Free backing tracks for download and practice

If you're interested in backing tracks, there's a great resource over on the BHO. Mark from the UK has a thread full of backing tracks, about 50 or more by now. He adds songs almost daily. All of his backing tracks are for free download, so no one is without a jam session this winter. Almost all of his songs are in recorded in 3 different speeds, tailored to fit your level. All you have to do is right click and download. They are all done in Bluegrass style.

http://www.banjohangout.org/topic/218356/1



Mark's thread is a GREAT resource, and it's free. Combine Mark's thread with the Flatpicker Apprentice website, and you probably have all of the backing tracks you could ever need, except for very rare, obscure tunes. And you spent no money. Let me know if you have a problem downloading from Mark's thread.

These resources are AWESOME for banjo players, and GREAT for mando players and flatpickers. For fiddler's they are also great, but there are probably not as many of the obscure fiddle tunes available. But it's free to look around and download just what you want or need.


:)

Correction. There are now over 100 songs/backing tracks, in 3 speeds each, for free download.

That's if anyone would want them in order to practice mandolin when you can't get to a jam session.

Here's a list of the songs; over half are already on the thread for download:

Angeline the baker (D)
Arkansas traveller (D)
Back Up & Push (C)
Ballad of Jed Clampett
Banjo in the hollow
Banjo on the run
Banjo signal
Banks of the Ohio (E)
Beautiful bouquet
Before I met you (3/4 time)
Bending the strings
Better get right (C)
Big Country (A)
Big Spike Hammer (Bb)
Big Tilda
Bill Cheatam (A)
Billy in the low ground
Blackberry Blossom
Black Diamond (C)
Blackjack
Black Mountain rag (A)
Bluegrass breakdown
Blue Ridge Cabin Home
Blue Ridge mountain blues
Boil them cabbage down
Breakin' it down
Buck's snort
Buffalo Gals
Bugle call rag
Bully of the town
Bury me beneath the willow
Cabin in Caroline
Can't you hear me callin
Cherokee Shuffle (D)
Cheyenne (Bb) (banjo break only)
Clinch mountain backstep (A)
Cripple creek
Crying Holy (B)
Cumberland Gap
Dark Hollow (C)
Daybreak in Dixie
Dear old Dixie
Devil's dream (A)
Dixie Breakdown
Don't give your heart to a rambler
Don't let your deal go down
Doug's Tune
Down the road (B)
Down Yonder
Earl's breakdown
East Virginia
Eighth of January
Eight more miles to Louisville
Ernest T. Grass
Farewell blues (C)
Fireball
Fireball mail
Flint Hill Special
Flop eared mule (C)
Flowers of Edinburgh
Foggy Mountain Breakdown
Foggy Mountain Chimes
Foggy Mountain Special
Foggy Mountain Top
Footprints in the snow (D)
Fortune (D)
Forked Deer (D)
Four Leaf Clover (C)
Fox on the run
Freight Train
Goldrush (A)
Goodbye Liza Jane (A)
Grandfather's clock
Groundspeed
Hail to the redskins (C)
Handsome Molly
Hard Times Come Again No More
Head over heels in love with you
Homestead on the farm
Home sweet home (C)
Home sweet home (D)
How mountain girls can love
Huckling the berries
If I should wander back tonight
If that's the way you feel
I'll fly away
I'll never love another
I'll never shed another tear
I'll stay around
I'm going back to old Kentucky
I saw the light
It's mighty dark to travel
I wonder where you are tonight (A)
I won't be hanging around (D)
I wouldn't change you if I could
Jesse James
John Hardy
John Henry (D)
June Apple (A)
Katy Daly
Kentucky Mandolin (Gm)
Kentucky Waltz (E)
Kneedeep in Bluegrass (B)
Lady of Spain (C)
Leather britches
Let those brown eyes smile at me (E)
Liberty (D)
Limehouse Blues
Little cabin home on the hill
Little darlin' pal of mine
Little girl of mine in Tennessee
Little Maggie
Little Rock Getaway
Lonesome road blues
Lonesome without you (B)
Long Black Veil
Lost and I'll never find a way
Love, please come home
Man of constant sorrow
Meet me somewhere in your dreams (C)
Mississippi Sawyer (D)
Molly & Tenbrooks (A)
More pretty girls than one
Mountain Dew
Nashville Skyline rag (C)
Neeedle Case
Newton Grove
New River Train
Nine Pound Hammer
North Carolina Breakdown (A)
Oh Susannah
Old Home Place
Old Joe Clark (A)
Old love letters (D)
Old Rip (D)
Old Train (E)
Over the waterfall (D)
Ragtime Annie (D)
Railway to Heaven (Bb)
Randy Lyn Rag
Rawhide (C)
Rebecca
Red-haired boy (A)
Red River Valley
Redwing
Remington Ride
Reuben (D)
Riding on that midnight train
Road to Columbus
Roanoke
Rocky Top
Roll in my sweet baby's arms
Roving gambler
Runaround
Sail away ladies
Sally Ann
Sally Goodin (A)
Salt creek (A)
Salty dog
Santa Claus
Shady Grove
Shenandoah breakdown
Shuckin' the corn
Sitting on top of the world
Sledd Ridin (A)
Soldier's joy (D)
Somebody touched me
Someday we'll meet again sweetheart
Somehow tonight
St Anne's reel (D)
Someone took my place with you
Sunny Side of the Mountain
Stillhouse (C)
Sweet Georgia Rose
Sweetheart you done me wrong (D)
Tennessee Waltz (D)
Theme time
Think of what you've done (A)
This land is your land
Toy Heart (C)
Timbertree Branch (D)
Train 45 (B)
Turkey in the straw
Two different worlds
Two dollar bill
Uncle Pen
Under the double eagle (C)
Up on the Blue Ridge (A)
Wabash Cannonball
Way Down Town
Welcome to New York (C)
Wheel Hoss
When the Saints go marching in
When you & I were young Maggie
Whisky before breakfast (D)
Wildwood flower
Will the circle be unbroken
Wreck of the old 97
Yellow Rose of Texas
You are my sunshine
Your love is like a flower

Hey Chris, thanks for these!

What a treasure trove!

Glad you find them useful. Be sure to give Mark a big "thank you."

Guess not many others do? I guess practicing isn't as half as fun as typing!

That looks like a great resource! Can't wait to try them out. Thanks for sharing it.

I was jamming to a rock setlist today. some cool tunes. listened to some bluegrass too...

is A all that common for banjos? seemed a lot of a tunes

Won't have a chance to listen for a few days yet, but just the list looks good.
Are they done lead/backup or just played straight through like old-time tunes are?
Thanks for the 'heads-up'.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Beanzy

Won't have a chance to listen for a few days yet, but just the list looks good.
Are they done lead/backup or just played straight through like old-time tunes are?
Thanks for the 'heads-up'.

---

They are all "backing" tracks, so you can play the lead all the way through, or you can alternate your own lead/backup. Most of the ones I've played go through the song at least 3-4 times.

Thank you!

Thank you!!!!! twice more!!!

Thanks for the link Chris.

Beck

Not quite as many tunes but some excellent guitar-only backup here. That was posted on that same thread from the banjo hangout.

Will Band in a box be better to use? For when I downloaded the the freeware, all I got was mid to play. am I missing something?

Do the Cafe rules allow for the posting of links to a Banjo site??? Say it ain't so :disbelief:

Scroll further down in that site and the OP posted mp3s. On my Mac they open in a player and there is a link there to download the mp3 for each one. The midis are lame but the BIAB ones sound pretty realistic.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by albeham

Will Band in a box be better to use? For when I downloaded the the freeware, all I got was mid to play. am I missing something?

---

Here's what Mark said about what he used:

"The following MP3 files have been created using Band in a box software from PG Music version 2011.5 http://www.pgmusic.com/
With the bluegrass real tracks add on pack 33 http://www.pgmusic.com/realtracks33.htm"

The link I provided in the OP is NOT Midi files (which I find annoying), but sound like an actual bluegrass band. Just download one for yourself and see. And be sure to give Mark a big "THANKS" for all his hard work.

I can't find the tracks to open them