WHY INCLUDE SOLOS?

Question: Why put solos into the backing tracks? They get in the way when I want to go round a melody.

Answer: Mmm... These are my practice tracks that I use at home. As a banjo player I play differently depending on who is taking the lead. ie: Chops when the mandolin solos, driving rolls when the fiddle steps up. Putting solos into my practice tracks encourages me to practice song specific backup. It also helps to drum in the chord changes for the song.

CHORDS, CHORDS, CHORDS... It often suprises me when I meet a beginner player who can play a piece quite well but doesn't know the chords over which they are playing. Knowing the chord changes is essential, not only to back other players in a session but because it structures what you play when you take a solo or work on an arrangement for a break. If you're going to learn a tune, start with the chord changes! The rest will make a lot more sense when you work on the melody.

If you don't want the solos in the track, press the button on the Tunes page and you get all of the tracks with just the rhythm section. If you're just learning a tune, do go back to the tracks with solos when you've got it, then you can work on switching between the melody and backup as you would in a session.