Hi and help with strumming and singing

[amira]

Hi

My name's Amira. I'm English and I've only just started playing acoustic guitar. I'm hoping to be able to play folk, pop, rock, blues etc. So far I think I'm doing really well, I've learned a few chords and strumming patterns, my fingers are killing me and I can sing and play "these boots are made for walking" really badly

OK so here's the rub (possibly an English expression? - it means the problem). I don't seem to have a problem picking up a strumming pattern or too much of a problem making the transition between chords but if i try to sing as well I completely loose the strumming. Like my body just can't do strumming a pattern (just plain up and down is fine) AND sing

Any hints or tips?

[greybeard]

First of all, welcome to the musical madhouse.
I can't sing, so I'm handicapped from the start, but the only thing that helps is practice. Practice the chords until you can play the song in your sleep - then try to build in some of the words, it's easier if you can find a hook in the song (maybe a particular chord change) that starts a certain phrase. It may help to play the song on a CD player or on your PC, whilst you play along and listen to where the words caome in relation to the chords.
I've been torturing myself with "Willie and the hand jive" - I reckon that if I can groan in sync with that rhythm, I can get along with any tune!
I'm about 80% there, but certain phrases still cause me to lose the plot

[amira]

thanks Greybeard... I've got the cd of the song i'm learning in my car at the moment and i've been practicing what you suggest... which is great and shows i'm on the right line... it's funny though as i really hadnt anticipated this being a problem as i'm a confident singer and i got into the strumming ok... but i'm not giving up and i'll keep on doing what i'm doing...

by the way sorry about not using capital letters and all these dots... but i just find it's so much quicker to type like this... my first post for very formal for me...

and thanks so much for the support...

[Blind Kiwi]

Hi amira
Welcome. I can't sing very well (at all according to some) either but I saw a bit of good advice from John Hammond in last months Accoustic Guitar magazine where he says (working from memory here) that the best way to learn to sing a song is to just practice singing it first without the guitar to get used to the melody and then throw in bits of the guitar as you go along slowly building up. Like the old time blues guys where they will sing a bit and just play the guitar between verses call and answer style.

Cheers

Peter

[geoo]

Welcome to GN Amira

Well, I am a decent singer and a decent beginning guitar player. What I do when I am learning a song I want to play and sing is to do it VERY slowly at first. I mean plainfully slow. As I get better, I speed it back up but it takes a long time sometimes.

Good luck and keep at it.

Geoo