Hello @frankb_be!
I don’t play banjo, but… My son started singing & playing banjo by 1st being able to play the tune, then only singing the chorus while playing. When he got decent with that, he’d add on more & more until he could do the whole song. The more he practiced the better he got & was able to move on to different songs till it became a reliable skill. (As for me? I can’t talk and pick mandolin at the same time 
!) Dont know if that helps or not, but it was my 2 cents worth 
!
Sing and play banjo at the same time
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Basically get your right hand to play the same roll for the whole song if possible. Then just add the chord changes with your left hand and then also sing. Once you can do that you can try branching out a little bit with picking patterns and licks
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Interesting approach… @Dragonslayer.
As singing is something I really don’t feel comfortable with, intuitively, I think a large percentage would strive to learn the song completely first - which is exactly why I like this alternate approach.
Unconventional = Opportunity (for some)
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There were a couple songs our family band used to do where I would sing and play banjo, and now I often sing and play Dobro, which is a similar concept. They key is to get the song “into your hand,” so it takes less thought to play it. Without a lot of practice, like @BanjoBen said, either the singing or the picking will suffer. Or both 
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@Dragonslayer & @Luke_L this all sounds so simple but it’s something I fail to grasp. I just can’t do both together. I can vamp & sing but I can’t play roll patterns & sing…
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To twin, or layer those two skills together one of them needs to be on auto-pilot. Both your vocal instrument and the one you are holding require timing, taste and tone. That’s asking a lot of yourself. I would imagine doing one roll in open G on banjo while just holding the root note with voice then moving voice to the other two notes that make the chord while keeping the chosen roll steady. Then do the same with C and D and create your own drills. Then teach us, please.
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Agree with you all. Learn song first and then just play chords. Then you can incorporate rolls. It has worked pretty well with me that way. Bless you all!!
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I could never play and sing at the same time either. (still can do neither one separate haha). But anyway, taking some of the above advice and working on it with this easy song, it’s kinda working.
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Are you in the garage? That’s awesome. That may be my favorite place to pick.
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Thanks Brent. Yes, in the garage. I need a “special pass” of some kind to get in the house…
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Love the recliner in the garage!!
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That’s great Butch and love the pickup
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Ha. My $35.00 lazy boy. Ugly as all get out but so comfy!
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Thanks for the compliment Lee.
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the inevitable…
This is my first significant attempt. I have a greater appreciation for all of y’all that have the skills, and the vocals.
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Good on you for practicing this. Humming may be a useful micro-step before actually singing. You’re on the cusp of something great here. Keep it going.
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Been there done & I feel your pain.
Depending on the circumstances, you might consider doing what Earl did quite a bit- stop playing while singing. I’ve seen this in a bunch of Flatt & Scruggs videos.
However, if you’re doing a solo act I would defer to anything Ben has to say about it.
Or pretend you’re a guitar player & just pinch the chords & leave the good stuff for when it’s your turn for a solo or somebody else is singing.
I hope you enjoy your many hours of frustration!
EDIT: Lordy! I just noticed how old this topic was! I had just become a Gold Pick member, so no wonder I didn’t read it back then. It was way above me!
Now it’s just a little bit beyond my reach.
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This is very difficult and the payoff for this practice/grind is beyond what you’re expecting. This will help not only with singing/playing but also just playing and being able to “multi-task” as you go.
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