5 tips for playing along with a backing track

When practicing an instrument, we are all faced with playing in a band sooner or later. Playing alone, you'll probably make and keep making rhythm mistakes you wouldn't even notice.

Indeed, playing the right notes is not enough, music also requires playing the right section at the right time, and does not forgive any mistakes (we all have an artist in mind, or even ourselves, being nervous at one point in a song, and we can still feel the shaky hands and cheeks getting red, right?).

Unfortunately, not everyone has an opportunity to play in a band. In this situation, backing tracks are a first-class solution. These sound recordings include all the tracks of the song, except your instrument. You can play the regular sections, or start an improvisation with a band always in your back pocket.

As you may have already guessed, it's more or less a "karaoke for instruments"!

Once you've selected your song, don't rush into anything. We have a couple of tips to help you make the most of your Backing Track.

First of all, you need to set the right volume for the Backing Track, loud enough to hear it while playing, but not too loud to avoid covering your mistakes. If you turn the volume of the Backing Tracks up, it might sound nice and give you the impression that your instrument "melts" into the band, but it will also slow down your progression. It's best if you hear your mistakes first, practice, and then turn the volume up when you've got the song right.

One of the best things about Backing Tracks is they teach you how to play in rhythm. For starters, you might turn the "click track" on, or use a metronome to keep up with the tempo (displayed for each track on our website).

Try to become familiar with the different sections of the song, the number of beats per measure, the strong beats, etc. Being in a familiar location will help you avoid getting lost!

You can also listen to the other instruments one after the other. For instance, if you are a piano, guitar, or drum player, focus on the bass, which usually helps you feeling the chord variations on the first beat of each measure. You can also pay attention to the drum breaks between sections. Notice which beat the singer starts on etc. Playing in a band is totally different from playing alone with a music sheet, and you need to help yourself with your partners to succeed.

Get on it step by step. Instead of playing your part from scratch (riff, solo, or rhythm), start with the first chord or note for each measure. This way, you'll be focusing less on your part and more on the structure of the track, the rhythm, and the other instruments.

Once you've got those white gems in mind, play the strong beats, and only after completing those steps, play your part in whole.

Published on: 1 October 2014