Performing with Backing Tracks

Lango-Django

I do some gigging now and then using backing tracks. A lot of gigs just don't pay enough to hire more players, so what are you gonna do?

And hey, backing tracks never get drunk on a gig, know every song you want to play, never play bum chords during your solo, and never speed up or slow down!

FWIW, I don't understand why backing tracks are unacceptable to the Jazz Police but loops are okay...?

wim

Stuart, an instructional DVD is a completely different matter! The original post was about gigging with backing tracks.

Performing "live" music with a backing track is unprofessional, it's an insult to the audience. You may as well plug in an iPod and call yourself a DJ.

Find someone with an interest in the music, and teach them how to play the right chords. If nobody has an interest, consider moving to a more vibrant city. And I thought this should go without saying, but apparently not: if a gig doesn't pay enough, don't play the gig.

Scoredog

wow, and you are a full time musician?...that I now highly doubt, because most full time musicians learn to make compromises to allow them to work.
Only the truly great musicians don't need to compromise to make a living, others find ways. If you are in a situation where there are no players then by all means use backing tracks, let you decide how to dictate your own life and don't let others decide it for you. I can assure you Wim Glenn won't be showing up to your gig to harass you...:)

Bottom line, can you enjoy yourself when playing to a backing track? if so you have your answer.

Jojo

Before this gets out of hand, I guess the word 'gig' needs to be defined. If you're someone who is being managed and had gigs booked for them, with advertising etc, turning up with a backing track would probably get a lot of peoples backs up. Doing a small time gig with three or four other artists and you're last on the bill, or an Acoustic Night at a pub in a town of four hundred people is a whole different ballgame

crookedpinky

To be honest a lot of people I've played for couldn't care less if I played with a backing track, a looper, a kazoo or a trained chimp. I wouldn't do it if I was part of a formal concert or similar but I see no shame in using a backing track if I had to - like playing at my sister in law's wedding or just providing background music. My preference would be to have Nous'che Rosenberg and Roy Percy playing with me but that ain't gonna happen.

Buco

Well the gig I'd visualize playing with a backing track is a bar/restaurant background music where you might have a few people interested in you but mostly it's a live or semi-live juke-box.
For this environment I'd think it's totally acceptable.
Playing a concert in front of a dedicated audience, perhaps less so.

crookedpinky

Spot on Buco.

Jazzaferri

I second that @Buco

Lango-Django

Right, Buco, those are the very kind of gigs I've used them on.

It's been my experience that most people treat music (of any kind) as background noise but there are always a few music lovers who want to sit up close and listen and maybe request songs or talk to you.

And nobody ever, ever complains about the backing tracks. The truth is that if you use 'em right they just kind of disappear into the background anyway.

spud

haha i thought of this thread today.
So I am in Nice at the moment and today two guys were moving from cafe to cafe busking. One violin and one guitar, and they were using a backing track of rhythm guitar.
and yes! it did bug me because they had all the equipment to make a loop of rhythm "on the spot" while the violinist did the theme but they chose the backing track instead.
i was with another musician (who doesnt play gypsy jazz but is an extremely good player) and it didnt bother her at all. the buskers were both good players, but it felt a little bit lazy to me.
(it also annoyed me that they would play in front of a cafe , play the same 3 or 4 four songs and move onto the next to play the same 3 or 4 songs with their backing tracks)