Backing Tracks to Make Your Show More Professional from Micheal Cordeiro's blog

The use of backing tracks is not only for karaoke singers but for performing artists too. This information will help you take your band to the next stage if you're in one. This is especially true if you are performing with a tribute band or cover group. Get More Info

Since years, I have been singing and playing with various rock bands. The majority of the time, my performances are well received by audiences. I used to choose songs we performed by how well we could perform them on stage. That is, could we cover all the required parts that make a song a hit and do it justice. Sometimes a song will require keyboards so crucial to the song, that it would be impossible to do without them. We couldn't do it justice. We decided to put the song on the shelf and pretend it was a song that we wanted to do. I didn't see the sense in hiring a full-time keyboard player to play in 20% of the songs at best so it made more sense to not do the song.

As the time went on of course I joined a band that was using backing tracks to cover piano parts in songs and even complex backing vocals and instantly realized what those tracks are worth to a performer. That meant that the very difficult backing vocals could be spot on every time and the back up singers could sing easier lines when playing live, giving the back ups a lot of depth. It also meant of course that the music was greatly enhanced. The average audience member doesn't really pick up on a band using tracks. All they realize is this band sounds far better than the band last week but don't really know why. The answer is in the tracks. It is best to record the lead singer because he can harmonize with his own voice better than anyone else. You don't want to risk turning the show into a karaoke.

What to do when you encounter technical issues is an important consideration. You must have a plan B. You have to know your show. I've been onstage and had the monitor system fail and not been able to hear the backing tracks and had to rely on the drummer keeping proper time. Using the tracks he has a click track in his left ear he should at least be able to keep time. He gets the click from a pre-recorded track that has a click track on one side and the song sample on the other side. Using a small mixer on stage he can send the music the main mixing console and nobody in the audience will hear the click track. Top backing tracks

You can give your performance a competitive edge by using backing tracks. This will help you stand out from other bands on your circuit or in your area. I'll always use them and I am happy about it because I can now perform all the songs I had put aside in years past.