Do You Play Along with Records?

[Tal_175]

I like the idea of playing along with records but it's something I haven't really done much. I can see that being a good way to practice comping as well as soloing.

Do you have a particular approach to playing with records? Do you mute certain parts in your head or do you play "additively" but filling spaces or layerning a part? Do you have favorite recordings to practice with?

[AllanAllen]

I play along with records more than iReal these days.

I try to comp along, I'm really trying to focus on comping. I'll take a solo over a bass solo, and play bass notes over a drum solo. It can be hard, as the form gets lost at these parts, Kenny Burrell's Well You Needn't and Ramsey Lewis' In Crowd come to mind. The Dizzy big band version of Birk's Works cuts the extra 4 bars for every solo but DIzzy's.

Weird stuff that humanizes the greats. Also, Herbie Hancock's Cantelope Island really speeds up.

[enalnitram]

I like to try to be the guitarist on:

Sonny's "Way Out West" and "Night at the Village Vanguard"
Elvin Jones "Live at the Light House"
Lee Konitz "Motion"
Branford "Dark Keys"
Gerry Mulligan Quartet

Much of the time it feels like being dragged behind a truck. Especially the Elvin record.

[hotpepper01]

I play bigbands and I do like to play along with MP3s of the correct arrangements on the PC and if they do not exist, I can make my own Band in a Box (Real Band) tracks. Stopping and repeating again and again is much easier with a PC than with vinyl records. Best for me is to play along with video clips of the actual song when played by your own bigband. Xtra bonus is when you can see the conductor as well.

[nyc chaz]

What are these records you speak of? Just kidding.Years ago i did but today there are so many sources of backing tracks i will use those.

[AllanAllen]

Come on guys.... records doesn't literally mean vinyl albums. It means the recordings, on any format.

[Tal_175]

I'd also like to point out that there are several interesting if not crucial differences between backing tracks and recordings of performances (especially the iconic ones). I'm not saying one is better than the other for playing along with. I'm just curious about people's experiences with playing along to actual records.

[dconeill]

What are these records you speak of? Just kidding.Years ago i did but today there are so many sources of backing tracks i will use those.

I believe the OP meant recordings by artists of performances, not backing tracks.

[enalnitram]

I'd also like to point out that there are several interesting if not crucial differences between backing tracks and recordings of performances (especially the iconic ones). I'm not saying one is better than the other for playing along with. I'm just curious about people's experiences with playing along to actual records.

I think playing with actual recordings is (theoretically) harder and therefore better. When playing with a backing track, you consider the tempo/feel and cruise along through the changes. The stuff the players played, or the computer-generated content, was designed to stay out of your way. Once you get to a certain point in your playing, playing the changes just kind of auto-creates your lines. It's easy to go on auto-pilot and not listen. When playing with a recording, like for example, the Konitz Motion I just mentioned, to improvise a guitar part on that record, you have to listen and interact, like you would in a playing situation.

In practice, tho, of course, there are very rarely going to be released recordings of stuff to help you prepare for your gig.

Unless you're in a non-jazz cover band. I've done a lot of that, too, but I assume that's not what we're talking about.

For several years, my warm-up was to play along with Nile Rodgers on all of his big songs. (right hand workout!) I was in a band that played that material and it was hard af.

[djg]

i use ai to edit out guitar or horns from my favourite recordings and use those as backing tracks.

[Tal_175]

i use ai to edit out guitar or horns from my favourite recordings and use those as backing tracks.

Intriguing. What software do you use for that?

[AllanAllen]

I play bigbands and I do like to play along with MP3s of the correct arrangements on the PC and if they do not exist, I can make my own Band in a Box (Real Band) tracks. Stopping and repeating again and again is much easier with a PC than with vinyl records. Best for me is to play along with video clips of the actual song when played by your own bigband. Xtra bonus is when you can see the conductor as well.

If you're playing Nestico charts, or other purchasable charts, I've had success looking up other bands performing the charts on youtube. Might help.

[mr. beaumont]

All the time. Probably my favorite way to practice. Especially playing rhythm guitar along with records that didn't have rhythm guitar.

[nyc chaz]

Come on guys.... records doesn't literally mean vinyl albums. It means the recordings, on any format.

I think most people know this which is why i said i was kidding.

[Tal_175]

I think most people know this which is why i said i was kidding.

You're right. I should've said recordings in the title.

[hotpepper01]

If you're playing Nestico charts, or other purchasable charts, I've had success looking up other bands performing the charts on youtube. Might help.

Sure, I can find my way perfectly. The big difference between backing tracks and real recordings/clips is that the backing tracks have a strict (rigid) time regime and the real recordings have much more realistic "feel" about them.

[djg]

Intriguing. What software do you use for that?

lalal.ai

[AllanAllen]

Sure, I can find my way perfectly. The big difference between backing tracks and real recordings/clips is that the backing tracks have a strict (rigid) time regime and the real recordings have much more realistic "feel" about them.

I'm talking about stuff like this, not computer tracks. A real big band playing the Nestico chart for Satin Doll. Of course, if you're doing original charts, you'll have to record the band yourself.

[starjasmine]

Recently I have heard about Moises; haven't tried it yet. The free version limits the amount of tracks you can generate. The paid version allows you to separate each instrument into a separate track.

There's also RipX; haven't tried that yet, either. My bad! Playing time is a bit limited for me these days and I would rather spend that time with guitar in hand than fiddling with software.

[voxo]

My latest method....scoot to you tube..play along with Scott Hamilton on tenor sax playing standards..Track muted...translates nicely on the guitar.....play in his key and dont forget to transpose the backing track in band in a box..

[Otterfan]

Some of the Paul Desmond albums with Jim Hall (First Place Again, Take Ten, and Glad to be Unhappy) have Jim panned hard left. I like to turn the left channel down and comp and take solos where Jim did.

Then I turn the left channel back up, play it again, and realize what a terrible job I did.

[sgcim]

I play bigbands and I do like to play along with MP3s of the correct arrangements on the PC and if they do not exist, I can make my own Band in a Box (Real Band) tracks. Stopping and repeating again and again is much easier with a PC than with vinyl records. Best for me is to play along with video clips of the actual song when played by your own bigband. Xtra bonus is when you can see the conductor as well.

Yeah, I had to play the actual song that one of the two big bands I play with plays, because it opens with a soli that you've got to play along with the sax at a burning tempo, and I couldn't sight read that (they don't allow you to take any of the charts home) to save my life.
I remembered that the pianist burned me a copy of the album, so I sat there and played along with the soli by ear, until I got it down.
At the concert , I played it fine. Then we didn't play it for a few years, and I completely forgot it when we played it again recently!

I also do a lot of arranging for both bands, and to get some ideas for solis and shout choruses, I'll improvise on top of a recording, and write down some of my ideas for the chart I'm working on. In fact, I'm, gonna be doing that tonight on a chart I just finished completing the entire melody of, and now I've gotta write backgrounds for the solos, and then a soli/shout chorus for the arrangement.

[AllanAllen]

Yeah, I had to play the actual song that one of the two big bands I play with plays, because it opens with a soli that you've got to play along with the sax at a burning tempo, and I couldn't sight read that (they don't allow you to take any of the charts home) to save my life.
I remembered that the pianist burned me a copy of the album, so I sat there and played along with the soli by ear, until I got it down.
At the concert , I played it fine. Then we didn't play it for a few years, and I completely forgot it when we played it again recently!

I also do a lot of arranging for both bands, and to get some ideas for solis and shout choruses, I'll improvise on top of a recording, and write down some of my ideas for the chart I'm working on. In fact, I'm, gonna be doing that tonight on a chart I just finished completing the entire melody of, and now I've gotta write backgrounds for the solos, and then a soli/shout chorus for the arrangement.

If you have an iPhone you can open the notes app open a few new note, click the camera and then Scan Documents. It’ll scan them with your camera. This collates the pictures into a single pdf.

[voxo]

Moises..AI AUdio seperation...Gamechanger....Moises App: The Ultimate Practice Tool for Musicians

[voxo]

will i throw band in a box away...integral learning kit...never