Backing Track Site for Fiddle Tunes & Bluegrass Songs

[Steverb]

Hi all. I am a member of the British Sore Fingers music camp community. Another member of that community, Simon Mitchinson, asked me to share his website with you, which I am very happy to do:

http://www.fbbts.com/Home.html

The site contains an excellent selection of fiddle tunes and other jam standards for you to practice over. They are generated with RealBand software and sound very authentic compared with, say, iReal Pro. They don't have pitch control but do have speed control - believe me you will need this unless you are really good - these tunes are programmed by a banjo player ('nuff said).

There is also a slowdowner programme and a chord progressions page for you to practice improvising over.

Simon is happy to add new tunes on request and there is an email link for you to contact him with suggestions.

It's freeware but if you like the site please consider making a donation.

I'm not sure if this is the best part of the Cafe forum to post this in for maximum coverage. Should I put it on any other section of the forum?

[Stainless]

Good site!!
Thanks for posting.

[Steverb]

Simon has just added a slow jam section for those of us who are more velocitudinally challenged.

[LongBlackVeil]

Great thanks for sharing! This is long over due I think.

There's a site called the old time time jam machine and it's pretty good but lacks tunes and only has two speeds fast and slow. Who knew banjo pickers could make a positive impact on the world?!

I especially need to work on goldrush. I know all the notes, but the rhythym of the tune kind of throws me off at jams, so I was glad to see it listed

[Mark Wilson]

Band-in-a-box type sw is getting pretty good. Well done!

I was checking the speed of one of his tunes and my metronome doesn't go that hi just kidding

It is humbling from my perspective to know these are normal practice speeds.

Nice link thanks!!

[Tobin]

I listened to a couple of these backing tracks, and they are very good! I just wish they didn't have a mandolin part already playing stuff in the background. It might be a tad difficult to play along with when that 'other guy' is already noodling over your break!

[Steverb]

Tobin, I agree with you there. I think Simon's idea is that whenever your instrument (mando, fiddle, whatever) comes to the fore on the track you should stop shredding and start being the backing, in our case chopping, to replicate what happens at jam sessions. That way you get good at switching quickly between lead & rhythm playing. But it is a bit annoying when you just want to keep doing reps of the tune to get your muscle memory locked in.

I have found that I can screen out the digital mando from my consciousness reasonably easily.

I'm glad that the tracks are finding favour. I'll pass on comments to Simon.

Don't forget to use the link to request new tunes and consider donating.

[Darren12]

I listened to a couple of these backing tracks, and they are very good! I just wish they didn't have a mandolin part already playing stuff in the background

Tobin under the Tunes tab there is a Bare-Bones button and that appears to remove the solos.

[Rush Burkhardt]

Steverb...Thanks, very much! After 50+ years of picking, and a lot of gigging and jamming, noodling alone at home has allowed my playing to deteriorate! Also, being technologically bereft, I never thought to look for such a thing as this! I believe this is a great gift for a guy like me!
Thanks,
Rush

[Tobin]

Tobin under the Tunes tab there is a Bare-Bones button and that appears to remove the solos.

Awesome. Either that just got added, or I completely missed it before! But it does the trick.

[Manfred Hacker]

I especially need to work on goldrush. I know all the notes, but the rhythym of the tune kind of throws me off at jams, so I was glad to see it listed

Gold Rush is a medium tempo tune.
I don't know why EVERY tune needs to be played at 240 clicks (quarter notes). Even the pros on one of my jam DVDs mention that Gold Rush is mostly played way too fast at jams.
(ok, I admit it, I can't play so fast ....)
Anyway, thanks for making all these tracks available.

[FLATROCK HILL]

Thanks for the heads-up about the site and the link. Good site I think.
I do have a request. Could someone with a little more experience/musical knowledge (than I have) please check something out for me? I'm having some trouble with the timing signature on the 'Lonesome Moonlight Waltz'. To me, it doesn't sound like a waltz tempo..More like 6/4 maybe than 3/4 time.

Also, it seems like there is a half-measure missing somewhere (maybe at the end of the B part) on 'Wheel Hoss'. I can't seem to come out right on that one.

I admit to being a bit slow on the uptake sometimes. This might just be my own lack of ability here but I would appreciate it is someone could check it out for me.

Thanks

Clark

[FLATROCK HILL]

Well, I got the Waltz figured out. Something about the mechanical strumming guitar beat was messing me up (I think?).
Still can't come out even on W.H. though.

[Manfred Hacker]

Could someone with a little more experience/musical knowledge (than I have) please check something out for me? I'm having some trouble with the timing signature on the 'Lonesome Moonlight Waltz'. To me, it doesn't sound like a waltz tempo..More like 6/4 maybe than 3/4 time.

Also, it seems like there is a half-measure missing somewhere (maybe at the end of the B part) on 'Wheel Hoss'. I can't seem to come out right on that one.

Clark, I don't know if I can claim more experience/knowledge. But I am currently working on improving my playing of these two tunes and that's why I hope to be able to come up with answers:
1. Lonesome Moonlight Waltz = 3/4 time with a bluesy feel
Sometimes confused with "Sitting alone in the Moonlight" which is 9/8 time (bluesy feel see above)
2. Wheel Hoss: In the notation I have, there are 9 measures in the B part, with the 8th being a 1/2 measure (2 quarter notes) in D.
Hope that makes sense and will gladly accept any corrections by the Monroe experts

[Niavlys]

Whoa, that's a great tool to practice, thanks! The slowdown function is incredible.

I can share another site, containing pre-recorded backing tracks (possibly including some that aren't covered on this one, but I haven't checked): http://flatpickapprentice.blogspot.com

[pheffernan]

I can share another site, containing pre-recorded backing tracks (possibly including some that aren't covered on this one, but I haven't checked): http://flatpickapprentice.blogspot.com

Another can be found here: http://jaybuckey.com/free_tablature.htm.