I haven’t practiced much with backing tracks, but I know I need to. Tonight, I fired up the new app that @JoshFossgreen recommended for my Android, “Loopz” and plugged my phone into the amp. I selected a blues track at 110 bpm, and just continuously played a random 1-6-4-5 progression in C Major, free-lancing with quarter and eighth notes. Keeping rhythm with the drum beat was a blast.
I didn’t realize it, but I was actually dancing around as I played. I looked over at Sara (who’s deaf) and she was smiling at me with two thumbs up. Although she can’t really hear without her Cochlear implants turned on, she can feel the pulse of the bass and the drums.
I need to do this more often!
Exhilarating!!
I need to play with a drum track more - I tend to just noodle too freely, but I think we’re supposed to be the rhythm section at some point, so, time to do more drum sync exercises!
How’s the Zoom pedal - does it come with some drum tracks too? Since its already plugged into the amp, if it can do drum loops, that may be yet another justification for getting one.
Yes it does. I completely forgot about that!
Thanks for asking, I’ll give that a try tomorrow (my caboose is in the recliner for tonight).
it’s when we play with other instruments that everything comes alive I’m pretty sure you will love playing (and hopefully recording) covers ! and somewhere between a single drum track and a full cover, there are all the backing tracks channels on Youtube.
I think it’s far easier to improve if you play with other people, or even just recorded tracks and drum tracks. Next thing you know you’ll be creating drum tracks, looping backing lines and soloing over the top of it. Or so I’ve heard.
Every time I practice with a drum track I regret all the times I didn’t.
I’m a big user of Youtube for backing tracks and drum tracks. But what I do most of the time is just try and play along with complete songs,(after I’ve figured them out). Pink Floyd, Bad Company, B.T.O., Allman Bros.,…depending on your tastes…but it’s the greatest feeling when I get a song down and can just jam along with it!
Metronomes suck! I tried one for awhile, and just got annoyed with it.
Now a drum track, through a loud bass amp, with my bass on top of it… Diggin’ it!!
A great drum track is a metronome that kicks a$$
@Vik LOL, I agree: a drum track is far superior to a metronome in many situations. However, the metronome DOES have it’s place. (Some people say that place is the trash can)