Busking With Backing Tracks

Scoredog · May 20

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/125372#Comment_125372

if you are making money, that is part of the qualification of being a pro. I have friends who are only pro musicians who need to busk to help make enough income to continue the musician life style choice. Busking well is also a skill and those who do it well can earn some serious money (I have never busked but am a life long pro).

As I stated earlier it is a personal choice using backing tracks and anything to get you in front of people and performing is usually a good thing.

I was thinking of bringing backing tracks to Django In June, sitting in a corner and seeing if anyone outside of Buco would check on me in a few days to bring food and water.

DragonPL · May 20

How about concerts with a backing track?!?!?

https://youtu.be/TV5b1nvMyDk?si=b7cXtrw0s1LoX8as

lorenzop · May 20

Soon AI Backing Tracks - you can select rhythm guitar and bass each in the style of 'fill in blank'. BT will be dynamic and say 'yeah' when you play something hot and tasty.

You'll be able to cue in a clarinet or 12 minute bass solo when you need to hit the bathroom.

billyshakes · May 20

https://djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/125377#Comment_125377

If this will be the truth, I hope they train the AI on Nous'che and Hono and Benji. Add in Titi Bamberger & Vivi Limberger and we'll be cooking. 😎

Buco · May 20

@Lango-Django here's hoping I get to see you and jam together at Caboose Commons patio in some not too distant future.

Willie · 1:47AM

In Hamburg the administration does not allow amplificated busking, nevertheless a lot of people don't care and use amps and backing tracks, mostly with bad sound and too loud. For me busking is strictly acoustic: nothing but my instrument to carry, no sound problems, no disturbing of neighborhood and other buskers nearby. But that's just my very personal opinion. And I accept exceptions: there is, for example, a gypsy accordionist who plays like hell along with backing tracks. A lot of fun listening to his imaginative improvisations on waltzes, jazz standards and such (although I'm always tempted to turn the "high" knob of his amp to more brightness).

Buco · 5:59AM

Yes, @Willie that would be ideal and it would certainly make things so much easier. It's that I feel if it's just unamplified guitar, it wouldn't be a performance unless a person was right across from me. For people on the other side of the patio, where I'm busking if I do, I'm not sure if they would even be aware of it, or it would look like just a guy playing for his own pleasure. But maybe that's ok, it's certainly food for thought.

Now with two guitars, that's a different story. Bill and I did that on the nearby lawn where people come out to chill and kids play etc... Also I also played unamplified at this beer patio with another friend, Fabian, and that was ok too. In both cases at least some people came over to say they liked it so it certainly gets people's attention even if unamplified. Something to think about...

billyshakes · 10:24AM

I think in those indoor open brewery/industrial spaces, acoustic sounds just get swallowed so easily. They are competing with all the conversation and other sounds bouncing all over hard reflective surfaces. We were playing one of these places and there were a lot of people inside. The noise was just chaotic. Then we opened up the "garage door" opening behind us and all those reflected sounds just got swallowed up by the outside. They were able to "escape", ceasing the echo cycle and it made it way more tolerable. Had we been solely acoustic in there, we would have hardly been able to even hear ourselves!

Another thing I think is that when you are outside and you are just acoustic busking, people might see you before they hear you. Or they might hear something but can't quite latch on to it. It draws them closer to you and thus makes the performance a bit more intimate. They wander up to see what you are doing/playing. And anytime a person is just standing in front of us listening for a song or two, I'm thinking that if they are enjoying what they are hearing, it shouldn't be a tall ask to drop a coin or a dollar in the tip case. Or at the very minimum, a small round of applause is appreciated. 😊

wim · 10:59AM

I agree with @djazzy. Backing tracks have their place, and that place is when you're practicing at home. Please don't use them busking and especially not on gigs, I think it really cheapens the music. Find a friend to play rhythm instead (much more fun too)