Backing Tracks?

[OneEng]

If you have the ability to do both with backing tracks and without, you have an edge over the competitors. Think about it. You can swing both ways instantly when the need calls for it rather than telling the client " Sorry...that's not my 'thing' "

I understand. I don't do it for the money, I just love to perform.... and this is currently how I like to perform

 

If doing solo acts was something I needed to be competitive in, I am sure you are correct. Having backing tracks gives you a much wider array of music and energy you can't get with just a guitar and a microphone.

 

Frequently I get the comment that I should pursue music as a career and that my voice is so pleasing I could "make it big". I always use the same line "I found as a musician that I made a fantastic engineer" I figure that if I am only playing music for my enjoyment, then I can afford to play it the way it touches me and gives me the most satisfaction. I am fortunate that there are places where the crowd feels my "thing" is worth going out of their way to listen to every once in a while

 

There was a line in an old Survivor song "When there's magic in the music, it's the singer not the song". I always like that

[Notes_Norton]

<...> On the other hand, I remodeled my entire house and love to build stuff, so it's little wonder I do finish carpentry for a living. <...>

 

Then you my friend are as lucky as I.

 

I have a friend who loves being an engineer, it's his bliss. He plays alto sax as his hobby.

 

Life is too short. Do what you love to make your living. Or as Joe Campbell put it, "Follow your bliss."

 

I almost "made it big" once, but the negotiations between our lawyers and Motown records broke down over money. I was bummed at the time and that is when I joined the phone company. Now I'm barely in my senior years, I never made it big, but I always had enough to pay the mortgage, and I never plan on retiring. Why? Too much fun for me. Being a musician is not what I do, it's what I am.

 

But it's not for everybody. What is important is to follow your own bliss, not someone else's.

 

Notes ?

[stunningbabe]

This thread deserves more view! :-)

[John Bartus]

This thread deserves more view! :-)

Oh no...




Here we go... again.

[stunningbabe]

Oh YEAH Baby!!

[John Bartus]

[fancyfootwork]

I don't use backing tracks, but often get accused of it. I do the whole "looping" thing. I don't judge others for using them, it's just not my thing. I get some heat from people who think I'm a joke when I loop, thinking that I play to backing tracks. When you guys who use backing tracks perform, do you get similar feedback? I've had people get legitimately mad at me.

 

Just wanted to say, nothing about that was boring. That is proper looping right there and anyone who can't see talent in that is either lacking in an ear or has a very different taste. I hate that song covered. It is always so done, so predictable (even if altered to a different style). But that, was fantastic. As a fellow looper, I appreciate the art of it, and just like anything else you can hack it or you can explore it for what it can be and the sound and fullness you can build. Props to you.

[leftyjay]

looping is a guitarist way of making a BT on the fly. a generic one, but a BT just the same. i cant see having to do it everynight. i know the crowd dont want to hear it being built everynight. i never see a keyboardist using a looper. but a keyboard does allow you to make several loops, then chain them together, then tag a start and an ending.....then push "Save" . what do ya know!!!

a backing track is made. on to the next song

[Surrealistic]

... a keyboard does allow you to make several loops, then chain them together, then tag a start and an ending.....then push "Save" . what do ya know!!! a backing track is made. on to the next song

That's a good point and an interesting conundrum. For me, watching a synth player playing what basically ARE backing tracks doesn't feel like karaoke, whereas most other uses of backing tracks do feel like karaoke (to me). Don't ask me to explain the logic of that but I suspect that a few others here feel the same way.

[Notes_Norton]

And what about those 'arranger keyboards' that play a rhythm section while the keyboard player holds a chord down with his/her left hand? Backing tracks on the fly?

[MartinC]

I'm not a big fan of looping, but that was a great performance. The variety of tones, the bass parts, and the effects, the slide solo, it was all great. congrats! The vocalist was really great too. I'm a fan. Really nice website too.

I don't use backing tracks, but often get accused of it. I do the whole "looping" thing. I don't judge others for using them, it's just not my thing. I get some heat from people who think I'm a joke when I loop, thinking that I play to backing tracks. When you guys who use backing tracks perform, do you get similar feedback? I've had people get legitimately mad at me.

[Slight Curvatur]

My brother and I write our music and when we play open-mics we don't use backing tracks. Old school I guess. But I can definitely see using them for more complex pieces that have multiple rhythms or melodies going at a time. Or if there are drums that really carry the song.

In a full rock band setting I'd just use a looper.

[Stephen Quinn]

I've seen a wedding guitarist/singer performing along to backing tracks and he really had the crowd dancing all night. Its an easy alternative to a full band but it really limits room for improvisation and extending songs.

[leftyjay]

thats where my backing tracks are flexible. on the fly, i can decide to lengthen the song by going back to another chorus or lead or bridge. i can let the BT go untouched and it will do its normal programming. or i can touch one button and go to anywhere in the song and then let it run its course till the end. its just like the bandmate wanting to extend a song and telling the band to go back to the lead solo again.

i currently have the normal BT and 2 options to each song that allows me to lengthen the song just a bit or a lot. thats great for party songs or slow songs with a lot of people on the dancefloor.

it makes me feel more tuned into the crowd to have options on the fly.

[YeahDoIt]

thats where my backing tracks are flexible. on the fly, i can decide to lengthen the song by going back to another chorus or lead or bridge. i can let the BT go untouched and it will do its normal programming. or i can touch one button and go to anywhere in the song and then let it run its course till the end.

 

 

Is that something that your keyboard does?

[leftyjay]

yes, i can have a plan A and also program a plan B and C at a stroke of a button. of course i sequenced all the different sections of the song and store everything as a "bank" and this brings up the song and the other options. as the song is playing, i decide whether to change or not. this really comes in handy when playing for a dancefloor full of people

[conjurerofriffs]

I'm starting to create my own backing tracks for a metal type project. Just because I am tired of band drama, etc. Would probably ask other musicians if they would want to play the songs live, but in the meantime I will try to just do it by myself. Anybody else doing something similar? If so, do you have any videos, examples, tips or tricks to share with me/this post? Thanks in advance.

[Notes_Norton]

It's not metal, but the technique would probably work for any kind of pop music. I have been asked this a number of times, so rather than re-type it again and again, I created a web page explaining how I make backing tracks and how I use them on stage.

 

http://www.nortonmusic.com/backing_tracks.html

 

It is the sum total of all the methods I've tried since the mid 1980s when I used a calibrated 2 transport mixing cassette deck to now where I am doing it the quickest and easiest way yet.

 

Take what you want, adapt what you want to your style of music, and leave the rest.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

[Bob Dey]

Yeah, I use backing tracks. Been making my own for 25 years.

[BlueStrat]

[dparr]

I play three nights a week at a place that has a "no backing track" rule.

Sometimes people come in not knowing this and are lost. I've had to cover for a few of them.

[BlueStrat]

 

I play three nights a week at a place that has a "no backing track" rule. Sometimes people come in not knowing this and are lost. I've had to cover for a few of them.

 

 

What? You mean they expect a musician to be able to pull a song off with just a voice and an instrument? Why, the noive!

[dparr]

What? You mean they expect a musician to be able to pull a song off with just a voice and an instrument? Why, the noive!

 

 

It's a wild and radical "new" idea.

 

I pisses off some people but brings in some amazing talent.

[SusieP]

 

For the last 25 years I've been playing original music in metal/punk bands in UK, and I've had a series of crappy day jobs just so I could continue following my passion and play what I wanted to play, on my terms.   I was invited to a party last year, the entertainment was a guy singing/playing guitar to backing tracks. His singing was average, his playing was basic, his soloing was awful, his backing tracks sounded like karaoke quality, and his overall audio quality (with tops and subs) was really poor (ok, I'm trying set the scene here, not bitch, he was a really nice guy). I had to leave early though, I just couldn't listen to anymore, yet talking to friends afterwards, it seems everyone had a good night. The thing is, he got

[fingerpicker]

I just saw a guy last night using backing tracks. Yeah they sounded great, but he was barely playing his keyboard. I could not even tell if it was plugged in! Yeah I left.