Evening all. Since I've been doing Gabs improv course (those that arn't should totally check it out) I've been practicing using a backing track alot more often. I use to use a metronome but it really sucked all the dynamic out of my playing and it also made me stick to the standard guitar tone I always use.

Well I have a few backing tracks that Gab has made for this course but I'd like to take it a step forward and build a nice library for myself for a bit of variaty.

So which are peoples favorite GMC lesson backing tracks. In any style. Any tempo. And if you want say why you like it.

I have so many but I will show you which are the backings that I truly abused and I played them in any ways as possible

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Beginner-Soloing-1/
https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/whammy_bar_phrasing/
https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/solo-guit...-vision-lesson/
https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Melodic-Phrasing/
https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Double-Stop-Soul/
https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Minor-...ggios-Exercise/
https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/jazzy-blues-phrasing/

This post has been edited by Monica Gheorghevici: Oct 15 2014, 02:18 PM

Cosmin's Modes of the rising sun is one of my favourites. Im still working on the actual lesson but I also like to just play over it. It is such a cool progression and you have the overall flavour of the original song in your head as you play which, I think, encourages you to find melodies that are quite different to your usual ones

Or some gems there Thanks guys

Hi Mith, great to know that you are looking for more things that make your practice more entertained and motivating!

While I was reading this thread, I started to think that another good idea would be to start creating your own backing tracks. This could be a very good practice to become better with multitrack, sofwares, midi, and arranging, in order to train your own composing skills. There are many different raws that you can use, paid and free, as well as vsti that can provide you of drums, bass, keys, synth, strings and many other virtual instruments.

Our friend Brandon Burch (The Fireball) has created this useful video that can bring some inspiration:




Have you though on this?

I'm pretty comfortable with multitrack recording. I could probably make my own backing tracks. In saying that I need to start writing stuff for my newest project and it would probably be handy to write those tracks and use them for practice. Kill 2 birds with one stone

Thank you mate I think this track offers a really great modal training perspective and the good news is:

- you can use Gabi's video to make your own backing tracks!
- the method in which I managed to transform the original song's chord progressions into their modal versions is easily achievable, if you learn your theory and you understand how modes function - I think it's a great modal drill that anyone should try! Transform your favorite song into a modal version, by altering the chord progression in respect to the mode you want to use - has anyone tried this so far?

Here's the lesson that bleez is talking about: https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Modes-Of-The-Rising-Sun/ - please read the lesson description to see what's going on in there

I'm at work at the moment but I'll take a stab at it. You work out the progression in the normal key. Then you pick a diffrent mode then apply that progression to the mode. Use the modal chords since they probably changed. Or did you use the relative modes for the song?

It's the exact way you stated it - parallel modes I applied the progression to a certain mode each time - as I also denoted in the video markings. Lemme know what you think, once you can try it

hopefully mess around with it on the weekend. I love playing modally. Tho I tend to use phrygian and Mixo most the time

Great to hear that you're into this mate Let me know on what your thoughts are, after you play it and why not, maybe you'll make a little musical endeavor out of fixing a favorite song like this as well - what do you think?

I do like the idea to do it for a cover songs. I never saw the sense in doing a cover song exsactly like the origonal. if people wanted to hear that they would listen to the person that wrote it. Its much more intresting doing a cover song and making it your own

That's one of the reasons I enjoy working on acoustic covers in which I like to completely transform the song elements to my own liking, keeping the chord progressions but finding voicings that suit the vocals very well and underlining the rhythmic parts in an inventive mode. It's tough to sing over such stuff, but alas, it's GREAT exercise. I am currently working on Tesseract's 'Retrospect' and Karnivool's 'All I know', which is almost nailed, but the Tesseract one is still a long way to go... How about acoustic versions - have you tried it so far?

I have been so focused on lead stuff at the moment I've barely even picked up my acoustic. I probably should. I remember a method that some famous hard rock band pointed out is they write all their songs on acoustic first and they know if it sounds great on that it will be mind blowing on electric.

EXACTLY! That's what I usually do when writing songs - you know, the acoustic will make you focus on chordal play and adding vocal lines to the chords That's basically what every song is, isn't it? If it features vocals of course It's one way of looking at it and I think it functions very well. We tend to do it the other way around, but whenever we write new music with the band, we tend to play around with the acoustic/stripped versions and we usually like them a lot