yepmop Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 Hi All Just thought i'd share the process I go through when learning cover songs as I'm bored at work. Once I've decided to learn a new song, I go to this site [url="http://www.karaoke-version.com/"]http://www.karaoke-version.com/[/url] and select the custom tracks option and search for the song i want to do. This is a really good site for songs to play along to, generally the quality is quite good, you can download as many times as you want and can cahnge keys/beat and even remove individual instruments. Obviously you remove the bass and you have the song to play along to, but on occassion i just download the drums track to play along to. I also download just the bass part to help get the right notes etc but on some rare occassions they use a keyboard for the bass line. the tracks are quite cheap to buy at £1.99 each and downloaded as MP3 and remanin in your account to customise for years to come. After I have learnt the line, I then add the mp3 (without the bass line) from the above site to Pro Tools on a laptop then record myself playing the bass line to it (via M-Audio Fast Track). This gives me a really good indication to how I sound playing the song (or how bad). Also, If (like I do a lot) you change the line to one of your own, you can here how it sounds and if it really does go with the song. All in all it's really good fun and I quite often load them up on my home audio system crank the the bass combo up and have my own gig, i even sometimes record myself singing on the songs but that tends to scare the kids. If the song is not available I revert to playing along to the original and download a tab if I get stuck on a part but is not as much fun. What are your practicing regimes? Cheers Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceChick Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 I tend to play along to the original tracks, but that sounds a good idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 If it's a song I like I'll just work out the changes from the record. If it's a song I don't like then I say 'I'm not playing that'. Elton John? Yeah it might be a classic but I'm not doing it. I don't care who wants to hear it, tell them to do one. I said no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTaff Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 [quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1356961711' post='1915626'] I tend to play along to the original tracks, but that sounds a good idea [/quote] I basically do the same, I grab the audio from youtube & import in into audacity so I can slow it down & loop sections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 I just turn up at the gig read the dots or watch the guitar players hands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 You can't keep getting lucky about [i][b]Moondance [/b][/i]... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 Tony, you are bored aren't you. I'll keep you company. I dowload or am given the MP3. I put it on my iPod and listen to it in the car until I've learned the verse, chorus, middle 8, solos etc. Then, at home in front of the PC. I plug in my bass and play along. Any bits that I really struggle with I'll use Goldwave to select and auto repeat passages until they're right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushers Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 nice i like that especialy being able to solo the bass as my ears dont work so well with the guitarist widdling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 [quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1356961711' post='1915626'] I tend to play along to the original tracks, but that sounds a good idea [/quote] me too. old skool ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yepmop Posted December 31, 2012 Author Share Posted December 31, 2012 [quote name='TimR' timestamp='1356968592' post='1915794'] Then, at home in front of the PC. I plug in my bass and play along. Any bits that I really struggle with I'll use Goldwave to select and auto repeat passages until they're right. [/quote] Cheers for that TimR , are you able to loop passages in mp3s with Goldwave? If I play along I use VLC slowed down but being able to loop certain passages would be a huge bonus :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 Yes. You can do almost anything. Slow down, speed up, pitch change, EQ, loads of other mastering stuff, fades, reverb etc. It's a great tool. I bought it, not sure why, I think it kept coming up with a registration notice or something. There's an additional free plugin you have to download to work with MP3s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyf Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1356966425' post='1915747'] I just turn up at the gig read the dots or watch the guitar players hands [/quote] There ya go Bilbo..... [url="http://www.karaoke-version.com/custombackingtrack/van-morrison/moondance.html"]http://www.karaoke-version.com/custombackingtrack/van-morrison/moondance.html[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yepmop Posted December 31, 2012 Author Share Posted December 31, 2012 [i]Thanks Tim - A New Year's present from me to me [/i] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 (edited) [quote name='yepmop' timestamp='1356970647' post='1915833'] [i]Thanks Tim - A New Year's present from me to me [/i] [/quote] The batch processing is a neat feature. You can literally normalise, and convert loads of .WAV files straight to any MP3 bit rate or other format. It will even separate a long recording of a gig into smaller files based on drop in volume between songs. Edited December 31, 2012 by TimR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 Youtube.... Don't care about the key, just get the song working in my head..and pref from a live version. Everything else is fixed when we play it It might help if we are all playing the same version... or make it easier, but you know how you are going to play it within a few bars...and who hasn't listened to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Dave Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 I listen to new stuff on youtube because I can't hear the basslines on my little laptop speakers. I do that on purpose. That way I have to roll my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus Lukin Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 (edited) - Edited February 16, 2022 by Jus Lukin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westie9 Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 I tend to download it onto my iPhone and transcribe it from there. If it goes off on one, I'll put it through the 'Amazing Slow Downer' app which will adjust the speed but not the pitch. Really useful. Also enables you to adjust the pitch in semitone steps. Transcribing wise I usually punch it straight into Sibelius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 [quote] name='tonyf' timestamp='1356970512' post='1915831'] There ya go Bilbo..... [url="http://www.karaoke-version.com/custombackingtrack/van-morrison/moondance.html"]http://www.karaoke-v.../moondance.html[/url] [/quote] Oh, look. Hell has frozen over! I can open that file now. (karaoke AND Moondancr! I must have died and gone to heaven) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILL POSTERS Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 [quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1356963641' post='1915683'] If it's a song I like I'll just work out the changes from the record. If it's a song I don't like then I say 'I'm not playing that'. Elton John? Yeah it might be a classic but I'm not doing it. I don't care who wants to hear it, tell them to do one. I said no. [/quote] This... I dont make much money out of it, so I'm not doing something I dont enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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