Performing with Backing Tracks

Lango-Django

Still don't understand why loops are okay but not backing tracks... but I agree about not playing the same few songs over and over!

Although, full disclosure--- in the 1970s I was one of the musicians that the TTC licensed to play in the Toronto subway system. I played the banjo and my parter played clarinet.

At first we thought it was just a coincidence, but experiment gradually confirmed that "Ain't Misbehavin'" was our best moneymaker.

So guess what song we played a lot!

crookedpinky

Maybe it has to do with the fact that you're actually having to play something to record it and build up a loop. I don't know, that's just a suggestion.

wim

Wait, who said loopers were okay? Not me... ^#(^ maybe it was @Jon )

Bones

I'd pay to see Bireli play even if he was accompanied by BIAB. :-)

BTW, that solo that Victor Wooten did with the looper that I mentioned (during the Bella Fleck concert) was a showstopper. The crowd went nuts.

Craig Bumgarner

I've used a looper to accompany a violin as a duo and sneak in a solo or two, it works, but for times when I can't find a second guitar, what I'd really like to do is learn to play like this:

spud

Wim Glenn wrote: »

Wait, who said loopers were okay? Not me... ^#(^ maybe it was @Jon )

Haha but what can one do when one is not jon delaney? Im not skilled enough to play solo guitar and keep it interesting.

Jon

First off, I'm totally all for professionals doing whatever they need to do to pay the bills - if you can do that as a musician, then whatever it is you are doing is the right thing, whether @Wim Glenn disapproves or not (although I do, for the most part, do agree with him).

Aside from that, reasons not to use technology: less stuff to carry on public transport or load in/out of the gig; less outlay on gear; you will get a lot better at the guitar; more money to spend on beer/allied liquids to help you forget how lonely and awful doing solo gigs for money is.

If having a big enough fee to split is not so much the issue, but availability of personnel, then I'd find someone friendly who could use the cash and teach them four chords and a rough pompe. I'd rather that than sitting alone with a beer and my iPhone in the breaks - that's the absolute pits.

I recently saw a guy playing in a bar, doing sort of electric blues/rock by himself. He sung and played, so that was all cool, but then he also took solos - single note solos - completely unaccompanied, and the arse fell out of the texture - of course - but it was fantastic. I absolutely loved it. It was honest, had conviction, and really made me want to like him. It was brave, and that's important, I reckon.