DHV...or something else?

[Effington]

With the recent spurt of cold weather, I've been staying in, and for me, that means more time to practice music. I'm a guitar player, playing bluesy rock (Clapton, SRV, etc.), but since my band split up after we all graduated back in the day, I've been solo.

Anyway, lately I've reacquainted myself with the acoustic guitar, since my neighbors are not huge fans of my amp. The last few weeks I've been able to put in a lot of time, and can confidently say my skills are as good as they've ever been.

For the first time ever, I've been trying to accompany vocals with my playing. While I have no issues playing and singing at the same time, let's just say my voice is not one you'd soon hear on the radio. I'd compare myself to Clapton way early in his career (before he went solo), where it's evident he would have no place there without his ridiculously amazing guitar work.

That being said, when I have people over to my place, the first thing they see are my guitars prominently hanging on the wall, and ask me to play something. In general I'll pull them down and play some signature licks they'd recognize, but that type of playing loses their attention after about 10 seconds. My theory is that playing a couple songs really ups their perception of my skill level.

So, my question is, is it a DHV to be able to play and sing at the same time, if my voice is not up to par, or is better just to shut up?

 

[Jeffst1980]

I used to gig out with cover bands as a singer, before waking up early for work started to put a damper on that...though I still do a few gigs here and there..

Even if your voice isn't up to par, if you play and sing with CONFIDENCE and without fear of being judged, it's an admirable thing and women will find it attractive. If nothing else, it gives a girl that is interested in you a reason to start a conversation with you by paying you a compliment. Don't be self conscious, and don't be super serious, either.

If you want to sing better, I def suggest finding a voice teacher and taking a few lessons--for somebody with an untrained voice, a few lessons can make a WORLD of difference.

 

[everywomanshero]

If you're trying to get a record deal and bringing industry scouts over to house, then I guess worrying about impressing people with your guitar is a worthwhile experience. If you're asking if you need to impress women with your singing skills, I think this is a little extreme. If you enjoy doing it great, if not, then I wouldn't bother. If she's isolated herself at your place, then it's probably going down whether or not you pull a solo clapton act or not.