able to sing and play guitar simultaneously requires the right approach to learning and mastering, and while it can take time, everyone can learn how to do it.

In this complete guide, we’ll show you the best way to learn how to play guitar and sing at the same time.

Why can’t you sing and play guitar at the same time?

Playing guitar and singing at the same time requires a lot of coordination and practice to be able to master it perfectly. While most guitar players can sing parts of a song, if there are too many chord progressions in a song or intricate details, it becomes complicated to focus on singing and playing at the same time correctly.

While it is difficult to learn how to sing and play guitar at the same time, it is entirely possible to learn how to do it. What it takes is just a dedicated and special approach, with long practice hours. Let’s look at how you can start learning how to play guitar and sing at the same time.

How to learn to play guitar and sing at the same time

Before we jump right into the steps you need to take, it is essential to remember what you need to be able to do it.

What you need to learn how to play guitar and sing

• Basic guitar skills

Before learning to sing, you need to master the guitar itself. You don’t have to be a guitar virtuoso, but you must have basic guitar skills, which means playing a few chords and having a consistent and proper strumming style. If you are still learning how to play chords and strum your guitar, you should start by focusing on that first before jumping into playing and singing.

• Basic singing skills

You will also need to be able to sing, at least on a basic level. While you do not have to be a fantastic singer, it will be essential to singing the right notes at the right tempo. This can also be practiced over time.

• Patience

While learning anything on the guitar, you will have to be patient. It takes time to master and learn certain things, and playing guitar and singing simultaneously requires a lot of patience to learn.

• Dedication 

Dedication and devotion to your goal are also must-haves because, without them, you will not be able to learn how to do it. Learning how to play guitar and sing simultaneously may require hundreds of hours of practice, and if you are not dedicated to it, you might eventually give up along the way.

• Practice

Finally, the most important thing you will need is practice, and this is certainly the most important step you will need to be able to learn and master this technique.

How to start learning to play guitar and sing at the same time

Before you start playing around and trying to sing, you should take this process in an organized and methodical way, and it all starts with choosing the right song.

Choose a simple song

Choosing a simple song is crucial to practice over and over again and start to improve your skills. Here is what you need to consider to choose the right song:

• Simple strumming patterns

You want to make sure you choose a song with simple strumming patterns because this will be easier to play and gives your brain the ability to focus more on the singing. This is also very advantageous if you are somewhat of an inexperienced guitar player, giving you room to focus more on the singing.

• Low tempo

A song with a low tempo is also important because you want to avoid having to play fast chords when you are just trying to learn how to sing and play at the same time.

• Start with a song that only has 2 or 3 chords

Finally, you want to have a song with only 2 or 3 chords because this will allow you to focus on the singing instead of the different chords and chord changes throughout the song.

Here are a few easy songs you can consider using if you are learning to play guitar and sing.

Start humming

When you initially start to learn how to sing and play guitar, you want to focus on humming instead of singing. It will be much easier to hum the right notes and keep the right tempo than singing and articulating words and sentences. For this reason, you want to focus on the humming first and progressively start singing as your humming becomes more controlled.

Lower the tempo

When you start singing, you may find it difficult to play and sing at the song’s original tempo, which may be difficult to do, especially in the beginning. If this is the case, you can lower the tempo and play and sing slowly to master each progression, chord, and singing part.

Practice, practice, practice

Lastly, you want to focus on practicing a lot. Remember that you will not be able to do this unless you start deeply focusing on practicing at all times. Practice is difficult because you’ll not sound great initially, but you should not give up despite the initial hurdles.

How do you practice strumming and singing at the same time?

To practice strumming and singing, you should do it extremely slowly, with a low tempo, because it will be easier and you will adapt to it much quicker. If you go straight for the more difficult and fast songs, you will also feel a certain frustration because you might be unable to play everything correctly.

How long does it take to learn to sing while playing guitar?

It will take at least 2 weeks to a month to really master how to sing and play guitar at the same time if you already have good guitar and singing skills. If you are still learning how to sing or play guitar, it may take longer because you still have to master those individually.

Is it necessary for guitar players to sing?

While guitar players don’t need to sing, it is always an excellent way of complementing a live performance, whether you are playing on stage or for friends and family. It also gives you a confidence boost that you can perform a few songs and sing them correctly. 

Conclusion

While it is complicated to be able to coordinate playing guitar and singing, it is entirely possible to do it. It takes a lot of practice, dedication, and the right approach to be able to master it, and almost anyone can do it, as long as you have basic guitar and singing skills. Start today by choosing a simple song, and in a few weeks, you will be playing and singing at the same time perfectly in tune!