Play Along Suggestions - what do you prefer?

How and what to teach and learn.
Post Reply
User avatar
Geordie
Posts: 271
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2018 10:45 am
Location: UK

Play Along Suggestions - what do you prefer?

Post by Geordie »

Looking for some suggestions on pieces I can work on to help develop - ideally with play along tracks.
I've done the Rimsky Korsakov, Berlioz, real books/ireal-pro etc . Was not so impressed by Music minus one - found the one I bought hard to navigate.
Looking for items that are preferably light jazz/swing/blues based or 'classical', but have a chart and play along track. I'm based in UK. All suggestions/links about items you've used and enjoyed gratefully received.
Many thanks.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Life is not a rehearsal
User avatar
Matt K
Verified
Posts: 3944
Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:34 pm
Contact:

Re: Play Along Suggestions - what do you prefer?

Post by Matt K »

I love ireal-pro. Use it basically every day but I almost exclusively practice standards. For those reading who might not know, they can't ship it with any songs but their forums have dozens of thousands of songs uploaded from a variety of genres, including classical.
User avatar
Grah
Posts: 102
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 6:40 pm
Location: REDLAND BAY, AUSTRALIA

Re: Play Along Suggestions - what do you prefer?

Post by Grah »

Over the years, I have invested a lot of money into play-alongs but I never use them these days, much preferring to create my own backing tracks with Band-in-a-Box. Really, the easiest of any music software to do the notation. As they say:

"Band-in-a-Box® is so easy to use! Just type in the chords for any song using standard chord symbols (like C, Fm7, or C13b9), choose the style you'd like, and Band-in-a-Box® does the rest... Band-in-a-Box® automatically generates a complete professional-quality arrangement of piano, bass, drums, guitar, and strings or horns.
RealTracks add the human element of great session musicians to your songs and with 202 more RealTracks available in version 2018 there is over 2,700 hours of studio musicians' recordings that you can use in your songs! "

http://www.pgmusic.com/

And I also use it to do my arrangements for small bands.
Grah

(Transcribing jazz solos is fraught with difficulties because exact rhythmic notation is well-nigh impossible. So listen carefully because it's the only way to learn how to play jazz trombone so that we can return to the Golden Age.) 8-)
User avatar
Geordie
Posts: 271
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2018 10:45 am
Location: UK

Re: Play Along Suggestions - what do you prefer?

Post by Geordie »

Thanks for the ideas. I’m keen to get new charts so as to development/maintain sight reading in different clefs.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Life is not a rehearsal
User avatar
Savio
Posts: 449
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2018 5:23 pm

Re: Play Along Suggestions - what do you prefer?

Post by Savio »

I also use band in a box a lot. I find it difficult to use play a long in classical music, difficult to listen tempo. Jazz and pop is easier, but I think it's important to have good earphones or speakers. Still it will never be like a real situation with real musicians. Good earphones makes it better but still, can be a challenge. I use it both for my students and my self sometimes, can be fun for practicing.

Leif
User avatar
Grah
Posts: 102
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 6:40 pm
Location: REDLAND BAY, AUSTRALIA

Re: Play Along Suggestions - what do you prefer?

Post by Grah »

Whilst I prefer my Band-in-a-box, there is a great play-along available on sale from Jamie Aebersold Jazz Books, right now:

http://www.jazzbooks.com/jazz/product/V ... cef4191dfa

I don't need to tell you what is my favourite style of jazz! But there are plenty of Dixieland Styles in BiaB.
Grah

(Transcribing jazz solos is fraught with difficulties because exact rhythmic notation is well-nigh impossible. So listen carefully because it's the only way to learn how to play jazz trombone so that we can return to the Golden Age.) 8-)
User avatar
Geordie
Posts: 271
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2018 10:45 am
Location: UK

Re: Play Along Suggestions - what do you prefer?

Post by Geordie »

Ha ha! Yep, no secrets here. Thanks Gra, I’ll check them out.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Life is not a rehearsal
User avatar
VJOFan
Posts: 285
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2018 11:39 am

Re: Play Along Suggestions - what do you prefer?

Post by VJOFan »

I enjoyed using Smart Music when I was a teacher. There was a lot of variety of music with jazz, classical, solos and ensembles of all kinds.

I liked being able to change the tempo of songs too.

You have to pay for it but it really is a quality service.
norbie2018
Posts: 892
Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2018 6:10 am

Re: Play Along Suggestions - what do you prefer?

Post by norbie2018 »

On the classical side, Rochut Book 1 as edited by Alan Raph has a piano accompaniment cd that I like to use.
bobroden
Posts: 120
Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:21 pm

Re: Play Along Suggestions - what do you prefer?

Post by bobroden »

I second Band-in-a-Box for practicing jazz. It's easy to use, sounds remarkably good, and gives you complete flexibility as to tempo and key. I've used it daily for the last 7 years.
baileyman
Posts: 965
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 11:33 pm

Re: Play Along Suggestions - what do you prefer?

Post by baileyman »

Make a playlist of everything your favorite trombone jazz soloist has done.

Start it up, and play along with the pros until your guy plays, then rest and listen.

When he's done, play along with the pros some more.
Post Reply

Return to “Teaching & Learning”