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Thread: Free backing tracks for download and practice

  1. #1
    Fingers of Concrete ccravens's Avatar
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    Default 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.


    Chris Cravens

    Girouard A5
    Montana Flatiron A-Jr.
    Passernig Mandola
    Leo Posch D-18

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  3. #2
    Fingers of Concrete ccravens's Avatar
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    Default Re: Free backing tracks for download and practice

    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
    Chris Cravens

    Girouard A5
    Montana Flatiron A-Jr.
    Passernig Mandola
    Leo Posch D-18

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  5. #3
    Registered User blmjr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Free backing tracks for download and practice

    Hey Chris, thanks for these!

    What a treasure trove!
    Billy Lee Myers, Jr.
    Austin, Texas

  6. #4
    Fingers of Concrete ccravens's Avatar
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    Default Re: Free backing tracks for download and practice

    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!
    Chris Cravens

    Girouard A5
    Montana Flatiron A-Jr.
    Passernig Mandola
    Leo Posch D-18

  7. #5

    Default Re: Free backing tracks for download and practice

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

  8. #6
    Market Man Barry Wilson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Free backing tracks for download and practice

    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

  9. #7
    Unfamous String Buster Beanzy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Free backing tracks for download and practice

    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'.
    Eoin



    "Forget that anyone is listening to you and always listen to yourself" - Fryderyk Chopin

  10. #8
    Fingers of Concrete ccravens's Avatar
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    Default Re: Free backing tracks for download and practice

    Quote Originally Posted by Beanzy View Post
    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.
    Chris Cravens

    Girouard A5
    Montana Flatiron A-Jr.
    Passernig Mandola
    Leo Posch D-18

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    Default Re: Free backing tracks for download and practice

    Thank you!

  12. #10
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    Default Re: Free backing tracks for download and practice

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

  13. #11
    Plank Spanker outdoors4me's Avatar
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    Default Re: Free backing tracks for download and practice

    Thanks for the link Chris.

    Beck
    1993 Flatiron F5 Master
    2003 Randy Wood A5 2 Pointer

    "Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard, grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
    -- The Webb Wilder Credo --

  14. #12
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Free backing tracks for download and practice

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

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    Default Re: Free backing tracks for download and practice

    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?

  16. #14
    Closet Banjo Picker P.D. Kirby's Avatar
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    Default Re: Free backing tracks for download and practice

    Do the Cafe rules allow for the posting of links to a Banjo site??? Say it ain't so
    Never Argue with an Idiot, they will just drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

  17. #15
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Free backing tracks for download and practice

    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.
    Jim

    My Stream on Soundcloud
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    19th Century Tunes
    Playing lately:
    1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1

  18. #16
    Fingers of Concrete ccravens's Avatar
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    Default Re: Free backing tracks for download and practice

    Quote Originally Posted by albeham View Post
    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.
    Chris Cravens

    Girouard A5
    Montana Flatiron A-Jr.
    Passernig Mandola
    Leo Posch D-18

  19. #17

    Default Re: Free backing tracks for download and practice

    I can't find the tracks to open them

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