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Oct 9, 2024 - 3:19:21 PM
210 posts since 12/18/2012

I am looking for recommendations as to what is available these days for beginning students to use to play along with, presumably where a particular instrument could be tuned out (fiddle, in this case), and one has a choice of a number of standard tunes, adjustable tempo and time signature, and so forth. What do people find useful for relatively inexperienced players? I assume this sort of thing would be an online subscription service, but any mode is acceptable. Thanks in advance.
-Allan

Oct 9, 2024 - 7:18:27 PM

157 posts since 1/23/2012

I have used and enjoyed Band In a Box for many years, mostly as a fancy better-sounding metronome, but also as a way to practice soloing for fiddle tunes and jazz standards. The sound quality of the instruments isn't amazing, but it does the job. The drawback, in terms of your question, is that while there are tons of preset rhythmic styles, you don't get any songs. You have to chart out all the chords yourself, which isn't awful but it sure would be nice to not have to, sometimes.

The most popular one I see folks using is Strum Machine. The sound quality is much better (although it may just be acoustic guitar? Could be wrong about that)- and has tons of standard repertoire available, which you can transpose to any key. I probably should switch, but you know how it is when you get used to one thing... old dogs new tricks, etc.

Oct 9, 2024 - 7:28:38 PM
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15752 posts since 6/2/2008

Free Bluegrass Backing Tracks.

Also iReal Pro software (not free). Then download the two available bluegrass playlists, over 500 tracks total. All user-generated, so quality varies and some are downright bad. You can change tempos and keys. The midi tracks don't sound anywhere near as good as those from Band in a Box, but at a fraction of the cost they're good enough.

iRealPro website.

Another idea that just occurred to me is the free TEFview software that plays TablEdit ".tef" tablature files. To use this for the purpose you describe, download .tef files of the tunes you want (from here on the Hangout and other places) and keep the ones in which the tab writers included backup instrumental tracks (as I did in most of my tabs) and delete the ones in which they didn't.

Good luck.

Oct 9, 2024 - 7:49:53 PM

88 posts since 3/10/2009

just get the backing tracks off of you tube. you can slow the song down to what speed you are comfortable with

Oct 10, 2024 - 4:26:42 AM
Players Union Member

Texasbanjo (Moderator)

USA

30814 posts since 8/3/2003

I second Band in a Box software. You can in put chords to any song, play at any speed, loop it where it plays the tune over as many times as you need. You can also add repeats, 1st and 2nd endings, codas, etc. It does a lot more than that, but for beginners, it's great for learning new tunes and checking your timing on any song. If your timing is off, you'll know because BIAB doesn't slow down for you, it just keeps on the beat.

It's a little pricey, but if you get just the basic software, it's not too bad.

I've used it for over 20 years and it definitely helped me when I was a beginner and learning.

Oct 10, 2024 - 5:03:07 AM
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Greg Denton

Canada

119 posts since 10/5/2014

strummachine.com has been very useful for me. Lots of trad tunes there. Easy to put in your own chord progressions. Set your own tempo, auto-speedup feature, looping or single play, arranging parts. Free trial period. $50 per year. I make use of it daily.

Oct 11, 2024 - 4:55:34 AM

dfstd

USA

85 posts since 2/5/2023

+1 for Strum Machine. I use it every day on my phone connected to a bluetooth speaker. It's very easy to use. Over 1,300 songs in the included library, and you can add songs or save a copy of a song from the standard library, make changes, and save it in your personal library. Standard band setting includes bass, guitar, and mandolin, and you can add or remove instruments. Free two-week trial. The paid subscription is $5/month or $49/year, cancel at any time.

Oct 11, 2024 - 6:33:20 AM

DAWertz

USA

3 posts since 11/16/2013

Band in a box has been very useful for me getting a song up to proper speed & technique; adjustable speed/tempo, accompanying instrument volume controls etc.... With the woodshed feature you can program tempo (speed) increase after a set amount of song repetitions to build speed.

Oct 14, 2024 - 2:17:01 AM
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phb

Germany

4136 posts since 11/8/2010

quote:
Originally posted by Old Hickory

Free Bluegrass Backing Tracks.


I believe these tracks are generated using Band-in-a-Box. Thus, they may serve as an indication of what your own backing tracks will likely sound like if you use/master Band-in-a-Box.

I use a free drum computer program and bass and guitar strum samples for the various chords. This doesn't sound all that great but it's good enough for practice. And I can generate backing tracks for any song or tune I want to practice. My recordings of "Jerusalem Ridge" and "Salt Spring" in my profile's media section are using such backing tracks.

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