Even if you are a professional musician, Getting a good session together can be a lot more difficult than it should be. As a singer, I have had to learn firsthand how temperamental and difficult to work with musicians can be. They will flake out on paying gigs, come in late, get moody at the last minute because of minor things – you name it, and I’ve seen it happen.
Many singers never think about buying a backing track, but it really makes a lot of sense. Backing tracks have come a long way. Of course, not all of them are free, but many of them can be bought for a reasonable amount of money. A lot of musicians believe that you can’t use pre-recorded instrumental backing, but you really can. With the aid of a good sound engineer, a backing track and a few samples can be quickly turned into something really useful and positive.
It all depends on what kind of music you are recording, of course. For example, jazz backing tracks are extremely popular. In jazz, after all, it is about the virtuosity of the singer and the other solo musicians. If you are a jazz vocalist, all you really need is some good musicians to play behind you. That way, you have free range to showcase your talents. If you can not get a solid band together, it might make sense to buy a backing track. After all, if you are hot stuff, the music behind you doesn’t really have to be, does it? It needs to be solid, tasteful, and interesting enough to keep the audience’s attention. That is all!
Nowadays, you can even buy your own backing vocals. You would be amazed at how durable some vocal recordings are. You can remix and use them for almost anything as long as it is using standard chord progressions. When it is done right, it sounds like you have expert studio musicians there working for you. No one will ever know that you’re simply using a backing track. Some people even resample music themselves, taking lyrics out in much the same way that people do for karaoke. Although you have to get legal clearance for this, it is sometimes easier to do than you might think. Not only is it a great way to cover a song, but it can be a great way to make something original too.