Which came first, your musical instrument, or your singing

[westview]

While learning to play guitar, I'd also sing along. It would help me know my place in the song.
Most of my focus though was on the guitar. Learning the chords and chord changes.
But, singing along made me feel as though I was learning the song.
It was years later that I began focusing more on my singing and expression.
Now, when I play or learn songs, the playing and singing get a balance of concentration.
Making sure they're compatible for the best presentation of the song.

[ghostnote]

In relation to guitar playing, I sang and played simultaneously from the beginning. It just seemed like the right way to do it. But as a kid, I was always singing along to the radio, to anything that was playing, long before I even thought about playing guitar. I liked how I could sing a different thing than what the singer on the radio was singing, and it would fit in. I didn’t know that was called “harmony”, I just thought it sounded cool.

[rllink]

Instrument first. I realized along the way that I was never going to be good enough to hold anyone's attention for long just doing instrumentals, but that I didn't need to be that good of a singer to do so.

[jseth]

Singing, definetly!

I can remember singing when I was 4 or 5... in the mid-50's, my brother, sister and I would do "mock-ups" of the current rock/pop and r&b songs... like "Cherry Pie" and such... we'd do a little dance routine with it. Started out just lip-synching, but quickly became actual vocalising.

When I began playing the guitar at age 9, it was fairly natural for me to sing while I played, once I got the hang of playing a bit.

A wonderful vocal coach I had in the early 90's, Ms. Judy Davis (rip!), had each of us in class answer the question - "Are you a singer who plays, or a player who sings?" - for me the answer was that I was a singer who plays guitar...

Unfortunately, several years ago, I got very ill; when I finally had an operation on my lungs, they did a double intubation and it really tore up my throat and voice. Although I've worked at it for the past two years, my singing is nowhere close to where it has been in the past. Oh, I can sing... just doesn't sound or feel like my voice making the noise...

So, I guess that now I'm a guitarist who sings... sigh...

[The Bard Rocks]

Guitar. I knew that once I put my finger on the right spot, I'd hit the right note. I was not at all sure of this with my voice.

(later)
I once flabbergasted my parents. I was a tyke, sleeping in the back seat while on a vacation. I awoke and began singing, which went on for a couple of hours. My folks had hardly ever (never?) heard me sing and were amazed at all the songs I knew. Neither of them were singers though they liked music and certainly exposed me to a variety of recordings.

Later, while learning guitar, I would sing the words, although very, very quietly so no one could hear me. Heaven forbid! In college, my outing club sang around the campfire. I was usually the only guitarist and was often forced to singly loudly as often no one else knew the words well enough to lead. That got me over the hump of singing for public consumption. As enough time passed, I got over that well-deserved shyness and realized that while my voice was not particularly pleasant to hear, there were some famous singers whose voices weren't all that good either. They made up for it with a good presentation, exceptional material, humor, good instrumental breaks - a variety of things, things that I could learn to do.

[Birdbrain]

That's probably the way it is for most who don't grow up in a house full of musical instruments. I sang in church, always the best part of the hour. Elementary school had music classes but no instruments, so we sang. Then the transistor radio came along and became my best friend. It was the turn of the Sixties, and the end of the Doo-Wop era. I'd sing with whatever came on. The day I could finally do both parts of "Lovin' Feelin'," I thought I'd become a man.

Guitar lessons began about '65, after the Beatles. But I'm still a better singer than picker.

[Glennwillow]

I was singing with the radio long before I ever picked up a guitar.

- Glenn

[Rogerblair]

About the same time, around 1962.

Rb