Tools for learning songs...

[rysulbass]

Was hoping someone could tell me if they use any apps or music players that slow down recordings to learn more difficult parts. I thought i heard someone mention the app ireal pro, but looking into it- I'm not sure that it does that.

Most of the music i have now is just in my google play library that i pay a monthly fee for and listen to through my phone. Im starting to play with a band doing covers and was hoping for suggestions on new ways to learn songs note for note, playing along with recordings. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[MrM]

I've used this Transcribe software for a long time. Works great.

Seventh String Software - the home of Transcribe!

 

[ForestFriend]

I personally use Audacity to aid in transcription. It's free, it's got a really easy-to-understand interface, and you can slow down songs without changing pitch, loop sections, play short snippets of audio easily, etc. You can also record with it; sometimes what I like to do is record myself playing along with the song and it's easy to pick out any wrong notes I'm playing.

You'll need to have the music file on your computer (you'll also need an actual computer, I guess in this day and age it might be necessary to specify), so it might not be too helpful if your main source of music is Google Play streaming.

 

[rysulbass]

i should have stated i do have a computer, but i dont own many music files. I was wondering if there were ways to transcibe music from streaming platforms like google play or spotify. Thanks for the response.

 

[LeeNunn]

I think all of the loop and slow down software reads MP3 files. You can create the MP3 files with Audacity. See other threads for discussion of different loop and slow down software, including Audacity, Anytune, Amazing Slow Downer, and others. The “best” one depends on your needs.

 

[MalcolmAmos]

I'm starting to play with a band doing covers and was hoping for suggestions on new ways to learn songs note for note, playing along with recordings. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Most cover bands I was associated with handed out fake chord sheet music. And the bass was to follow the chord progression and hit the changes dead on. I was expected to call attention to the root note, and fall into a groove with the drummer. Any other chord tone I put into my bass line were left up to me. As were the runs, fills, etc. as long as I did not step on toes.

Being a cover band, and not a tribute band, the bass line was left up me. Roots, threes, fives, and an eight or dominant seven did what was expected. My Point. No one expected my bass line to be note for note what the original artist did as long as I hit the chord changes dead on and fell into a groove with the drummer.

Do they expect you to be note for note, or is that a chore you have elected to do on your own?

 

[rysulbass]

Its something I've elected to do on my own. We're just in the forming stages and i want to set an example learning my parts- as close as possible. I haven't been asked/pressured to do so. I'm pretty good at going off the root note and making the line my own. So far, the songs we've run through i already knew pretty well. Just looking ahead to getting lists of songs that I'm not familiar with.

 

[vancamp]

Amazing Slow Downer works very well with Spotify (Premium). It can take your songs directly from your Spotify playlists and change pitch and/or speed on the fly. It will also remember the settings for the next time you bring that song up in ASD. Very useful. (This is on Android or iPhone, not computer)

 

[juggahnaught]

VLC media player can handle almost any media file format and it can handle a playback speed of any aribitrary value between 0.25x and 4x speed. The only thing required is a desktop and a media file (although it can also stream and act as a server). It's free, like audacity, and nobody should be without it