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Defending The Use of Backing Tracks!
For many years, the use of backing tracks has been considered a no-no by many "purist" musicians who consider this to be "cheating". However, having now established myself as a solo act who uses tracks, and as an accomplished bassist, guitarist and vocalist, I feel there are some good defences for their use at gigs!
1. Poor qulaity backing tracks, or midi files, I agree, will sound poor and the public may well pass judgement on the overall act by the quality of their tracks. However, high quality tracks, that have been prodiuced by real musicians, can sound fantastic....
2. I am an entertainer as much as I am a musician. What matters to me most is that my show sounds good, I enjoy playing, and that the audience enjoys the show.
3. I love working with full bands, the buzz from playing with a band is second to none; however, ny love of music is such that I want to make it my profession, and is there really enough well paiud work out there to support a full band each week to accomplish this? Unfortunately, no. But as a solo act, or duo, this can be acheived and helped by backing tracks.
4. Many tracks, including my own, are either 100% produced by the artist, or much time is taken with software to edit / enhance and manipulate each track to sound right for the player. This work is seldom recognised by the public, and the best results can only really be acheived my musicians / music professionals.
5. They improve your playing.... Ha ha! I hear you say, but backing tracks are unforgiving; you make an error, the band will not compensate for it, the track carries on regardless! As many tracks are recorded to a click, timing is improved ten-fold when you play over them.
6. A backing track does not demean anyone's playing ability.
7. I am not trying to state a case for tracks sounding better than a real band; that would be ridiculous, but they are a realistic alternative if produced well enough!
So I am ready for the onslaught of comments from the purists out there..... would love to hear from you if you are a full-time employed unsigned band of four or five members who don't use backing tracks at all.... If you are out there, hat's off to ya!
1. Poor qulaity backing tracks, or midi files, I agree, will sound poor and the public may well pass judgement on the overall act by the quality of their tracks. However, high quality tracks, that have been prodiuced by real musicians, can sound fantastic....
2. I am an entertainer as much as I am a musician. What matters to me most is that my show sounds good, I enjoy playing, and that the audience enjoys the show.
3. I love working with full bands, the buzz from playing with a band is second to none; however, ny love of music is such that I want to make it my profession, and is there really enough well paiud work out there to support a full band each week to accomplish this? Unfortunately, no. But as a solo act, or duo, this can be acheived and helped by backing tracks.
4. Many tracks, including my own, are either 100% produced by the artist, or much time is taken with software to edit / enhance and manipulate each track to sound right for the player. This work is seldom recognised by the public, and the best results can only really be acheived my musicians / music professionals.
5. They improve your playing.... Ha ha! I hear you say, but backing tracks are unforgiving; you make an error, the band will not compensate for it, the track carries on regardless! As many tracks are recorded to a click, timing is improved ten-fold when you play over them.
6. A backing track does not demean anyone's playing ability.
7. I am not trying to state a case for tracks sounding better than a real band; that would be ridiculous, but they are a realistic alternative if produced well enough!
So I am ready for the onslaught of comments from the purists out there..... would love to hear from you if you are a full-time employed unsigned band of four or five members who don't use backing tracks at all.... If you are out there, hat's off to ya!
Replies are closed for this discussion.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rob Taylor on -
I can understand why Muso folk go out using backing tracks and if thta's what the punters want then that's fine but for me it's not the thing. By my own admission I am too random to follow a backing track/arrangement or even a set list. I like the freedon to gauge the audience and think if the next tune I'm supposed to play is gonna blow 'em away or not, if not then trow in one that will..
Although with venues closing down and less and less places playing good money for live acts then I can appreciate that this is how some folk choose to make their money. For me I am in 2 or 3 bands most of the time and I have afull time job. Music is very much the thing I love but I know too many proffessional musicians who live hand to mouth trying to earn a crust..
I like a bit of security myself and I couldn't face earning my income from teaching and comprimising what I want out music
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Permalink Reply by The Goodges on -
Right, thats it. An opinion is one thing, not to use backing tracks if you don't like too.
But you are being snobs about other people using backing tracks!
In your original thought stratoman you were saying that you think people should go out with an acoustic instead, well i've done that for years and i've played in all kinds of bands of all kinds of sizes and played all kinds of music and there is definately a place for musicians using tracks in the right way live if the deem it more suitable for the job in hand. Loads of bands of all kinds play live music along with recorded and sequenced tracks nowadays, especially acts that feature more contemporary production values. But even with more traditional types, I played in a band about 15 years ago that played original classical music with the accompanyment of electric guitars, bass and drums. The band formed in the seventies and have had reasonable critical and fan aclaim over the years. In this band we played along to a sequenced orchestra as it would have been impossible to do the gigs we did with a full orchestra. Also you said about acts like Simon and Garfunkel but there are many large acts that go out with a band of paint by numbers session musicians who to me are nothing more than a backing track with a face anyway.
I dont want to insult and I dont know you, your probably a great guy, but your opinion is overrunning into judging what other people do and that is arrogant. I'm, not saying that people shouldn't use a full live act if they deem it suitable for their purpose and can find the suitable personel. But also people should be allowed to use backing tracks if they deem it suitable for the job in hand and can't find the suitable personel. I am actually very alike Rob in the way that I have always been a very free player. I am self trained by ear, I know little theory and music has always been my life long love and my lifes saviour in fact and I cannot teach for a living either as I have seen so many guitarists go stale doing this. But actually I find using the drum tracks liberating because I have played with very few drummers of the quality that allows me to play to my true potential and fully enjoy it. And I have played with alot of drummers.
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Permalink Reply by Simon Lees on -
When I first used backing tracks I kinda felt I was "selling out". I'd always played in original bands, writing our own music and stuff and I'd always dreamed of "making it". To begin with I played it safe and did middle of the roads tunes which was not really what I wanted to play. Over the years I've filtered in tunes I can enjoy playing and when people book me I can explain what my niche is. Nowadays I can pretty much please myself and I throw it my own tunes amongst the covers. Over the last 13 years and maybe 1800 shows my playing has improved loads. If I'd done a day job and stuck to my musical ideals I would never have played so many gigs nor got so much valuable day-time practise on my instrument. (Not if I wanted to keep the missus happy anyway!). I believe if you're a musician you should be able to make a living at it and not have to resort to a day job unless it's a job you absolutely love. And let's face it, if you're a musician, what better job could there be?
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Permalink Reply by Simon Lees on
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Rob, surely a band is far more restrictive than backing tracks. If I want to change my set mid gig to suit the audience it's a piece of cake. Just whack on another disc and off I go. Obviously you can't jam with a backing track although I have arranged several of my tracks so I can do some extra soloing/improvising. When you play in a band, you rehearse a set and you stick to it. You might have a couple of tunes you can switch around but any more than that and you lose tightness. With my backing tracks I can do 7 different 2 hour shows without repeating myself. And once I've learned the songs I don't have to rehearse weekly with a band to keep all that material tight.
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Permalink Reply by The Goodges on
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Absolutely Simon Lees, I agree with you, it is the same with us. I was dead against backing tracks when I was younger, I also even thought playing covers was a sell out as i've always been a writer and wanted to 'make it' too. But I made it to degree and it really wasn't all that!
Our set is no less restricted than if we had a live drummer and we also have a huge range of material we can change at ease mid set. My wife and I have become far better musicians for playing to the drum tracks aswell as live performers, we put on a hugely energetic live performance that leaves many astounded. We also include our own material and write and record our own albums and we get more response and sell more albums from putting a few of them amongst covers than if we went out doing only our own material. We are far from the best musicians in the world but we are very professional, tight and energitic.
I have realised that people want to hear their favourite songs played live well by a very a professional outfit because seeing the original bands are expensive or the bands are not around anymore.
Whether you like it or not Stratoman you have been contradictive of yourself, one minute making judgement calls, the next saying each to their own, and that is what many musicians do, they judge but then say something else to make themselves think they are not.
And as far as insulting drummers, I am simply stating a fact. There are very few quality drummers about, who know all aspects from tuning the kit properly, to staying at tempo, to knowing the right thing to play when.
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Permalink Reply by Rob Taylor on
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In reply, I don't think this a one or the other thing. It just comes down to taste..
I've got taste and you lot ain't ;o)
Naa seriously though before anyone else get out of their trolly, I work with guys who know me and know for the most part I will improvise aspects of the set and that means the arrangement as much as anything else but it only works if your a good communicator.
With my soul Funk band I often conduct the band, I tell the singer which section to go for in the song (midd 8, verse or chorus) and the band follows accordingly. My Blues outfit I do the singing so it's easy for me to call the changes..
I guess I could probably try this with backing tracks but I know I be half way through a solo cause I got a good idea and the song would click to it's end!!
I'd love to be earning a living from music and have tried in the past (in fact while travelling I boosted my income by playing bar most nights with a acoustic guitars) BUT the sort of musical stuff you have to do to earn a living don't attract me..
If I could find the right tribute covers band maybe but otherwise I'll take my pay check and enjoy my gigging. It does mean sometimes I stumble into work half alseep cause I've been out playing till 2-3am but then my job kinda lets me get away with this..
Hence why I chose it...
Opinions as I'm fond of saying are rather like Arse holes insomuch as we've got 'em;o)
Hope that helps
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Permalink Reply by Rob Taylor on
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Naa I'm a humble engineer for the Uni Comms network.
It's not REALLY like having a proper job..
The money ain't great but as I say it's flexible enough so I can manage my gigging
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Permalink Reply by Wiggy's Rock Show on -
I am out and about at the moment, but have had great fun reading all of your replies to this debate.. Cant wait to leave a more comprehensive reply when I get back home!
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Permalink Reply by Wiggy's Rock Show on
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Ok, I'm back....! Wow, looks like this issue really is a love/hate one, such strong arguments for/against the use of tracks!
Firstly, in reply to Strato, what I meant by "demeaning" was that myself and other players don't use tracks to cover up our inadequecies in the ability department, something you went on to mention. Secondly, The argument of Simon and Garfunkel / John Martyn not using tracks is fine if you want to play just acoustic material, I never tried to claim that tracks were essential to a solo artists show, however if you want to play AC/DC material, the acoustic version of that is probably best left to Hayseed Dixie, or Rodrigo y Gabriela! I want to play rock! So the argument stands that to do this in a pub and make a living out of it is impractical if you are a full band; even with the best musicians in the world, ultimately I am playing covers in pubs to make my living (after all, this site is called pubgigs.com, and I reckon if Letz Zep were not playing corporate gigs and large halls as well, they would not be full time musicians by pub gigs alone, as great as they are!)
I never intended this debate to become personal, it was based on knowledge that there are musicians out there - as Goodge stated, it is pretty much solely musicians- that have a problem with people using backing tracks as they see it as not being "real music". I am not saying this is you, Stratoman, or you, Rob, but I for one know of several players who diss the use of backing tracks on these grounds, and dare I say it, many of these players are not that great themselves. . . . Perhaps it is the reason they choose to knock successful players that are using tracks???!!!
The point about not advertising gigs / inland revenue etc has had two responses from Mickey and Simon, now a third from me... If you want to see my accounts / tax return, well actually I'm not going to show you, just assure you that they exist! What I can tell you is that "shed-loads" is not that accurate.
I have had great enjoyment from this debate, which I reckon would run and run without resolve if I were to let it do so, and for that reason I am going to leave it up for another day or so to see if we get any new responses, and if not then I will just close it as we all seem to agree to disagree on the subject.
Right, I'm off to program a new track for myself, which every band I have ever been in argued about playing, therefore I have never covered it before! Come to think of it, that is a great plus for being a one man rock show using backing tracks is it not? A drummer that stays in time, turns up for rejearsals and does what he is told? A rare breed me thinks! I could go on and on but enough is enough; Mickey's "sleeping" picture is suddenly seeming quite appropriate! Thank you all for your input!
Wiggy
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Permalink Reply by Wiggy's Rock Show on
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PS... I have a great new forum discussion planned for the near future! Stay tuned, I reckon we might just all agree on this one!
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Permalink Reply by The Goodges on
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Look stratoman, we all say its fine that its not for you and you dont want to use them.
The reason I got so angry is that then, obviously without realising, your opinion goes on to be snobby and judgemental as you addressed each point of reason why we choose to use backing tracks in your first addition to this discussion. Whether you ment it or not it very much came across as looking down your nose. You then go onto say that your happy to use this stuff in recordings, WELL whats the bloody difference, you're doing musicians out of work and providing the punters without a fully live played product. At least to people at our gigs its very obvious we dont have a live drummer, unless he's hiding in the toilets! I make my drum tracks using a midi trigger drum kit and play any keyboard tracks, so our recordings probably have more live playing on than yours, so whats the bloody difference. Its just people using modern technology to improve their trade as in any job. I know for a fact that nowadays top bands live recordings are not only remixed in the studio, but many parts are even RERECORDED! I know people who do it, Its just how the trade works nowadays. Now I do think thats cheating but its what people do.
Whether you ment it or not its musicians snobbery and I've seen it all the time for years. I'm sure your a great bloke and I really dont mean to be personal but you really did p**s me off.
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Permalink Reply by The Goodges on
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No need for a chill pill, im cool, generally very chilled, you just really rattled me. Best for all your future stuff and nice chattin, kinda.
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