Why Use Professional Backing Tracks?
Basically a backing track is a recorded piece of music. This is especially useful if you play in a four piece band that has no keyboard player for example. You wish to play a song that has a keyboard part and the backing track will play the keyboard part while the rest of the band does their usual thing. It will contain a click track for the drummer to play along to on one channel, while playing back the music on the other channel. The music and click track are separated by any number of ways, i.e. a "Y" type connector connected to the headphone output on an i-Pod to keep things easy. Simply plug a set of headphones into the click track side of the connector and run the music to the FOH (Front of House) board. The sound man will ensure the music track comes out of the mains for the audience to hear and out of the band's stage monitor system at the same time so the band knows what they're playing to. The drummer is responsible for having good enough meter to stay on the click track so the band does not lose their place in the song.
You can add parts like keyboards, horns, strings percussion etc. I've even seen people add bass lines and guitar lines. I personally am not a proponent of this. I don't mind using tracks for missing instruments but I generally think that the band should make every effort to cover the parts that they can when on stage. I realize that when you start using tracks it becomes easier to overlook this but when you put too much on your tracks then your show becomes a sort of karaoke show really.
Professional backing tracks differ from MIDI backing tracks because they either use real instruments ar high quality VST instruments. I've seen people use MIDI files as a backing track and to be honest, they sound a little like a junky little keyboard you might buy for you kid at Sears or something. Using real instruments or VST instruments is the way to go. I've tried both. I like the idea of VST instruments because you don't have to hire anybody to play the instruments for you. Simply assign the proper VST instrument to the track and you have pro sounding tracks. They usually come in an MP3 format so you can play them with an i-Pod.
Having these instruments with you on stage is going to help make your band sound more complete. Especially when you're playing in a tribute band of some sort. Having all the right parts naturally makes the song sound better. This translates into the audience hearing a better show, giving your band a better response and eventually make you stand out from the rest.
Some people think that using backing tracks is a way to cheat on stage. I agree that if you put too much on them then there is an element of karaoke, however, it takes a certain amount of skill to be able to play to tracks so that should be considered as well. Use them for the parts you need, a complex vocal harmony or two, and that's about it.
Professional backing tracks are enormously helpful in making your band sound better. Many people don't know notice that fact that you're using tracks and just realize that you sound great. This is what sets you apart from all the other bands in your circuit so consider giving them a try.
How to Create Backing Tracks If You Don't Play All the Instruments... or Any
Congratulations! Your singing has become amazing, and it's time the world knew. You've also written some songs that are just kick you-know-what. They need to be recorded, MP3ed and put on the net ASAP. But you've got two problems. First, you can't afford a studio, let alone a band for all this stuff. Second, you don't play all, or any, of the instruments.
Well there is good news. With a deft combination of the internet and today's software, you can do wonders. While it's never going to be the same as a true band in a real studio, which you had better hire for that big record company showcase, you can still create great backing tracks.
First, repeat after me. "I love MIDI." Thank you.
MIDI, to refresh your memory, is like sheet music for a pianist. The paper itself makes no noises, but the pianist gets all the information he needs from it to let us hear Beethoven (especially if the music is also Beethoven!). In your computer set up, the MIDI file is the sheet music, the MIDI sequencer or playback program is the pianist, and your computer's sound card and synthesizer are the piano. That's all you need!
Before we get started, I'll mention the ultimate cover song shortcut - the Internet! There are tons of great MIDI files of almost every piece of popular music out there. All you have to do is find them. If you can't, or you've got your own material, read on. Be legal, though!
If You Play Keyboard or Guitar Well
First, thank your parents for the lessons. Then, get your hands on a sequencer program and record your tracks. Using MIDI, you can choose the instrument sound for everything - all you need to do is input the notes. For drums, you can either record them from your keyboard or use a plug-in drum machine. If you choose to record them, a quick way to do it is to record a couple of measures and then copy/paste to fill out the song. But don't forget to put in some drum fills!
If Your Playing Is Limited to Little or Not at All
For you there are wonderful programs, like Band in a Box and Jammer, to create backing tracks. They are very stylish, meaning, they function in styles. You must, at the very least, know the chords for your song. You simply enter the chords, choose the appropriate musical style, and click a button called "compose" (or some reasonable facsimile). Before you can say "Holy guacamole, Batman," your music is playing. The drawback here is that your band will sound canned. And well it should, for it is! But, have no fear, there are ways to mitigate that quite well.
Making it Human
Best thing? Play what you can, at least the melody. That, in and of itself, will help tremendously, as it's no longer just a band style playing chord progressions.
Next up, record a counterpoint. Counterpoints make ordinary songs exciting. They are secondary melodies that complement the main melody. They usually have a slightly different rhythm, and fill in where the melody has breaks. A great example is in the song "The Winner Takes It All," by Abba. Listen to the theme that is always playing underneath the melody - it really drives the song.
Another thing you can do to put life into your tracks is to customize the style. Depending on how good you are with your software and its capabilities, you can create your own riffs and mix them into the song. Also, vary similar styles throughout the song to break the monotony. And, again, don't underestimate drum fills!
Creative use of layering is a very effective technique. When all the tracks play all the time, it can be very boring. Wait to bring in some instruments till later in the song. That creates a "building" feel. Then, at some point towards the end, take them out again briefly to create a "break" or "bridge". When you bring them back, it is very powerful.
Finally, don't allow any perfection. Yes, you read that correctly. If your music is perfectly aligned rhythmically, it will sound artificial. Live musicians are never precisely on the beat. Almost all programs have a "humanize" function which corrects this automatically. Otherwise, take the time and slide some notes in the piano roll editor window. If you need quantize (rhythm correction) on the recorded tracks, set it to less than 100%.
When you've got your MIDI file, there are two ways to convert it to audio (wav, mp3) for CD burning. The quicker way is with a dedicated program that renders wave files from MIDI files directly. Most software synthesizer programs that have a stand-alone playback feature can do this. Otherwise, open an audio recording program, play the MIDI file, and simultaneously record the output. Make sure your audio recorder is set to receive from the correct input.
If You Play Nothing, and Don't Know Chords or Theory or Anything
Guess what? You are the one who should hire a musician. Yes, I know that some programs will offer both a chord progression composer and even a melody composer. All you would need to do is choose the style. If you are considering going this route, I have one request for you.
PLEASE DON'T!
Sorry to yell, but think about this. The melody is composed by a computer, the chords are composed by a computer, the band is composed by a computer. It is music that is completely composed by a computer. Oh my gosh! How revolting is that?
No, my friend, hire a qualified musician. You sing the song to them
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
3 Tips For Producing Professional Backing Tracks Using Online Services
1. Choose Quality Sounds
One or your first decisions will be what sounds to use when building up backing beats for your project. Listen carefully to the samples you want to include and make sure they are professional quality. If you have less than high quality sounds, you can never achieve a high quality track, no matter how innovative and catchy the beat may be. Check for unwanted distortion and equal output level of the sample. You do not want to have to mix one track so high that it clips or bring one down so low that its quality is compromised just so it fits in with the other tracks. You are listening for an evenness of quality - all professional!
2. Place Sounds Within Your Sequence Intelligently
When you start to place your sounds into the service's online sequencer, note how some sounds will support each other directly and others will compliment sounds indirectly. Memorable tracks will utilize a balance between both types of sound interaction without being cluttered or over simplified. Most popular audience members are smart, contrary to common jokes, and they appreciate tastefully placed sounds within a beat structure, yet they most likely do not want to be overwhelmed with a bombardment of noises in an over-worked track. Anchor your beat with strong, clear and unique sounds, then enhance those anchors with lighter, complimentary sounds. Pay attention to how the frequency and timbres of samples work with each other and how they support or extend the melodic content of the track.
3. Shape Your Beats to Match Your Musical Goals
Another element to address is what is your goal with the beat you are creating? If you are planning to place vocals over the track, mix it into your DJ set at a club, or send it off as a demo for your composition skills, you may need to approach the track's structure in different ways. Vocals are the main concern. The human voice has a particular range (a wide one, but one within the range of samples you can use in making beats). Be sure to have an idea of the range you or your vocalist has before filling that sonic space too heavily in your backing track. You do not want the track to compete with your vocals, but rather to bring out the vocals and make them that much more attractive and prominent. If you are not using vocals, take that into account as well. The human ear likes to hear something in the frequency range of voices, so place a strong melodic hook or enhance a strong bass and/or drum beat with catchy sections within that range.
Keep these tips in mind when constructing and mixing your beats and you will be well on your way to producing a professional quality track ready to use! Add your vocals or mix it into your set and you are ready to master the overall recording and take the music world by storm!
Good luck!
William Connor, Percussionist and Ethnomusicology Ph.D. candidate,
London, England and Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Create Backing Tracks The Easy Way
What about a software that easily produces great drumtracks and simulates other instruments right of the box? If you want an easy and really cheap way to do it this way I can recommend a beatmaker called DUBturbo. It is available for 30 bucks which is incredible for the package you get. Please refer to the detailed review at the bottom for more information.
As I said making jamtracks with DUBturbo is really easy and intuitive. You only select a nice sounding drumkit and create a good beat, choose a nice bass and create a baseline for your track and if you like insert some melody instruments. If your done you can change the tempo, mix the track up and start jamming to your own personal jamtrack! For musicians this a great tool to practice their parts. With the jamtrack looping in the background you get a great "in the band" feeling.
While you work on your track you can even change the samples, drumkits and instruments on the fly see which ones fit your style. Speaking of styles you are not limited to some genres with DUBturbo. The software is able to produce nice sounding backing tracks for every genre like blues, rock, metal, country, jazz, folk and so on.
In this article I showed you a nice little program to make your own backing tracks fast and easy. I use to produce easy jamtracks in 20 minutes with this and the sound is great for this little price.
How Can Backing Tracks Help Your Show?
You can approach it several different ways. If you have a song that requires a piano part for example you could rent yourself some studio time, hire a pianist, have him play the required parts along to a click track (ensuring that the click track is being recorded as well), and mix it down to a usable MP3 file with the click track on one side (usually the left) and the music on the other side. Simply load the MP3 file onto an MP3 player of some sort, separate the signals so that only the drummer (or other band members) hear the click track via a set of head phones and send the music to the mains. This is accomplished by separating the left and right channels from the MP3 player and running them into a small mixing board. It's sent to the headphones or the mains from there.
Option number two would be to purchase a music editing program that is MIDI compatible and purchase some VST (Virtual Studio Technology) instruments.Go on the internet, download the MIDI file, import it into your editing software, assign instruments to each channel and mix down to MP3. The problems with this method are the cost of the software, the time it takes to figure out how to run the software, and finding MIDI files that are programmed accurately. When they're not programmed properly and the song is missing parts then you need to be able to write a MIDI file to fix it. This all takes time to learn.
Option number three would be to download MP3 backing tracks from the internet. There are some real high quality ones available out there for not a lot of money. They come in different formats, MP3 being my personal favorite, and add that extra "something" to your show. Simply find them , download them and put them on your MP3 player. Easy...
When you use backing tracks on stage the possibilities are endless as to what type of songs you may perform. I've used tracks that have had vocals added to give a choir effect, keyboards, piano, violins etc. There's no end to what you can do with them. When you perform with them you give a more accurate representation of the song you're playing and they aid in making your band sound "bigger."
Blues Backing Tracks, How to Use Them to Supercharge Your Guitar Skills!
The best way to practise with backing tracks is to queue up around 5 or more tracks and repeat them over and over. Before long you'll have had a 30 minute practice session without even realising it. Aside from playing with a real live band, there really is nothing more fun than jamming with backing tracks, especially if they were recorded using a live band.
So how do you get the most out them? Simply learn 4 or 5 blues licks and spend some time jamming. Explore each and every lick over every part of the track. Then try blending in a few of your own ideas. It's easy to take an existing phrase and turn it into your own creation. Simply try removing a note or two, maybe fuse 2 different licks together, add a note, even letting a note ring out for a little longer can drastically change the sound.
If you try experimenting with a few new licks every week before long you'll have a huge library of sounds you can turn to when jamming with your blues backing tracks. What's more it'll always keep your practice sessions fresh, you'll never get bored again! If you want to get started right away, make sure you click the links below for an awesome video lesson and a free backing track.
Click here to watch it now!
Making Backing Tracks - Things You Need To Make and Record Your Own Backing Tracks
You need a good handle on basic music theory
The most important thing you need to have is some basic understanding of music theory. You need to know how to harmonize a scale, how to construct chords and chord progressions etc. Once you understand how music works, you will be able to make a backing track for any situation.
You need to play or understand how people play different musical instruments
In order to make musical and good sounding backing tracks, you need to understand the role of each instrument that is used in them. You have to do your research and learn what is possible to do on each instrument. Listen to different musicians and try to learn how they do what they do. When you understand what is possible to do on each instrument, you will have no problems making backing tracks which sound like they were made by a real band.
You need an audio interface, a digital audio workstation and a bunch of virtual instruments
In order to record your backing tracks you need an audio interface and a digital audio workstation. An audio interface is a device that connects your instrument to the computer. It has different inputs and outputs for different recording situations. I advise you not to buy a very cheap interface because it is likely to be unreliable and the sound is usually not that great. Do your research and choose the right one for you.
After you have bought the interface, you then need a digital audio workstation or a DAW as many call it. It is basically a recording software. There are many DAWs available such as Pro Tools, Cubase, Logic, Sonar, Reaper etc. All of them have their pros and cons and are at different price ranges so once again you have to do some research to find the one that suits your needs the best.
If you are like me, you do not have every single instrument at home to record your parts. Fortunately there is an alternative available. Nowadays most home recordings have at least one virtual instrument in them. A virtual instrument is a software version of a musical instrument which is controlled by MIDI information. Because I do not have the room for a whole drum set in my apartment, I use a virtual drum set to do the job.
Once you have everything above you will have no trouble making backing tracks. Using your theory knowledge and understanding of each instrument, you will come up with cool sounding parts and then record them with the help of your audio interface, your DAW and the virtual instruments you have at your disposal. It does require a little investment of time and money but the end result will be worth it.
Benefits Of Guitar Backing Tracks
It is amazing how much difference having guitar backing tracks can make to your overall playing. Obviously the first thing that guitar backing tracks will help you with is rhythm. One of the main features of the backing track would be the drums which will enable you to regulate the speed of the track throughout the duration of the song. If you play without a backing track then you may not realise fluctuations in the tempo in which you play.
The more you play with a backing track the more likely you will be able to obtain a natural internal rhythm and the more likely you are to maintain a fluid, good tempo when playing solo.
Another key aspect of using guitar backing tracks is that with the other instruments from the song playing, you can really get a sense of the part that you are playing to make the song complete. There is a huge amount of satisfaction that can be obtained from filling in the missing blank in a song. If anyone has ever played Guitar Hero on a Playstation, Nintendo Wii or Xbox360, you will know the satisfaction that you can achieve by hitting the right notes and filling in the gaps in the music.
The last key aspect of having guitar backing tracks is that you could perform a mini gig, if you so wanted to. With a professionally made backing track, you can get up on stage and strut your stuff with a guitar and microphone, while the backing track provides you with a full orchestra on stage. Who knows performing like this you might even get noticed, from there the sky is the limit. You could end up finding yourself playing backing guitar in a band or even heading up your own band. The possibilities really are endless, but unless you get out there and try, you really never will know.
About the Author
Dominic Donaldson is a music tutor with many years of experience in the music industry. Find out more about guitar backing tracks at http://www.licklibrary.com/Distributed by Content Crooner
Learn to Sing With Karaoke Backing Tracks
From low end type noise to high end squealy type of noises, we all can make noises naturally. The real fundamentals of being able to sing are these type of noises combined with the manipulation of your body muscles to produce different tones. To help you learn controlling these types of sounds, the use of backing tracks is already considered a tool, and it will come from you in the long run. In this article i am going to discuss details on how to help you use karaoke backing tracks as a learning to sing tool.
Compared to scale training, backing track offer several advantage that the training doesn't offer. Through the use of tracks you sing a bunch of notes as well as an actual song. When it comes to singing a song, i have found out that there is something different about hitting the high notes compared to doing scale training. It is a fact that in general, songs do not always follow specific pattern in notes that is normally contained in scale training guides, and therefore you are using your muscles in a different manner.
Like for example you are required to hit a very high note from a very low note, and then in a song where the scale are more of a chromatic, which means that the notes are predictable. In this case you are using the muscles in your throat in a different manner for each of the song, so basically you are very far to singing songs than scales in a sense.
Take the time to listen to your favourite song, and the very first thing that you should know is whether or not the song is within your voice range. If you are still staring with singing, it is a common thing that there will be a problem for you in hitting high notes, so you must make sure that you choose the songs that is within your voice range to avoid straining your voice. Learn to anticipated and sing along with your chosen song and feel where the changes are. There is no need for you to repeat the songs many times for you to finally realize how the song really goes. The last thing that you should do, is to record your voice singing the track and make a comparison with the original one. Notice the difference between the two and critique your work. Have you done justice to the song? Did you hold the note quite well enough? Were you able to hit the right notes? This is my tip to you, sing an octave higher or lower on that particular note or phrase, and i tell you it really works.
By making comparison and listen you will be able to know that you have what it takes to sing and it was never a problem in the first place. Now you know that you can really learn to sing.
About the Author
Learn to sing with us now! Get quality singing practice reviews here.Blues Guitar Backing Tracks
Either way, playing with the accompaniment of a full band using Blues Guitar Backing Tracks will not only improve your playing, technique and style, but will also give you untold amounts of confidence in yourself.
Practicing the scales up and down, backwards and forwards until you have complete confidence in your positioning and fingering, can be a little (who am I kidding) a lot boring. But it is essential to your understanding and continued improvement of the guitar.
Ok, now that you have the basics down, you want to expand on what you have learned. What better way to learn than using guitar backing tracks. You don`t have to say to your bandmates stop, lets start over, I screwed up. All you have to do is start over with your blues backing tracks from were you made your mistake until you get it right. No bickering, no arguments just a mouse click to restart your blues backing tracks from where you left off.
There are many, many different styles of the blues and whichever style you choose to play, you can find a backing track to accompany you. Whether you play electric guitar or acoustic guitar, there are that will help to improve your playing and understanding of blues guitar music.
will not only help the guitar soloist in you or in your band, but will greatly benefit the rhythm guitar player as well. Just follow along with the chord patterns and steer everyone in the right direction. You along with the bass guitar player are the backbone of the band, and should not take a backseat to the soloist, and blues guitar backing tracks will help you to put your best foot forward.
For you bass guitar players out there (the most under appreciated member of any band), is probably the most useful tool that you could possibly have in your arsenal. Imagine going to your next band practice and having the bass part down pat and saying to your bandmates, Follow Me.
They say imitation is the best form of flattery. Tell me a blues guitar player that hasn`t imitated another blues guitar player. Learn from others, copy others, borrow from others, but use the work that these others have generously provide to expand your own blues guitar playing and someday others will be learning, copying and borrowing from you.
About the Author
I have over 20 Years of guitar experience, if I could have clicked a mouse and had a blues guitar band appear instantly . what an advantage that would have been for me.Blues Backing Tracks the Secret to Great Lead Blues Guitar Playing
Since most of us don't have a full band to jam with a couple of times a week you can substitute with some good blues backing tracks.
What are Backing Tracks
Backing tracks, sometimes called jam tracks, are professionally recorded arrangements of a 12 bar blues pattern in a particular key. Often these tracks include bass, drums, guitar and maybe even piano. The tracks will often last much longer then a regular song to provide you with lots of time to jam along with.
The Secret of Great Players
Blues backing tracks have been the secret of many great blues guitarists over the past few years. They offer you a full band track to practice along to, create you own riffs and really begin to feel the music. With consistent practice using jam tracks you'll find that when you do jam with other musicians it will be second nature.
Where to Find Backing Tracks
Thanks to the web there are tons of great free and paid blues backing tracks. There are packages of tracks available for purchase from $20-$50. These paid tracks are generally going to be of higher quality then free, but they won't necessarily improve you're playing any more.
The key is to practice and do it often. Also practice in a variety of keys, not just the same key over and over. With consistent use of blues jam tracks in your practice routine you'll become a much better lead blues guitar player then if you spent hours and hours memorizing scales and techniques on your own without the use of other instruments.
About the Author
Ready to learn more about the blues? Why not take some lessons from home with a blues guitar dvd or online blues guitar lessons. These self study video lessons are a great alternative to private instruction and require far less time and money.Download Guitar Backing Tracks To Become The Complete Guitarist
There is no lead guitar or vocalist on your backing tracks just the backing that you can play lead guitar in front of. Using backing tracks you will be always playing in time and you will find that you are looking forward to your guitar practice because you enjoy playing with a band in your bedroom.
When you have obtained some backing tracks to help you with your guitar practice, start using them right away. And if you find after a week or so that you are beginning to practice without using your backing tracks, make an effort to go back to using them. It's natural to lose your initial enthusiasm, but it would be a shame to stop using such a valuable tool with so much potential for making you a really good guitar player.
Backing tracks need to be used in conjunction with your planned guitar practice sessions. If you are learning a solo or some licks from a CD or guitar tabs, play them with your backing as soon as you have the material in your memory. You might have to play your solo more slowly but don't spend any more time than you have to playing new music without using the backing.
Don't turn your guitar practice time into extended guitar solos. If you have a track of say, six minutes at your disposal, use it to practice licks and short solo breaks, the age of the twenty minute solo is long gone. Also, make use of your backing tracks to improve the basic aspects of your guitar playing like your timing.
Most of us do not make use of our music recorders as much as we should. It is sometimes a shock to hear ourselves play on record. Sometimes the shock is pleasant, sometimes not. It is never a neutral experience and that can lead to us "forgetting" to record our guitar playing. You will be really doing yourself a favor by disciplining yourself to record yourself once a day.
Using backing tracks is one of the great benefits of modern technology. It used to be that you practiced alone until other friends or band members found the time to get together to jam. With backing tracks you can jam any time you want. Make use of this tool and enjoy it.
About the Author
Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for: learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.Guitar Solo Backing Tracks
Guitar solo backing tracks are one of the gifts of modern technology to music lovers. Backing tracks are basically audio tracks that you can use in your guitar practice sessions.
You can either download these wonderful tracks from the internet or you can purchase them from any music store. If you are seriously considering of pursuing your career as a solo guitarist then you need practice daily. Sometimes your practice sessions can seem boring and monotonous. Incorporating backing tracks can make your practice sessions a fruitful and wonderful experience!
Importance of backing tracks in your practice
Backing tracks generally have background music and are devoid of any vocalist and lead guitarists. Whatever riffs and guitar techniques that you learn from online tutorials, DVDs, CDs, etc., you can practice them with these backing tracks. Initially you may find it difficult to practices with these tracks; but gradually you will get quite used to it. It’s just a matter of practicing regularly. It may so happen that you may completely lose interest in these tracks but do not stop practicing them. Once you get used to them you will discover how useful they are in honing your guitar playing skills.
Backing tracks are quite suitable for practicing several important guitar techniques which include pentatonic scales, Hammering-ons, Spider walking, Tapping, Palm muting, Pulling-off, sliding and so on. These tracks are also effective for improving other important aspects of guitar playing such as timing, guitar phrasing, etc.
Moreover, backing tracks can also be used as a metronome. You can use them quite effectively for tuning your acoustic guitars.
Substitutes for your jamming friends
Backing tracks are also referred to as "jam tracks". This is due to the fact that whenever you are alone and have no friends to jam with you can use them for jamming. You no longer have to depend on your band members or friends for jamming. Further, with guitar solo backing tracks you can jam anytime you want and at a suitable place of your choice. So, do use these awesome tracks and keep reaping the rewards!
About the Author
Find Out More About Guitar Solo Backing Tracks? You Can Get Lessons to Guitar Solo Lessons Here.Why Use Professional Backing Tracks?
If you perform in a rock band or country band of any kind then you should know that using professional backing tracks will help you be one step ahead of your competition. The right tracks can add to your sound and performance enormously and help you perform songs that you may not normally be able to play live. Whether you're in a cover band, a tribute band, or an original band, tracks are going to give you that extra edge to thicken up your live sound.
Basically a backing track is a recorded piece of music. This is especially useful if you play in a four piece band that has no keyboard player for example. You wish to play a song that has a keyboard part and the backing track will play the keyboard part while the rest of the band does their usual thing. It will contain a click track for the drummer to play along to on one channel, while playing back the music on the other channel. The music and click track are separated by any number of ways, i.e. a "Y" type connector connected to the headphone output on an i-Pod to keep things easy. Simply plug a set of headphones into the click track side of the connector and run the music to the FOH (Front of House) board. The sound man will ensure the music track comes out of the mains for the audience to hear and out of the band's stage monitor system at the same time so the band knows what they're playing to. The drummer is responsible for having good enough meter to stay on the click track so the band does not lose their place in the song.
You can add parts like keyboards, horns, strings percussion etc. I've even seen people add bass lines and guitar lines. I personally am not a proponent of this. I don't mind using tracks for missing instruments but I generally think that the band should make every effort to cover the parts that they can when on stage. I realize that when you start using tracks it becomes easier to overlook this but when you put too much on your tracks then your show becomes a sort of karaoke show really.
Professional backing tracks differ from MIDI backing tracks because they either use real instruments ar high quality VST instruments. I've seen people use MIDI files as a backing track and to be honest, they sound a little like a junky little keyboard you might buy for you kid at Sears or something. Using real instruments or VST instruments is the way to go. I've tried both. I like the idea of VST instruments because you don't have to hire anybody to play the instruments for you. Simply assign the proper VST instrument to the track and you have pro sounding tracks. They usually come in an MP3 format so you can play them with an i-Pod.
Having these instruments with you on stage is going to help make your band sound more complete. Especially when you're playing in a tribute band of some sort. Having all the right parts naturally makes the song sound better. This translates into the audience hearing a better show, giving your band a better response and eventually make you stand out from the rest.
Some people think that using backing tracks is a way to cheat on stage. I agree that if you put too much on them then there is an element of karaoke, however, it takes a certain amount of skill to be able to play to tracks so that should be considered as well. Use them for the parts you need, a complex vocal harmony or two, and that's about it.
Professional backing tracks are enormously helpful in making your band sound better. Many people don't know notice that fact that you're using tracks and just realize that you sound great. This is what sets you apart from all the other bands in your circuit so consider giving them a try.
Ian Kurz is a singer/guitarist that has been play and performing for many years. He plays regularly in several bands and is the owner of the website http://www.backing-tracks-for-bands.com where you can find out more information on how to perform with backing tracks. Be sure to check out his downloadable backing tracks while you're there.
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