iReal Pro backing for non-pedal steel

[Jim Newberry]

The Chordpulse discussion got me thinking. I use iReal Pro a little bit for practicing (iPad), but I really hate the backing track style choices I've found. When trying to play something like Western Swing, your choices seem to be inappropriate piano-based styles or Gypsy jazz. For old country, all I seem to find is gross arpeggio banjo rolls on fake electric guitar. For Hawaiian music, well, nothing.

Any tips on tailoring the styles to these kinds of music? I'm not trying to do Band-in-a-box "realistic" things to play at performance or anything, just something that doesn't make me squinch my face up in disgust when I'm trying to practice. A little basic sock-style guitar or something.

Hints, anyone?

Signed,
Squinchy in Seattle

[Ed Baker]

Can you suggest a few youtube videos of some songs rhythms you want to emulate?

I'd like to experiment with some of the builtins with ChordPulse and move around some arrangement points, slash chords, rhythms, etc.

[James Mayer]

The Session Band apps have the best sound, being recordings of real musicians. The problem is that all the snippets that it takes to make an app like that means it's huge. I think each app is over 1 gig. They have an acoustic-guitar only app but I don't know if any of the styles are what you are looking for.

ChordBot sounds better than iReal Pro, but the styles aren't very traditional though you can tweak quite a bit.

[Fred Treece]

It’s pretty lame for anything besides straight ahead jazz. Even the R&B and Blues styles are very limited. The Country Rock one isn’t too bad, but there is nothing resembling Western Swing. It does save and print out very nice Real Book type charts though, which is almost worth the price of admission.

[Jim Newberry]

Thanks for the comments. I agree that iReal is super for finding, creating, and printing charts. It’d just be nice if there was a suitable way to play those same charts.

I’d forgotten that I have several of the Session Band modules loaded up. I need to get back to that app to really learn it. The sounds on there are really useful, I just have to get in to the swing of how to enter the chords in to the UI.

[Twayn Williams]

I tend to just use the jazz settings and turn off the piano, and change the drums to a click. The bass in the jazz settings spell the chords sufficiently for my needs.

It's a practice tool, so I prefer to have it as barren as I can stand.

[Jeremy DeHart]

There is a setting I like a lot called "Trad Jazz" which is very straightforward almost like Gypsy Swing "La Pompe" style. However the Jazz - Up Tempo Swing is also very decent.

[Tim Toberer]

I just got this on my iPad and I feel like I finally found what I have been looking for (for practicing). I have basically been beating my head against the computer trying to figure out an easy way to do this, and this tool seems about perfect. It has been there all along I just had to find it.

[Doug Taylor]

https://strummachine.com

I use this for practice sometimes, pretty bare bones and designed for bluegrass ( no drums) but very fast to set up and works great for what it is.

[Tim Toberer]

https://strummachine.com

I use this for practice sometimes, pretty bare bones and designed for bluegrass ( no drums) but very fast to set up and works great for what it is.

That looks useful too. I play some bluegrass and that would definitely be the tool for that.

I did find some Western swing playlists on the Ireal Pro forums with some tunes I want to learn. The thing I like about it is the more people add to it, the better it will get. I plan on making some sheets for the early swing stuff I am trying to learn. Maybe at some point they will add a more country sounding backing track option. It seems very good as is to me however. I spent the whole day at work yesterday just excited to come home and practice. Now that hasn't happened in a while! There is also a way to export the audio and midi files from the backing tracks into GarageBand for helping make your own recordings.

[Dale Rottacker]

The Chordpulse discussion got me thinking. I use iReal Pro a little bit for practicing (iPad), but I really hate the backing track style choices I've found. When trying to play something like Western Swing, your choices seem to be inappropriate piano-based styles or Gypsy jazz. For old country, all I seem to find is gross arpeggio banjo rolls on fake electric guitar. For Hawaiian music, well, nothing.

Any tips on tailoring the styles to these kinds of music? I'm not trying to do Band-in-a-box "realistic" things to play at performance or anything, just something that doesn't make me squinch my face up in disgust when I'm trying to practice. A little basic sock-style guitar or something.

Hints, anyone?

Signed,
Squinchy in Seattle

Jim I've been experimenting with iReal for a while, but admittedly don't know enough about music construction to have a clue what I'm doing. That said, I did this track with iReal and actually used 2 different iReal styles, one being Ballad Jazz and then switched to Slow Swing where I changed from 4/4 to 2/4... I bring each instrument in separately into my DAW and then mix levels and add Reverb/Compression or whatever I think it needs. I've even gone so far as going into Gypsy Jazz or Trio Guitar to add one or more Rhythm guitars, then mix and pan and doctor to taste, but please remember I know VERY Little about music structure or what all the music symbols mean so this was down with some trial and error but don't think it sucks too much... Dale from Walla Walla

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxy5l9StsRU

[Miles Lang]

We use IReal all the time, for practicing, for charts, and even recording. The rhythm expansion packs help with the variety. Can it do a real Jazz Manouche pompe? No, but I’ve played with a lot of GJ players, and everybody’s personal pompe is a little different. I like some of the Latin beats. I usually adjust the instruments mix and type to suit my needs.

[Jim Newberry]

(A few years later)
I finally forked out the dough for Band In a Box. I’m not competent with it yet, but have made a few backing tracks for practice and they sound great. It suits my purposes pretty well, but at a steep price tag.