grumpygrans

[grumpygrans]

Elevate Your Music with Studio-Grade, Song-Arranged Rhythmic Backing Tracks

The Power of Top Drummer Recordings

IBISWorld reported that Australia’s music industry contributes a whopping $1.0 billion to the national economy.  That’s a massive number, and it means one thing—there’s a lot of competition out there.  To stand out, you’ve got to bring your A-game. 

“It’s all about capturing the vibe and delivering an authentic sound that resonates with listeners”, notes songwriter Olivia Jones of Author Flair—one of Australia’s trusted businesses in writing services. 

Like how you want the right team to win a footy match, you need the correct elements to succeed in music. This is where song-arranged, rhythmic backing tracks created by top-tier drummers come into play. 

These aren’t your run-of-the-mill computer-generated drum lines; we’re talking about the pulsating rhythms and heartbeats captured by absolute drumming legends. 

Why song-arranged, studio-grade drummer backing tracks make a difference.

1. Authentic Feel

Using this quality of recordings and musicianship brings your music an organic, “real-life” feel that programmed drums can never capture.  It’s like choosing between frozen lasagne and your grandma’s homemade recipe. Which one would you prefer?

Actual drum recordings bring inspiration and authenticity to your music, making it more relatable.

2. Versatility Across Genres

Using actual drum recordings adds depth and versatility regardless of genre, from rock to jazz, blues to pop. 

A top-notch drummer’s unique skills and flair will adapt to multiple styles, offering a broad range of sounds.

3. Unmatched Quality

The sound quality of a studio-recorded drum track is as good as it gets.  It has clarity, depth, and nuance that can lift the overall quality of any song. 

Think of it as upgrading from a good old pair of thongs to a high-end pair of leather boots.  The difference is clear and instantly noticeable.

Ways to Incorporate Song-based, Studio-quality Drummer Backing Tracks into Your Fully Mastered Music

Here are some ways to elevate your music with song-arranged, studio-grade rhythmic backing tracks.

1. Choosing Tracks

You’ll find many platforms where you can purchase or license recordings from established drummers. Listen to previews, read reviews, and seek expert advice.  The aim is to find and enrich tracks that align with your musical vision.

2. Some Technical Know-How

Here’s where it gets a bit geeky, but stick with me. 

Once you have your chosen drum track, you can use music software to blend it with your other instrumentals and vocals.  This process is called “sequencing.” 

Arranging is like cooking; each ingredient must be added at the right time and amount to create a delicious meal.   Sequencing is just mixing all your musical ‘ingredients’ together.

3. Fine-tuning and Mastering

This stage is like putting the icing on your cake.  It’s where you make minor adjustments to how the tracks interact with one another and the elements of your song. 

You might tweak the volume, adjust the timing, or add special effects.  Your goal is to make all the tracks fit together and make the whole shine.

Elevate Your Sound with Song-Arranged, Studio-Grade Drum Tracks!

Music is an ever-evolving field; staying ahead often requires thinking outside the box. 

Using song-arranged, studio-grade rhythmic backing tracks can give your music that competitive edge, making it resonate with a broader audience.

Explore the world of rhythm with Alive Drumming – your go-to resource for contemporary rhythms, always delivered as professionally song-arranged drum recordings and the creator of Song Rhythm Tracks apps and service.

Contact us at marketing@alivedrumming.com for more information and ready to make your music come alive.

[grumpygrans]

The Importance of Play-Along Tracks in Music Practice

The Australian Government recognises the significance and value of music in fostering cultural expression and contributing to the economy. 

In 2019, the music sector contributed $1.7 billion to the GDP, with potential for growth given the right platforms and practices, states the Government’s “Australian Music Industry” report. 

One unique and influential aspect in bolstering this growth is play-along tracks. 

Most people might associate these with an artist’s music recording process, but they offer profound enrichment to music learning and practice.

“Popular tools like Band In A Box and iReal Pro have been conducive but seem too formulaic to some. The real essence lies in playing along with masterful renditions of seasoned artists, offering joy and a priceless learning experience,”says music enthusiast, Flynn Lawson of YouTube To MP3.

The importance of play-along tracks in music practice:

1. Enhances Musical Skills

Play-along tracks help to sharpen various musical skills. 

These tracks pave the way to practice rhythm, melody, and harmony in real-time, fostering an in-depth musical understanding. 

The natural, dynamic feeling of performing alongside a talented musician’s rendition of a musical piece helps to hone the students’ interpretative skills and musical intuition.

2. Supports Self-Expression

Playing along with recordings of talented musicians allows one to connect personally with the music, fostering expressive capabilities. 

It helps discover one’s unique musical voice, resonate with the piece’s emotion, and communicate these effectively through performance.

3. Aids in Fixing Mistakes

With play-along tracks, musicians identify and rectify their mistakes on the spot. 

The immediate feedback helps players to detect off-beats, wrong notes, or other areas of improvement. 

This instant detection and correction instil better playing habits and contributes to steady musical growth.

4. Promotes Versatility

Another critical advantage of play-along tracks is the exposure to different music styles. 

Individual tracks will likely embody various genres, cultures, and traditions, thus coaxing musicians out of their comfort zones. 

This versatile exposure broadens the musical vision and cultivates adaptability.

5. Rehearses Performance-like Scenarios

Play-along tracks re-create the vibe of a live performance. 

Practising with these tracks helps musicians become accustomed to the performance dynamic – following the tempo, maintaining sync, and imparting feelings. 

This role-play aids in confronting stage fright and boosts confidence when actually performing.

6. Provides Enjoyment and Motivation

Above all, playing along with recordings of talented musicians makes music practice so enjoyable. 

It breaks the monotony of routine practice, injecting a thrill of playing with a virtual ‘band’. 

This fun-filled learning stimulates enthusiasm and motivation, fostering a more profound love for the music.

Fine Tune Your Practice With NetTracks

NetTracks from Alive Drumming is the musician’s store for play-along tracks, with 1000s of high-quality tracks of artists’ recordings from Alive Drumming and other vendors. It is the ideal way to find, download and play great play-along tracks. The Apple app has helpful metadata, a superb audio player and setlists. Just what one needs to take advantage of the best play-along.

Alive Drumming is a hub for non-classical musicianship, offering various resources to enhance your understanding of contemporary songs and particularly their rhythms. 

Explore rhythm recordings and experience the convenience of Song Rhythm Tracks through the NetTracks app. 

Check out Alive Drumming at alivedrumming.com and elevate your music practice like never before. Rock, steady rhythms start there!

Contact Alive Drumming for more insights at marketing@alive-drumming.org. They will guide you towards fulfilling your musical journey.

— Article from guest contributor Jude Young.

[grumpygrans]

Play-along Music

NetTracks is a musician’s backing track player, ideal for play-alongs, either in practice or performance. Let’s take a look at what’s available. 

Music tracks meant for mixing come in various forms.

Karaoke – for singers. All the music is there, just the singer’s voice is absent – which is supplied by the karaoke singer. The display of lyrics, synced with the music, is crucial. MIDI and audio formats prevail for Karaoke. They help singers practice and perform songs. When MIDI-based tracks are used, they can be tuned by increasing and decreasing the volume of individual instruments in the mix. All ideal for singers. 

Musicians’ song-based practice backing tracks. These are song-based tracks, like Karaoke, that target musicians rather than singers.  They help musicians learn tunes and improvise over them.  They are usually stereo audio, but sometimes mono. Often a chord chart or lead sheet accompanies the audio, so musicians can easily match the harmony or learn new tunes. Rhythm-only backing tracks have less need for chord charts, but are a great way to learn new tunes when combined with lead sheets. The NetTracks Mac and IOS app is an ideal player for these types tracks, which are surveyed below..

Musicians audio mix-ins.  These are intended to be used in creating of new, original audio tracks by musicians, independently or in groups, often with a producer. They comes as drumming grooves, baselines, and harmony, often separated into stems – individual per-instrument audio tracks for the arranger. Sometimes they are song-based, but usually not. 

Musician’s Play-along Music Collections

Some song-based play-along collections we dig.

Jamey Aebersold 

Jamey Aebersold pretty much made the creation of high-quality Jazz and Blues play-alongs his life’s work, and these albums have been widely appreciated and still, decades later, are much revered. The JazzTimes has a good article on his work. The hour-long video is worth the watch. These play-alongs can be purchased through many channels, including the traditional booklet, complete with CD, from musical instrument stores, and the audio separately, per track, on iTunes. They are stereo tracks with instruments well isolated to the right or left channel, allowing users to select the mix by changing the stereo balance. The collection started in the 1970s and now comprises about 120 separate albums, each with a booklet. These should be considered collaborations between Jamey Aebersold and top musicians, with Jamey managing the entire exercise and creating comprehensive, high-quality booklets of lead sheets and scales. These are the gold standard of educational Jazz and Blues backing tracks.

Hal Leonard’s Real Book

When Hal Leonard legitimised the then-Berkely fake books into their Real Books, they took the opportunity to supply backing tracks that match the lead sheets in their Real Books. Pure Genius. You can buy these backing tracks separately in the format of USB sticks if you already have the books. Professional quality jazz trio playing, leaning more to the ballads than bop and not with the stereo separation of the Aebersold’s. Well worth getting. 

Hal Leonard has diversified its retailing channels to include online sales. 

Hal Leonard also supplies many other play-along books for specific artists or genres, including their multi-track products. 

Ralph Patt 

Ralph Patt, now deceased, generously created practice backing tracks that he released into the public domain in a guitar user group for the aid of all musicians. These, like those of Jamey Aebersold, isolate instruments in the stereo mix to either the left or right channel. They generally have fast tempos. Ralph was a good musician; we will always be thankful for his legacy. These tracks do not benefit from the same team of musicians behind them that Jamey Aebersold’s did, but for a sole contributor, they are a real achievement and well worth trying. They do not come with lead sheets, but the tempos are shown. Ralph also published the ‘Vanilla Book’, a book of chord charts for many Jazz and Blues standards. Many of his backing tracks are covered in his Vanilla Book. If you play a harmony instrument and want to play along to fast tempo drums and bass, check them out. 

Real Book Software 

Real Book Software tracks are also based on Real Books and come from an independent supplier, focusing on their complete software product. You can purchase the Jazz Play-Along backing tracks separately from the software product. These tracks are an inexpensive option and worth considering for the added variety they provide. The musical key is shown, and every song generally comes in multiple renditions, such as with and without piano comping, and other variations, such as tempo, repeats and key. We do not have any experience with Real Book Software, software product, but we have tried the stand-alone backing track collection and enjoyed it, considering it a similar experience to Hal Leonard’s.

Bobby’s Backing Tracks

Bobby’s are quality tracks by dedicated musicians. Direct, online sales from their website are the only option. They deal with stems and supply minus-one mixes (no bass, no drums or no keys). They serve the gigging community as much as the practising one. You will listen carefully to the track to figure out its arrangement. They suit more those who learn their tracks through listening critically rather than expecting everything to be supplied upfront, as you would get from educators such as Jamey Aebersold. What you do get, though, is quality backing, easily acquired through their online store. They are not cheap, but a good option to consider, particularly if you want inspiring tracks for performance. 

JazzBacks

JazzBacks are based in the UK and use a similar business model to Bobby’s – High-quality tracks using modern equipment for practice or performance direct from their website. JazzBacks proudly do not include fade endings or verbal count-ins and provide copious supporting materials. Their downloads are ZIPs which include the audio file, and multiple chord charts (per instrument type, so C, Eb and Bb), so you know which chords to use and the arrangement, such as, 

“Black Orpheus; Key – A minor; Intro- 4 bars; Head; Solo – 1 chorus; Head; Ending – Dm/ Am / Dm/ Am/ Dm/ Em/ Am”. 

For Stella, 

“Stella By Starlight Key Bb (concert); 2 Bars drums; Straight into the head; Solo- 2 Choruses; Head; Repeat last line twice; End”. 

It is great to know this arrangement information up-front, so you can quickly play along knowing what to expect. These professional tracks are very approachable and easier to use than most. They are purchased per track (with bundles available) and can be used in performance. 

Song Rhythm Tracks

Alive Drumming’s Song Rhythm Tracks are play-along backing tracks specialising in drums and/or percussion. They use high-quality audio from talented drummers with many different genres represented. Drumming is arranged around the song’s form, and arrangments may include introduction and outro sections, always clearly stated in the accompanying description of the arrangement. Some tracks include stops (aka holds). Arrangements are always visible. It may seem that less is less, but less can be more. Players of harmony instruments, such as guitar or keys, can enjoy playing along to superb drumming without any bass track but still hearing the drummer playing the same song. Give it a go. Song Rhythm Tracks often cover Real Book tunes and sometimes come with public domain lead sheets. The entire collection are accessible within the NetTracks app via a low-cost annual subscription. 

Musical Genres other than Jazz, Blues

The vendors above tend to specialise in the genres of Jazz and Blues, often adding Funk, Bossa and other associated styles. These styles of music, with their usually constant pulse and simple forms, lend themselves to highly approachable covers and artists’ improvisations. That’s often the attraction of this music. In turn, these songs can often be well supported by lead sheets and associated backing tracks, making the songs even more approachable for beginning students and experienced musicians.

NetTracks

NetTracks adds to the experience of backing track crafted by musicians by making tracks more accessible and providing the industry’s best setlist and backing track player. We hope more and more students and experienced players find acquiring and using artists’ backing tracks a real pleasure.

[grumpygrans]

Play-along Music

Music tracks meant for mixing come in various forms.

Karaoke – for singers. All the music is there, just the singer’s voice is absent – to be supplied by the karaoke singer. The display of lyrics, synced with the music, is crucial. MIDI and audio formats prevail for Karaoke. They help singers practice and perform songs. When MIDI-based tracks are used, they can be tuned by increasing and decreasing the volume of individual instruments in the mix.

Musicians’ song-based practice backing tracks. These are song-based tracks, like Karaoke, that target musicians rather than singers. They help musicians learn tunes and improvise over them. They are usually stereo audio, but sometimes mono. Often a chord chart or lead sheet accompanies the audio, so musicians can easily match the harmony. Rhythm-only backing tracks have less need for these charts. Below, we give our survey of some vendors of these. The NetTracks Mac and IOS app is an ideal player for these tracks.

Musicians audio mix-ins. These are intended to be used in creating new, original audio tracks by musicians, independently or in groups. It comes as drumming grooves, baselines, and harmony, often separated into stems – individual per-instrument audio tracks for the arranger to tune. Sometimes they are song-based, but often not.

Musician’s Play-along Music Collections

Some song-based play-along collections we dig.

Jamey Aebersold

Jamey Aebersold pretty much made the creation of high-quality Jazz and Blues play-alongs his life’s work, and these albums have been widely appreciated and still, decades later, are much revered. The JazzTimes has a good article on his work. The hour-long video is worth the watch. These play-alongs can be purchased through a number of channels, including the traditional booklet, complete with CD, from musical instrument stores, and the audio separately, per track, on iTunes. They are stereo tracks with instruments well isolated to the right or left channel, allowing users to select the mix by changing the stereo balance. The collection started in the 1970s and now comprises about 120 separate albums, each with a booklet. These can be considered collaborations between Jamey Aebersold and top musicians, with Jamey managing the entire exercise and creating comprehensive, high-quality booklets of lead sheets and scales. These are the gold standard.

Hal Leonard’s Real Book

When Hal Leonard legitimised the then-Berkely fake books into their Real Books, they took the opportunity to supply backing tracks that match the lead sheets in their Real Books. Pure Genius. You can buy these backing tracks separately in the format of USB sticks if you already have the books. Well worth getting.

Hal Leonard has diversified its retailing channels to include online sales.

Hal Leonard also supplies many other play-along books for specific artists or genres, including their multi-track products.

Ralph Patt

Ralph Patt, now deceased, generously created practice backing tracks that he released into the public domain in a guitar user group for the aid of all musicians. These, like those of Jamey Aebersold, are stereo with instruments isolated to either the left or right channel. They generally have fast tempos. Ralph was a good musician; we will always be thankful for his legacy. These tracks do not benefit from the same team of musicians behind them that Jamey Aebersold’s did, but for a sole contributor, they are a real achievement and well worth trying. They do not come with lead sheets, but the tempos are shown. Ralph also published the ‘Vanilla Book’, a book of chord charts for many Jazz and Blues standards. Many of his backing tracks are covered in his Vanilla Book.

Real Book Software

Real Book Software tracks are also based on Real Books and come from an independent supplier, focusing on their complete software product. You can purchase the Jazz Play-Along backing tracks separately from the software product. These tracks are an inexpensive option and worth considering for the added variety they provide. The musical key is shown, and every song generally comes in multiple renditions, such as with and without piano comping, and other variations, such as tempo, repeats and key. We do not have any experience with Real Book Software, software product, which has had mixed reviews, but we have tried the stand-alone backing track collection and enjoyed it.

Bobby’s Backing Tracks

Bobby’s are quality tracks by dedicated musicians. Direct, online sales from their website are the only option. They deal with stems and supply minus-one mixes (no bass, no drums or no keys). They serve the gigging community as much as the practising one. You will listen carefully to the track to figure out its arrangement. They suit more those who learn their tracks through listening critically rather than expecting everything to be supplied upfront, as you would get from educators such as Jamey Aebersold. What you do get, though, is quality backing, easily acquired through their online store. It is not cheap, but a good option to consider, particularly if you want to perform with the tracks.

JazzBacks

JazzBacks are based in the UK and use a similar business model to Bobby’s – High-quality tracks using modern equipment for practice or performance direct from their website. JazzBacks proudly do not include fade endings or verbal count-ins and provide copious supporting materials. Their downloads are ZIPs which include the audio file, and multiple chord charts (per instrument type, so C, Eb and Bb), so you know which chords to use and the arrangement, such as,

“Black Orpheus; Key – A minor; Intro- 4 bars; Head; Solo – 1 chorus; Head; Ending – Dm/ Am / Dm/ Am/ Dm/ Em/ Am”.

For Stella,

“Stella By Starlight Key Bb (concert); 2 Bars drums; Straight into the head; Solo- 2 Choruses; Head; Repeat last line twice; End”.

It is great to know this arrangement information up-front, so you can quickly play along knowing what to expect. These professional tracks are very approachable and easier to use than most. They are purchased per track (with bundles available) and can be used in performance.

Song Rhythm Tracks

Best Backing Track Player in the industry.

Alive Drumming’s Song Rhythm Tracks are play-along backing tracks specialising in drums and/or percussion. They use high-quality audio from talented drummers with many different genres represented. Drumming is arranged around the song’s form, and arrangments may include introduction and outro sections. Some tracks include stops (aka holds). Arrangements are always visible. It may seem that less is less, but less can be more. Players of harmony instruments, such as guitar or keys, can enjoy playing along to superb drumming without any bass track. Give it a go. Song Rhythm Tracks are accessible within the NetTracks app.

Musical Genres other than Jazz, Blues

The vendors above tend to specialise in the genres of Jazz and Blues, often adding Funk, Bossa and other associated styles. These styles of music, with their usually constant pulse and simple forms, lend themselves to highly approachable covers and artists’ improvisations. That’s often the attraction of this music. In turn, these songs can often be well supported by lead sheets and associated backing tracks, making the songs even more approachable for beginning students and experienced musicians.

NetTracks

NetTracks adds to the backing track experience by making tracks more accessible and providing the industry’s best setlist and backing track player. We hope more and more students and experienced players find acquiring and using backing tracks a real pleasure.

[grumpygrans]

New Post has been published on https://alive-drumming.org/blog/gg_shortpost/556-grumpy-grans-galore-deep-in-thought/

556 / Grumpy Grans Galore – Deep in Thought

This Gran is deep in thought but lifted the dark glasses for us. Check out on the

Stargaze Marketplace – Grumpy Grans Galore (stargaze.zone)

or

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[grumpygrans]

556 / Grumpy Grans Galore – Deep in Thought

This Gran is deep in thought but lifted the dark glasses for us. Check out on the

Stargaze Marketplace – Grumpy Grans Galore (stargaze.zone)

or

Constellations – Grumpy Grans Galore:  Constellations Zone

[grumpygrans]

556 / Grumpy Grans Galore – Deep in Thought

This Gran is deep in thought but lifted the dark glasses for us. Check out on the Stargaze Marketplace – Grumpy Grans Galore (stargaze.zone) or Constellations – Grumpy Grans Galore:  Constellations Zone

[grumpygrans]

New Post has been published on https://alive-drumming.org/blog/gg_shortpost/548-grumpy-grans-galore-auburn-haired-siren/

548 / Grumpy Grans Galore – Auburn-Haired Siren

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548 / Grumpy Grans Galore – Auburn-Haired Siren

This auburn-haired siren is full of confidence and looks to be on stage, ready to perform. Check out on the

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or

Constellations – Grumpy Grans Galore:  Constellations Zone

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548 / Grumpy Grans Galore – Auburn-Haired Siren

This auburn-haired siren is full of confidence and looks to be on stage, ready to perform. Check out on the Stargaze Marketplace – Grumpy Grans Galore (stargaze.zone) or Constellations – Grumpy Grans Galore:  Constellations Zone

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New Post has been published on https://alive-drumming.org/blog/gg_shortpost/546-grumpy-grans-galore-just-striking/

546 / Grumpy Grans Galore – Just Striking

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546 / Grumpy Grans Galore – Just Striking

Wow - age doesn't discount glamour! Check out on the

Stargaze Marketplace – Grumpy Grans Galore (stargaze.zone)

or

Constellations – Grumpy Grans Galore:  Constellations Zone

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546 / Grumpy Grans Galore – Just Striking

Wow - age doesn't discount glamour! Check out on the Stargaze Marketplace – Grumpy Grans Galore (stargaze.zone) or Constellations – Grumpy Grans Galore:  Constellations Zone

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New Post has been published on https://alive-drumming.org/blog/gg_shortpost/536-grumpy-grans-galore-green-and-gold/

536 / Grumpy Grans Galore – Green and Gold

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536 / Grumpy Grans Galore – Green and Gold

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or

Constellations – Grumpy Grans Galore:  Constellations Zone

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536 / Grumpy Grans Galore – Green and Gold

Golden blonde hair; Those lovely green pince-nez; The lime-green top. It's working for me. Check out on the Stargaze Marketplace – Grumpy Grans Galore (stargaze.zone) or Constellations – Grumpy Grans Galore:  Constellations Zone

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New Post has been published on https://alive-drumming.org/blog/gg_shortpost/522-grumpy-grans-galore-content-and-enquiring/

522 / Grumpy Grans Galore – Content and Enquiring

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