Another source for Backup Tracks

Just thought I would share this as most of us are hunkered down at home and plunking away on our mandolins on our own. Nobody to jam with. So backup tracks are a good substitute. But what do you do if you can't find a backup track for the tune you want to play?
Here is a possible solution. It is not for everybody, but for those of us who are TablEdit users, there are a wealth of tef files on this forum, on Mandozine, Mando Hangout and other sources. Most of these have a guitar track in addition to the mandolin track. By suppressing the audio on the mandolin track, we are left with a perfect guitar backup track, for which you can set the speed to whatever you want. Now, I believe you have to be a Registered User to be able to make these changes to the tef file. So it is not for everybody. But it works great if you are able to do it. This "trick" may already be known to forum members, but I am bringing it up for those, like myself, who have not found a backup track from other sources.
....Rickker

I have been using Band In A Box for years and love it. Tons of stuff to work with and I understand there are loads of material others have developed and put on the web.

Billy

We have a lot of great options.

I use Strum Machine a lot. It is a relatively cheap subscription for something I use daily. I like it as it's simple to adjust how many times through you play something and it allows for auto-speedup so that you can have it speed up a specified amount every time through. It's worked wonders for getting songs up to speed for me [along with a practice notebook to track my progress].

It has bass, guitar, and mando backup but you can turn on off and individually adjust volume.

I've only edited one song for myself so far [Southern Flavor as they don't have the structure right IMO] but plan on putting a few of the non-bluegrass songs I want to work on in as I'm a fan.

We're so lucky to have an option for everyone these days. Love it.

2nd thumbs up for Strum Machine.

It's so fast and easy to create a new track.

Great tool.

Thanks for the feedback on Band in a Box and the Strum Machine. It seems that the Strum Machine is more suited to our instruments and style of music, and I like that you can easily create custom chord progressions in any key. The downside for me is the monthly subscription arrangement. I am old fashioned and prefer to pay for something up front and to hell with the monthly payments. I know the Strum Machine is only five bucks a month or $50 for a year. But in ten years that is $500. Compare that with paying fifty or sixty bucks for TablEdit and then getting free upgrades forever thereafter. I know that I am comparing apples to oranges. But if I could buy the Strum Machine software the same way, even for $100, I would prefer to do that. Just my $0.02 worth on this unrelated subject.
....Rickker

As I always argue to my wife when she says "that's too expensive": It doesn't matter what it costs. It matters what it's worth. Will you get $5/mo. value out of it? Then it's worth it. Otherwise not.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rickker

But what do you do if you can't find a backup track for the tune you want to play?
....Rickker

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I happen to know this fellow does backing track requests FOC all the time. ;) Email info in "About" section

BBT Bluegrass and Fiddle Tune Backing Tracks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by belbein

As I always argue to my wife when she says "that's too expensive": It doesn't matter what it costs. It matters what it's worth. Will you get $5/mo. value out of it? Then it's worth it. Otherwise not.

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I just tell my wife I found a coupon for it. That seems to be universal language for women.

Another two thumbs up for Strum Machine. Its the easiest to modify for key changes, tempo, and edit of any backing track software I've seen. And Luke Abbott is very responsive if you have questions or suggestions. Great value. I use it everyday and create my own playlists from its large library.

Probably worth pointing out two of the better known free options in guess some folks reading this thread don't already know about them.

Flatpick Apprentice

Free Bluegrass Backing Tracks

FBBTs has a few tracks where you look at the chords and think, "Wait...that is NOT correct" but most of them are accurate enough. Funny thing about one of those mistakes... On "Gold Rush" he adds an F#m in the B part. A group of us who occassionally play out as a band were talking about that one time while jamming and decided it sounded cool enough to steal, so now whenever we play "Gold Rush" we add the F#m. Good pickers borrow, great pickers steal...or something like that :mandosmiley:

Another satisfied Strum Machine user here!

Another Strum Machine user here as well. Originally I was reluctant to pay $5 a month but once I took the plunge I have no regrets.