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Regulars
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Does anyone know a source for backing tracks. I've searched quite a bit but can't find anything.
I'd really like to hear me play other than solo
Seen it all. Done it all. Can't remember most of 
..... What was I saying???? 
Regulars
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Here is the Old time Jam site, if you did not know it yet. You can jam along with some old time tunes backing tracks.
http://www.oldtimejam.com/Jam.html
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Are you willing to custom fab your own backing track? This place has some very good tunes available for free and a few that cost. Hope you find something that works.
"If you practice with your hands you must practice all day. Practice with your mind and you can accomplish the same amount in minutes." Nathan Milstein
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In addition to the good resources above, here's another idea to create your own practice backing or click tracks:
1. Find the tune in ABC notation or midi format by googling [tune title] and "ABC notation" or "midi."
2. Import it into MuseScore, a free music composition and notation program.
3. Add a percussion part to provide the beat or "click."
4. Export it to .wav or .mp3 or other audio format in order to put it on your iPod or mp3 player.
Of course, there's a bit more to it than that, but those are the basic steps to get you started. Hope that helps. I can provide details, if you want them.
-- Diane
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.
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If you play other instruments, you could use multitrack recording and work up one or more parts of accompaniment and mix that down to make a backing track.
Or you can also use software (like a plug-in in Audacity) to "zap" (remove) the vocals from most popular modern recordings to get a backing track to practice with.
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
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@KindaScratchy
Hi Dianne
I haven't heard from you for so long, I was beginning to think that you weren't speaking to me any more
I've recently noticed you mention the ABC music notation. I've never heard of it before but it sounds interesting. I'll have to some research. Anything that makes it easier has got to be good.
Thanks
Seen it all. Done it all. Can't remember most of ..... What was I saying????
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Some playing against backing tracks can help a lot with tightening up your playing. In some ways, it accomplishes a lot of what practising against drones and a metronome does. It gives a steady standard to work on your intonation and timing against.
It's also just more fun than playing with no accompaniment.
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
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DanielB said
Some playing against backing tracks can help a lot with tightening up your playing. In some ways, it accomplishes a lot of what practising against drones and a metronome does. It gives a steady standard to work on your intonation and timing against.It's also just more fun than playing with no accompaniment.
Well said, Daniel.
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Ferret said
@KindaScratchyHi Dianne
I haven't heard from you for so long, I was beginning to think that you weren't speaking to me any more
I've recently noticed you mention the ABC music notation. I've never heard of it before but it sounds interesting. I'll have to some research. Anything that makes it easier has got to be good.
Thanks
Sorry, John. I wasn't giving you the cold shoulder. 
I've just been busy so my posts here have been kind of sporadic. I've been trying to stay caught up on posts but can't always respond.
Regarding ABC notation, yes, you should look into it. In a nutshell, it's a plain text language, if you will, that a music editing program like MuseScore can import and translate into standard musical notation. Here's an example of what it looks like. This is the ABC notation for Star of the County Down:
X:2
T: Star of the County Down
C: Traditional
M: 4/4
R: Reel
L:1/4
N:Bonanzaville Jam
K:Am
[|E/2G/2|"AM"AA"F"AG/2A/2|"C"cc"G"dc/2d/2|"Am"ed/2c/2AG/2E/2|"Em"G2zE/2G/2|
"AM"AA"F"AG/2A/2|"C"cc"G"dc/2d/2|"Am"ed/2c/2AA/2G/2|A2ze/2e/2|
"C"geed/2c/2|"G"dddc/2d/2|"Am"ed/2c/2AG/2E/2|"Em"G2zE/2G/2|
"AM"AA"F"AG/2A/2|"C"cc"G"dc/2d/2|"Am"ed/2c/2AA/2G/2|A2z|]
I've heard that some people have learned to read it directly, without converting it to sheet music. I don't think I'll ever be one of them. 
The great thing is that there is a wealth of free ABC notation files available on-line for almost any traditional tune you might want. Here are two sites that I've used:
So, if you use MuseScore, which can be downloaded for free, you can get a wealth of fiddle sheet music for free. Then, if you want, you can edit it or make a click track out of it.
-- Diane
When the work's all done and the sun's settin' low,
I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow.
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@ratvn
Thanks for that link mate. It lead to all kinds of stuff. I don't know why I never found it all before.
Seen it all. Done it all. Can't remember most of ..... What was I saying????
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Great ideas. Dennis suggestion with http://www.karaoke-version.com is a great one. My daughter has used that site a number of times.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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if ya'll use the oldtimejam link, i'd like to urge you to buy his options also. Josh is a great guy who puts all this together for the love of music...lots of hard work while asking very little. he also supplied the backing track for one of our projects and never asked nothing in return.
hope everyone is doing well, i need to spend som e time one evening and hear how ya'll are progressing..i know im missing some great fiddlin'
There is no shame in playing twinkle, youre playing Mozart
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You can also use a program called Band in the box, kinda expensive but the real tracks are awesome. Makes you feel like your playing with a real band. Of course it depends on what styles you are looking for ... if you have a few tunes you'd like backup tracks for, send me the chord sheet and I'll export a couple for ya.
Here's a link to some of the realtrack demos:
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