In my duo, The Sophisticats, we use backing tracks http://www.s-cats.com

I make the backing tracks myself, either from scratch using the Master Tracks Pro, or with a little help from Band-in-a-Box.

Is it cheating? Perhaps, but at least they are my tracks and not purchased karaoke tracks.

Are the necessary? Yes, because almost every other duo in the area uses tracks, and we need to sound as good or better than our competition.

Would I rather play with a 'all live' larger band? Yes.

Do I want to make less money as the pay per-musician gets smaller the bigger the band is around here? No.

Do I want to put up with the 'other musicians' who don't practice at home, don't want to rehearse, show up late, take long breaks, or are too busy chasing a skirt to take the gig seriously? No.

So it's backing tracks for me, which means for every new song I learn and sequence the drum part, bass part, and all the comp parts, saving the most fun parts for Mrs. Notes and me to play live on top of the tracks.

It's nothing new. When we gigged on cruise ships in the late 1980s, the orchestra on the main stage used backing tracks for the production show and played along with the tracks.

Right or wrong, it's just what is done now. Survival goes to those who can adapt, and we adapted to backing tracks early. That was in 1985, and until COVID, we were never out of work. Now post-COVID quarantine days, we are gigging 18 or so one-nighters (mostly in the daytime) per month.

When a musician is gigging, life is good.

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks