How To Sing and Play Guitar at the Same Time

[@MartyMusic]

Thanks so much for supporting MartyMusic! Also, I have FREE courses for you when you sign my newsletter at www.martymusic.com

[@bustermerryfield241]

Have you learned Last Call by Elliott Smith yet Marty. Haha keep up the good works

[@controllerneo9942]

Hey could you do Alex roe enough from forever my girl it my dad favorite song and I would like to play it for him on his birthday

[@mikehoncho806]

Great advice Marty, could you please do a lesson on “closer to the sun” - slightly stoopid. All the versions on KZbin suck

[@justinanddonna1854]

Hi can you do if there were no dreams by neil diamond 😉

[@rahulrajmurmu9595]

I can't find Jason's Instagram.

[@melek1108]

- Me play guitar good - Me start singing - My Strumming : ight imma head out

[@amna6842]

Its same thing with me 😭

[@moodybeignet3385]

Lol absolute truth

[@shadowreaper5413]

keep practicing it's all about muscle memory

[@dreas_life]

Lmaoo

[@weqlthiest1362]

literally same💀

[@acoustico1472]

I want to sing the blues real bad, so I sing the blues real bad.

[@joeb3590]

I wanted to play blues real bad and I do, really bad.

[@davemoore843]

that's exactly what i do !!!!!

[@ShroomRPG]

that's the best way to sing the blues my dude

[@wrickel0727]

Ok

[@acoustico1472]

Where’s MY devil at the crossroad? 😂

[@rhuttonaa247]

Theres no secret to this. When i first started playing i couldn't even talk while playing. It just comes down to Practice Practice Practice

[@rhuttonaa247]

But the best tip is to coincide which word the chord changes are on

[@andrewptob]

Yeah, you just have to do it. Make sure you have a song down and then try over and over and over to sing along

[@helloholahi]

how many years did it took for you to be able to talk or sing while playing? :-)

[@rhuttonaa247]

@@helloholahi ive only been playing guitar for 2 years come February. So it took about a year before i could kinda start to sing

[@helloholahi]

@@rhuttonaa247 hum alright! and do you now feel at ease in any rhythm if you want to play and talk/sing at the same time? or certain rhythms are ok, some others are harder or impossible to play while talking/singing?

[@AndrooD2]

One of the hardest things for me about playing guitar is singing while playing!

[@Oho159]

strumming and playing is easy try picking and singing...

[@tantainguyen4290]

Ged0 picking and singing is easier than strumming and singing bro

[@sleptking1707]

tantai nguyen Absolutely agree, I can sing easily when fingerpicking but have yet to be able to sing along to the simplest strumming patterns, I don’t know what it is man

[@chrismooremusic4383]

For me it's both like some songs are easier some I go mute when I go to speak or I speak and forget how to play

[@danielpouse7507]

Try humming

[@cupko112]

"listen to yourself and criticize yourself" me: *listens to myself* me: i suck

[@NilanjanPaul]

thats the spirit!

[@rockinggirl0610]

no!! dont say that. I bet you are much better than you were a year ago right ? WELL IMAGINE HOW AWESOME YOU'D BE NEXT YEARRR!!

[@themadmeme]

RockingGurl 06 that what keeps me going. i’m so much better than i was last month and i’m still a beginner

[@rockinggirl0610]

Emilio same!! :D Glad I could be if help

[@cupko112]

@@rockinggirl0610 i am not better than a year ago and the worst part is that i play guitar for 7 years and i cant even play one by metallica

[@Funstealer]

Is no one talking about how beautiful the man on the rights voice is?

[@theoddtimeman2975]

Yeah fr

[@peterwesterman2613]

Not enough

[@neekbot]

Marty was

[@partypoison5135]

yeah his voice was really nice id listen to him sing any time of the day

[@TYGVlogger]

@@peterwesterman2613 Ur jealous

[@necurrence1776]

I learned it on my own and this is how I've done it : I've chosen a 4 chord song that I knew very well, I wrote down the lyrics and the chords above each lyric. I would practice the chords tapping my foot on the ground without overthinking it. Being too rational about music will ruin it for you. Then when the body, the instrument were going rhythmically, I just sang the lyrics from the notebook. My notebook is now full of songs that I know by heart and I am able to create drum patterns on top also. This was my biggest breakthough so far

[@cantemiz8732]

sweet

[@joslinechristopher7936]

Thanks

[@afakayu5176]

Nice tip, thank you!

[@tantainguyen4290]

You are doing it the right way bro, every guitar class in my country teach it the same way

[@godsguitar101]

Brilliant u should write a short book on this and elaborate on what u have learned since Excellent Luck!!!.

[@dizzypalpitations]

NOTE TO SELF: -Practice the guitar alone -with a simple (single long) strumming pattern -Practice the singing alone -with a rhythm track in parallel -Practice all together -See in the lyrics where the chord changes are (ie rhythm) -Practice with a metronome -Record yourself singing, listen to yourself and criticize yourself

[@bciecko1]

Man. I tried this for the first time a couple weeks ago. I was playing “About a Girl” and since I can play the song quite well I thought maybe I’d try to sing along with the record while I was playing. I fumbled all over; on the playing, on the lyrics hahaha. It was a disastrous mess. I’ll give it another go next time I have the house to myself.

[@youngzee9983]

That was one of the first ones I sang and played its a good choice

[@tylercady3985]

@@youngzee9983 I need to learn that song to get the hang of strumming and singing. Right now the only song I can sing and play is For Whom the Bell Tolls. Also no matter how bad it goes I can't do much worse than Wes hahaha

[@ayoutubeaccount864]

This comment aged well 😂

[@heatherhanlon2799]

you have good taste my friend. i find it super hard to play the riff from come as you are and sing, its impossible

[@Katie-ez2um]

@@heatherhanlon2799 That's why I'm here lol. I love Nirvana and always get this huge urge to sing and when I try, I always fumble the riff lol

[@scottonandrew]

"Don't avoid things that you are bad at," is profound advice that many people need to take to heart...Especially me!

[@johncarpenter1891]

“Just do it.” Understandable, have a great day

[@RC32Smiths01]

Singing while playing is way harder than it looks and sounds! Really appreciate the lesson today man!

[@Paulie8K]

From my experience you gotta get guitar down to an intermediate level to where the chord changes are second nature then merge the two. Another tip once you're good enough to sing and play together is using a capo to find the key that fits your vocal range. I normally go a half step down for most songs since I have a deeper voice.

[@arztbiscuit1433]

Nice tip

[@jacksonwaldon]

My vocal range rests in a tenor, but I can go way down to a lower baritone/upper bass and as high as a mid soprano. I don’t think it has to do with how deep or high your voice is, but rather where you voice sits at on your octave. For example, do you find that you talk near a D#? If so, you should probably put your capo on the 11 fret or just tune your guitar a half step down (I suggest you just tune it down so you still have a full fretboard range).

[@frankmanuele3487]

​@@arztbiscuit1433 q 8ò M Pg

[@joeymarks7194]

You really helped a lot it’s only been a month and I already know like 10 songs

[@artombra]

I started a few weeks ago and it is so easy to follow Marty playing along. He is such a good teacher!❤

[@NoobMaster-kt7tf]

Joey, just don't forget about theory😉 Being able to understand the logistical concepts of music makes playing guitar so much more amazing.

[@azid8722]

« Don’t avoid the things you are bad at »

[@rekindledlovewithbeth]

Marty thank you so much for your teaching videos. I never thought I would pick up a guitar for the first time in 53 years. I have been going through medical problems, part of accepting my circumstances was to pick up a guitar and just pour my heart out. It has given me such peace Thanks for all you do.

[@GroovesAndLands]

Singing/Playing comes naturally to some folks. It DIDN'T for me. At all. After years and years of very mediocre guitar playing and utter lack of ability to sing along, I realized the "secret" is internalizing rhythm. If you can't EASILY tap your foot along to the beat while playing, you're lost. Learn to do that. Practice that until you can alternate foot taps between left and right feet. With the fundamental timing internalized, singing along will come rather naturally. Basically, I'm agreeing with what Jason said: Get out the metronome and get in tune with the actual timing of the song. The advice Marty gives about focusing on the lyric that goes along with a chord change did NOT work for me - and I attempted that technique for years. Sorry Marty. Got nuthin but love for you, but that approach just didn't work for me. Without a real grasp for the TIMING of music, you are musically lost. Timing has improved my guitar 10 times more in 2 years than 20 years of technique practice.

[@ImPewPew4]

how does a metronome work for a song when songs arent always a perfect bpm?

[@NcMuggets]

@@ImPewPew4 What do you mean? If you’re talking about tempo changes within a song then just practice it in sections. Play one section in one bpm, pause, change the tempo on the metronome, play the next section.

[@PhysiqueGeek]

It's nice to know that basically everyone has difficulty with this lol, this is probably the most frustrating part of learning guitar. I remember my grandfather trying to teach when I was younger and he always said that if you couldn't at least hum along as you play these songs you'll never truly progress. Coming from a man that could play every song from the 40's on up to about the late 80's (rock n roll and country at least) I always held on to that advice. Here I am 20 years later finally trying to apply it haha. Oh and damn I was totally unaware that Phillip McKnight (see description) had such a beautiful voice haha

[@THENOOBHUNTER12]

Im gonna be honest i had to listen to the beginning multiple times because this dudes voice is angelic. I love it

[@mattdomonkos]

It all clicked for me today. My mind just understood how to do them both and it’s a wonderful feeling.

[@moodybeignet3385]

Finally picking up a guitar to play along to my favorite songs and try singing them at the same time made me truly appreciate how freaking hard it is!

[@mattlawrence8922]

You and jason sounded great playing together. Great job marty!

[@youngzee9983]

Record yourself singing -- it's going to be scary!

[@DanteLikesRock]

Ikr. Super cringe😂😂

[@sorrymood3255]

i sound like i’m 6 years old on recordings, so i always deepen my voice and when i do it for singing, oh dear god it’s a mess

[@joshuajohnson3505]

@@sorrymood3255 my voice isn't bad, it just sounds too young😂

[@LSqre]

@@sorrymood3255 You don't sound different on recordings to anyone but yourself because you perceive your own voice differently; when you hear it on a recording that's how everyone else hears it

[@welshman100]

I just dont want anyone to hear me while Im still in the bad stage lol

[@Geno5]

Very melodic. I’ve watch this video a few times and it gets better each time. I know I speak for thousands of people, god bless you and what you do

[@michael_caz_nyc]

I start by 1st Learning the Song ( instrumentally ) . . . then: "Humming the Vocal Melody" in my head, and next: trying to Progress towards Singing it. ( practice ). Plus utilize the Tips & Tricks mentioned in this video. Marty Always Sharing the Knowledge. oNe LovE from NYC.

[@lovejoy534]

I love when people cover a song and really make it their own, beautiful ❤️

[@JohnOhkumaThiel]

Recording, especially over time, you get a better sense of how you improved.

[@gabrielacevedo5803]

We still need those Marty Music Fedoras, can you do Ride the Lightning please?

[@MrPhilipcalahan]

Technically Marty doesn’t wear fedoras, he wears Trilby hats.

[@birdsaresinners3373]

@@MrPhilipcalahan I only know that because of fallout

[@reconnaissance7372]

This tip at 3:05 is great, I recently started practicing again and decided to start figuring out how I could sing and play and this is Tip is pretty much as far as I've come with teaching myself to play and sing. Now I'm just practicing trying new things trying to figure out my timing pretty much but yeah fantastic x)

[@thatbasementdweller96]

I’m 24 knowing how to play guitar because of Marty! Since I was 15 I been watching his videos and highly recommend you all to subscribe!

[@HitHeilerDerHohnEinerSure]

I want a full version of the song in the beginning please >.

[@jamestunedflat8942]

When I try doing both, I either forget the lyrics or lose my ability to play altogether. I like the idea of learning a song with chords then getting more and more intricate with the strumming as I go along, but I'm not really sure of a good song for that. Any suggestions?

[@joshparsons7631]

I'm learning 'What I got' from Sublime. Most of the song is 2 chords. Marty has a vid for it, adding the singing is a lil tricky but once you have it down to a science it's just muscle memory.

[@TYGVlogger]

Same Sometimes I create lyrics casually because I forget them easily

[@IhaveaDoghouse]

I know this is a year old but for anyone in the future that wants a good beginner song to learn to sing along to and play a simple full chord strummed version of "Hallelujah" was the first song I was able to play and sing the "full" song and it fits into the category of just switching from strumming the cords to picking the notes of the chord after you get better with your picking hand.

[@I-am-duck]

same. i’d try omission by john frusciante and josh klinghoffer. that’s what i’ve been starting with.

[@susanholland8880]

He did 3 down strums while singing "woah" and made it sound magical

[@donoffitness2892]

Frrrr

[@brennanhuard966]

I'm having a really hard time singing and playing reggae.

[@_lambert_1785]

Get high and feel the rhythm. Or practice idk.

[@LunafactionRIP]

Try whistling the vocal melody as an intermediate step. Get that bulletproof, then introduce the lyrics.

[@marvintimke3978]

Just smoke some weed and it will work

[@brennanhuard966]

@@marvintimke3978 I must be smoking the wrong ganja.

[@dylanbenadie458]

I find reggae strumming and singing is very hard too, but I'd say just practice the song on guitar til u got it so perfect u don't even have to think about it, same as the vocals do the same for both then put em together

[@heinabbott5172]

I literally felt like I started playing guitar all over again when I had to start singing and playing, a very humbling learning experience.

[@DonTraccio]

Finally someone did video about it Thank you Marty and Jason!!

[@alfandersson3593]

Please do roundabout by YES!

[@tantainguyen4290]

To be continued

[@kentuckyfriedchildren5385]

1:17 With that hand positioning I can almost hear Bane say ''do you feel in charge?'' haha

[@keymaster430]

I think the best way to learn is to strum each chord in your progression only once. Then, sing between chords and just make sure, like Marty said, that the right lyric falls on the next chord strum. Just start of slowly and practice, practice, practice until it becomes natural. Then, begin filling in more strums in your progression. Learning to do something the right way, no matter how slow you have to go, is the way to learn something. Speed will always come later, naturally. E.g: "When I FIND" (strum C major chord once at the same time as you sing 'FIND') "myself in times of trouble," (strum G major chord once) "Mother Mary comes to me. SPEAKING" (strum A minor chord once at the same time as you sing 'SPEAKING') "words of wisdom. 'let it BE'" (strum F major chord once at same time as you sing 'BE').

[@michaelpadan6375]

when he admitted that he didn't want to hear himself, it was very honest. but that is the best way to fix errors like falling out of tune during a song. it can be easier if you choose easy songs with just 3 or 4 chords

[@markjhermanson]

practice common strum patterns until you can order KFC and play at the same time, then start singing

[@mattmccune5560]

KFC? 🤮

[@FirstNameLastName-pg3pi]

@@mattmccune5560 KFC is amazing

[@alien6812]

@@mattmccune5560 so delicious

[@mase444]

I can sing pretty good, and I can play guitar good too. But if I try to combine the two, I look like an idiot. Thank you Marty, this is very helpful

[@alexandertheguitarist]

Thank you for all of the videos Marty, if I ever make it as a musician, I’ll owe it all to you!

[@Stellarainn]

Same

[@rufusarora]

Ive never clicked on a video so fast because I NEEDED THIS THANK YOU MARTY!!!

[@juantheoriginal1]

the tip about only playing the chord without the strumming was VERY beneficial to me, almost like a lightbulb lit up cartoon style haha, thank you so much!

[@legoman_inashoppingcart910]

This helped since I’m new to guitar

[@ryanowen1432]

Love when you two play together!!!!

[@noahcurrington9608]

to add onto what marty said about line your chord up with the timing of the word that it starts on. MAKE SURE you do the right syllable within the word as well!!!! for example, santeria by sublime (i had this problem on this song) after the into the first E chord starts on the word practice "i dont practice santeria" but it actually starts "teria". lmao i practiced that song for months like that before i realized i was playing on the off beat or whatever its called. good advice though

[@liamhagerty4249]

I love this channel, its brought me from a brand new beginner and I've watched 90% of your vids and now I would consider myself a intermediate and I would never of imagined not only being able to play the songs I know now but understanding the guitar in general. THANK YOU MARTY 🤘

[@tybarrette4747]

Another great tip that most people neglect- actually listening to the song you want to play!! A ton of people will try to jump right in and start learning the song after just a couple of listens. Give yourself time to really listen to the song a lot and know it in your heart before you try to learn it on guitar/vocals.

[@y.a.semin097]

No words guys!!!!! my heart is just melting by hearing your interpretation

[@vendusmortem1433]

Honestly wasnt expecting how nice Jasons voice was going to be. Top notch voice sir.

[@willkieckbusch6879]

I saw someone comment the other day to do Bennie and the Jets and I think that it would be a really cool song to learn

[@shehanjayasinghe8377]

One of the greatest guitar Teachers of all time amazing Marty Thanks for The lesson

[@DraftZJ]

I was just thinking this in my head because I’ve picked up learning guitar recently and I’ve always been told I’m a good singer. Check KZbin and Marty uploaded it on the same day...

[@flaviusrotarita6666]

I think that's gonna be pne of your best lessons

[@phreeken09]

It really does help recording your vocals and critiquing yourself.

[@Caperz.]

Was literally trying to sing stand by me when i looked this up

[@lashoutY2k]

I’m trying to play punk rock lesss goooo

[@unknownvideos3941]

This is why i am watching John Mayer with shining eyes

[@JohnOrrTheArsonist]

No lie, I came to this video to get some tips on how to improve my own style of playing but I really wanted to hear the rest of the cover you guys were doing at the beginning because it was absolutely beautiful. You can't just tease people like that man lol

[@azuregiant9258]

Man, these videos are like gold dust! So, so helpful. I have a song in my head. I have the words and the music, but have only just started to learn. When attempting I stumble over a mess and flatline. I guess my lesson is patience and to listen to those who know what the heck they’re talking about.

[@maroyaka_]

for some reason i sing, unlike everyone else, I start to sing in my strumming pattern so it sounds like hu-uh-uh-ney

[@stepaukob]

I like the "don't avoid it". I've been putting it off for so long because it's hard but now that I've been practicing I can start to see improvement. :)

[@jocxhu6537]

learned something back in 2020, was in a medical facility recovering and part of the activites that they had was karaoke, at first I was shy, then slowly I warmed up and tried to sing, now the first thing I did was try to hit them high notes that those profesinal singers where doing, yea it wasnt happin' (people couldnt run away fast enough), thats when it hit me, don't sing them (if you could sing like them, you wouldn't be here), sing you..well so I started to sing me and wouldn't you know it the nursing staff always asked me to sing for them, dont know if this will help people as far as singing goes, good luck and have fun.

[@jacobhopkins4122]

Jesus what a beautiful voice, that man is gifted.

[@Grovysursugoblemon210]

Nice voice in the intro

[@Rooster7six]

That is insane! I swear last night I was about to go to bed and thought to myself I need to search for a vid on how to practice trying to sing while I play. CRAZY

[@tbilltrain]

Talented guy. Even grows his own guitar picks

[@tbilltrain]

You can laugh at that Marty. That was funny.

[@JohnOhkumaThiel]

I’m originally a sax player, since nearly birth, and a born again musician on guitar 🎸 at a bit over two years ago. To me, the essential thing that I didn’t do on sax but intentionally do on guitar is to learn songs, for several reasons. * Main point, if all you do is lesson material, on any instrument, I don’t care how mad your skills are, you suck. I was that kind of sax player. I could sight read, show up in the studio at 3am, do my bit in a take or two, and go to bed, I could jam and improvise with the best in the world, but what I couldn’t do was perform for a live audience , because I had no repertoire. Just today, I went to a music shop, tried a guitar I’m interested in, played and sang two tunes by Stevie Ray Vaughan and one by Sheryl Crow; I could do that on the street, in a bar, or even a stadium, but as a sax player, no freakin way. * Also you need to watch those videos of songs being performed by others, and take at least mental notes of what they’re doing when. Even if they have a large band, you can see where they play the main riff, and when it’s more simple to either highlight the singing or more likely make it more playable while they sing. SRV is a great example, because he was a guitar virtuoso, but while singing it was all very simple. * What you don’t want to do, at least in the beginning, is try to sing and play like Paul Simon or Dave Matthews and the like. Those people are gods. * And lastly, same for music as acting, painting, even sports and business, make it your own. Create an original version. If you’re stuck for how to do that, check out other people’s versions online. This is actually easiest. **** Oh, I forgot the most important thing: Break it down! Especially beginners tend to think, everything needs to be like the original. Try to play like the original so you can learn how they transition between chords for example, but change it to your liking. Classical is the best example; people want to play perfect, but according to what. We have zero recordings of Mozart or Beethoven or Bach performing their own music, and at the other extreme-though probably not-we have popular recording artists who play their own music differently from one performance to the next. It would be boring if we all played exactly like the originals, even our own music.

[@uelisgold]

Jason that's was so beautiful. Your tone is awesome. You probably make bar glasses rattle when you perform.

[@hugacreeper69110]

Didn’t think I would need this video until I tried to sing while playing for the first time

[@luke_ye_boyyy5318]

Whenever I have a problem I always find a video Marty has made about it

[@grahamt19781]

I'm an advanced guitar player but have always neglected singing anything along with my playing. I'm trying to learn but it's really hard tbh. I'm determined to learn though!

[@tristanrujano]

This is very helpful! Practice is definitely key, don't be discouraged if you can't at first! I think these are great tips to make it easier as you're first starting

[@coley2032]

Not some 12 minute long nothing video for views, just marty sharing what he's got to share

[@luminouscali]

The singing gave me chills

[@schwizzy3548]

“Sound bad first”, that actually made me feel a lot better bc I’m a pretty good singer and a beginner guitar player but it feels absurdly impossible for me lol

[@robharris6874]

Get this I have to sing the song to play the guitar, it the only way I can keep in timing. So I have never had a problem with it...Good lesson guys...

[@toddboyd1984]

I always find that learning the riff first and get that down.... then hum the melody ...that should stick in you mind for when your ready for the lyrics

[@Arwindor]

Thanks for bringing all the lessons we need

[@Boyd1875]

This is a great lesson Marty. Thank you very much. 🎸

[@certifiedwhite5148]

The hardest thing for me with just this one song is holding the strumming pattern while singing I can do it fine every time without singing but right when I start it all goes out the window

[@mbuiltpa]

I loved both suggestions, i.e. long chords and knowing what lyric the change comes on!

[@coreykitchen5269]

This is strange, I've been learning guitar for a year now and today I finally figured out how to sing and play Sunshine of your Love for the first time... And then you upload this gem

[@egetaspnar6351]

me: comes to learn again me: finds himself listening the intro over and over

[@mossymoose8920]

When I’m playing: “oh sounds beautiful man” When I start singing: “tf is a strum patter? LOL”

[@loganricherson]

I'm primarily a pianist and am picking up guitar. It took a long time for me to learn to sing and play piano at the same time so I'm expecting it to be similar here too

[@therealeikichionizuka]

Honestly I have a really good strategy that I use. Practice nailing the riffs and stuff beforehand, the start playing them. Your muscle memory will take over, and you’ll do great.

[@joshkw2328]

I’m a bass player and I’m trying to learn how to sing and play Ben E Kings stand by me, so the intro was very influential for me

[@isaiahfurrow7414]

More videos like this with guests....this video, AND the topic, are both awesome....

[@leematoadgaming4945]

When I get off work tonight I'm just gonna send some rock and roll that I know the guitar on and vocals

[@mellofan2012]

Guys Im finally able to do this. I know its stereotypical but nirvana was the band that taught me to do it. The first full song i could sing and play was In Bloom. My advice is to master each part one at a time. Practice the guitar part over and over and the singing will come way more naturally. Even if your singing sounds like shit and the timing is off, keep going with it and learn from your mistakes. Even mumbling the syllables is great progress Just devote yourself to one or two easy songs. Know them inside and out. I swear its not nearly as hard as it seems. Edit: also forget to mention- play the chords and sing the vocals in your head

[@noahkottmyer9099]

This vid gave me alot of hope. So much hope, I got cold chills. 😂

[@mschrage618]

Me, having learned basically everything from Marty. “I wonder if he has a video for this topic now that I’m developing as a musician?” Me, finding this video, “yup, there it is. I should’ve known”

[@controllerneo9942]

Love your vids you helped me alot

[@controllerneo9942]

Also could you do Alex roe enough from forever my girl

[@brayanvalle3734]

I like how marty tried giving dude a hand grab then acted like he was going to pat his back

[@gamingxprox124]

I absolutely love your videos dude