I struggle with the same, even just doing backgrounds while playing bass. Only one answer:

Practice, practice, practice. Get that muscle memory down on the guitar parts, so you can free yourself to sing.

I know, likely not what you were asking for

 

Thanks, I appreciate your reply.
Most song are pretty easy as the lyrics and the beat tend to correlate

 

Well, there’s timing in every part of a song or musical piece. The parts you have a hard time with should be broken down into bars and analyzed for where the sung melody lines up. Once you figure that out, use a metronome and count it out, play and then sing and practice hitting those timing markers.
To start, sing along with the recording but pay attention to where in the bar every vowel and consonant is. I think that awareness of timing is something severely lacking in most guitarist’s arsenal of knowledge.

 

Well, there’s timing in every part of a song or musical piece. The parts you have a hard time with should be broken down into bars and analyzed for where the sung melody lines up. Once you figure that out, use a metronome and count it out, play and then sing and practice hitting those timing markers.
To start, sing along with the recording but pay attention to where in the bar every vowel and consonant is. I think that awareness of timing is something severely lacking in most guitarist’s arsenal of knowledge.

Thank you
Your last sentence totally applies to me!
I tend to play with a "feel" rather than a timing structure.

 

Once my strumming became automatic, I could focus on the singing. So play every day, and play different patterns. The same worked for me with Travis picking.

 

Make the song yours. It doesn't have to be exactly like the original. Listen to different covers of the song and then come up with yours.

 

I'm not a great singer, but I am the only singer I have..
I struggle with maintaining rhythm with some songs, like Wheat Kings for instance. Super easy to play, and I can hit the notes with my voice, but I struggle to maintain rhythm when I try to do both. Gord was a master at floating the lyrics in among the chords.
There some other hip songs I have same trouble with, and some Tom Petty songs are tricky for me as well.
Any tips or hints are welcomed!

Perhaps..... Buying/using a drum machine may help. I'm not sure what's what with features in this day & age for drum machines, but Alesis once made (& maybe still does) the SR16. It featured factory programmed drum patterns/pre-sets that one would likely find approximated a song they were working on learning etc. A drum machine helps one with keeping time, plus lends itself well to creating an ensemble sound. Then.... They're bass/drum machines, but IMO 1st try a drum machine. It's a good toe in the water. A good 1st baby step.

 

I have a Donner looper which I haven't really done much with yet, it has dozens of drumming options and bpm control, that is a good idea, thanks!

 

What @zztomato wrote is very good.

I don't generally have trouble with guitar and singing, maybe because I do it a lot, but bass and singing I find harder, maybe because the bass is even more hooked into the rhythm, or I just have to concentrate more on the bass. The singing ends up matching the bass part.

Really analyzing the rhythm, counting it out, noticing how the parts syncopate or relate, as @zztomato suggests, will work.

But I also find, if I can hear the whole song in my head, then I can play both parts. Think of the whole song, the guitar and the vocals, hear how they sound together.

 

don't generally have trouble with guitar and singing ... but bass and singing I find harder

me too and i was talking to a friend of mine who's mostly a bass player and he said the same thing. when he's singing he switches to guitar because he can't sing and play bass at the same time even though it's his primary instrument

 

Yeah, sometimes it’s tricky.
I’ve never been able to sing and play together.
I have tried all the tricks, tips, etc, over many, many years.
if it’s a simple melody, and a simple bass line, I can kind of do it, a bit, sort of, but only until I mess up.
but through in any syncopation, or tricky rhythm or chords and I am way off.
I’ve always had trouble even just playing and counting out loud.

hope some of the tips provided help you.

 

Yeah, sometimes it’s tricky.
I’ve never been able to sing and play together.
I have tried all the tricks, tips, etc, over many, many years.
if it’s a simple melody, and a simple bass line, I can kind of do it, a bit, sort of, but only until I mess up.
but through in any syncopation, or tricky rhythm or chords and I am way off.
I’ve always had trouble even just playing and counting out loud.

hope some of the tips provided help you.

Thanks, I guess it's like anything else, you have to work at it. I will make it a goal to be able to play and sing wheat kings

 

I've been doing both for awhile, and with practice can often play weird time signatures at the same time as singing. I find that the key is to practice both at the same time. Go slow first and then get to the actual speed. For me at least I notice there are certain words that need to be emphasised, or are more tricky. They will fall on a downstroke, or upstroke, or in between. My goal is that I want to get to the point where it's all internally memorized and I'm a well oiled machine - every part just runs smoothly, and in sync. I also notice that if I start priviledging one part over the other (singing > playing, or vice versa) I will inevitable screw up. As I said, I must do both together. In a way it's kind of like playing guitar, if all you're doing is focusing on one hand, then your other hand may screw up. It needs to feel fluid and natural. I should also add, I play live, so this helps when you get inevitable distracted by anything going on at a gig as well.