Guitar backing tracks made from the real record
A guitar backing track is a song with the guitar part left out so you can play it yourself. Guitaroke makes one out of the original recording: same drummer, same singer, same tempo, no guitar.
What is wrong with ordinary backing tracks?
Most backing tracks are re-recordings. Someone played the song again without the guitar, or programmed it. They are often well made, but they are not the record. The tempo drifts differently, the fills are not where your ears expect them, and for a lot of songs nobody made one at all.
If the song exists as an audio file, Guitaroke can make the backing track. It does not matter how obscure it is.
How do you make a backing track from a song?
Load the song from your computer (mp3, wav, m4a or flac) and press Remove guitar. The recording is split into drums, bass, vocals, piano, guitar and the rest, and the guitar is muted. Then plug your guitar in and play along, or just listen to what the band was doing underneath.
The splitting runs in your browser, on your own computer. I wrote up how the guitar removal works for anyone who wants the details.
It is not only for guitar
Every part has its own fader. Mute the bass and you have a bass backing track. Mute the vocals and it is karaoke. Pull the drums down and practise against a click of your own. You can also bring the original guitar back quietly, as a guide, while you learn the part.
Questions
- Which songs can I use?
- Any audio file you have on your computer. There is no catalogue to search and nothing to wait for somebody else to make.
- How good does the backing track sound?
- Good enough to play along with. On a dense mix you can sometimes hear a faint trace of the removed guitar. Electric guitars are removed more cleanly than acoustic ones.
- Can I download the backing track as a file?
- Not at the moment. It plays inside Guitaroke, where your guitar and the amp are.
- Can I publish a backing track made this way?
- No. The recording still belongs to whoever owns it. This is for your own practice with music you have.
- Can I slow the backing track down?
- Yes, down to half speed without changing the pitch, and you can loop any section.