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It's important to be commercial if you want to make a living at it. Here are a few tips (not all of them - feel free to add your own): - Know your market, and play the music people want to hear. Songs they know by heart
- Read the audience of the day. Look at their shoes, the way they dress, how they style their hair and everything else - these are all clues
- After you have read the crowd, play something safe, something that always works, and see how that goes over -- give them more and during the night you can try some things slightly out of their comfort zone to see if they work or not
- Then pace the crowd, mix slow, medium, fast, and specialty songs to give the audience what they want, when they want it, even if they don't know when they want it
- Start on time, do not take long breaks, even be flexible, if the audience is having a great time, skip your break
- Play at the appropriate volume for the gig and audience
- Dress appropriately
- Be friendly and kind to everyone
- Price your services not too low, or too high. At first, before you have a reputation, use the going rate, as your reputation grows, if you are indeed better than most of your competition, you can ask for more money.
As a band, you are a small business in the service industry. You want to have a better product than the rest, and you want your audience to have such a good time that they come to see you again. If playing for a restaurant or bar, you want to focus on making the cash register ring. In your mind, pretend that you are getting a percentage of the money it rings up. That helps you make your best decisions. What makes you go back to a particular business that you are loyal to? Use that to treat your clients/audience the same way you would want to be treated. Yes, it's about making music. And yes, it's about having fun while you are playing. But without treating it like a small business, you won't get to have that fun as much as you want. I enjoy playing music. Pop music, jazz, classical, folk or whatever. When the song starts, I get into that place where there is no space, time, or me. It's the most fun I can have with my clothes on. And treating it as a business, gets me more gigs. The average duo gigs 4 or 5 times a month in the two deadest months around here, August and September. We did 16-18 gigs in those slow months. And we're still doing 19 this month (just got another) When I was young, someone told me this. You can play for yourself, you can play for other instruments, or you can play for the general public. If you are good enough, you will get the audience you asked for.Insights and incites by Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
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100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
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Technology has reached the point that the bands that have recorded some pretty intricate music with way more parts than people need tracks to sound like the band people are there to hear. It is only common sense to have the tracks there to support the songs. Is it cheating? I guess that is a point of view. Using 40 tracks and overdubs is cheating too then. It is very common in almost every concert involving a 'band' that there are tracks being used. Certainly some genre's do not lend themselves to this. Bluegrass is probably a good example as said before. But that music is much simpler from an instrumentation standpoint (not that it is simple music), it can all be replicated on stage just as it was recorded in the studio. Musicians that play the parts that are being done with tracks are certainly left out in the cold and the unions have done what the could for this. As someone mentioned Broadway. A keyboard guy and tracks could probably do any show, but the union won't let that happen thank goodness for those people whose jobs were saved by that.
My wife asked if I had seen the dog bowl. I told her I didn't even know he could.
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etcjoe, thanks for mentioning recording.
There are plenty of songs that cannot be played by a live band, because the recording studio became a musical instrument.
I think this seriously started with the Beatles and George Martin. Devices like throwing snippets of tape in the air, splicing them together, some backwards, in the "Mr Kite" song.
Practices like this opened the door for all types of studio tricks that can't be produced live. Is that cheating?
It escalated from there. It used to be that recordings emulated live performance. As time went by, this concept was abandoned, and reproducing a live performance was no longer a concept. Many songs are assembled now instead of played. Is that cheating?
What is cheating? A digital tuner? Auto-tuned vocals? Harmonizer? Looper? Quantization? Compression? or any of the other wonderful tech toys we have at our disposal?
I guess that's all a matter of opinion.
Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton 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
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Technology has reached the point that the bands that have recorded some pretty intricate music with way more parts than people need tracks to sound like the band people are there to hear. It is only common sense to have the tracks there to support the songs. Is it cheating? I guess that is a point of view. Using 40 tracks and overdubs is cheating too then.... Thing is, of those "40 tracks," that's not 40 different parts. 10 - 12 of them are often drum mics. The bass often has a DI in addition to the miked amp. Guitars might have 2 mics on the cabinet and possibly a room mic and a DI too. Often those parts are doubled. There might be several different takes of a guitar solo so the producer can pick the best one. Possibly several takes of other parts as well. It all adds up quickly.
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In 1976 Queen toured A Night At The Opera.
They left out a bunch of songs because they couldn't play them live without them sounding thin or denuded but did do a little section that used tapes to represent the OTT choral sections of Bohemian Rhapsody. They made this clear in advance section and even stepped behind a back light screen to "project" the sense of the video.
Brian may used three delay pedals for the Brighton Rock multi guitar section.
Each was a step forward in the use of technology to augment playing live.
Recordings stopped being archives of live performances a very long time ago and only the lucky, connected, wealthy or patronized performer could stump up for a FULL "live" version of the recording - see Brian Wilson's Live Pet Sounds shows, (the ticket prices reflected the size of the band).
The topic is exhaustively addressed in The Recording Angel: Music, Records and Culture from Aristotle to Zappa by Evan Eisenberg (published way, way back in 1987 but contemporary enough given the topic).
Beato is a knowledgable fellow but he's also inclined to post click bait topics or just rants when it suits his purposes.
Last edited by rayc; 10/31/22 05:02 PM.
Cheers
rayc
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Beato is a knowledgable fellow but he's also inclined to post click bait topics or just rants when it suits his purposes. I'm going to go out on a limb and say you probably didn't watch the video. It definitely wasn't click bait or a rant.
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Beato is a knowledgable fellow but he's also inclined to post click bait topics or just rants when it suits his purposes. I'm going to go out on a limb and say you probably didn't watch the video. It definitely wasn't click bait or a rant. I agree with Bob 100%! I've watched a LOT of Beato videos and never felt any were click bait or overly self-promoting! He always produces videos that deliver useful information in an entertaining way!
Last edited by JohnJohnJohn; 11/01/22 07:13 AM.
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I've also watched a significant number of Rick Beato's videos. I never figured any of them to be either a rant nor click-bait. The material I have viewed is extremely well researched and always professionally delivered.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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This guy uses lots of backing tracks, ...except they're all of him.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzIXi94TkUgI sure do like that guitar he's playing.
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Yes, Josh Turner is an excellent multi-instrument talent. I have seen a number of his videos and they are all excellent.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
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I agree with everything Rick Beato said. He gets it.
Lots of good comments in the thread, so I'll try to avoid saying what's already been said.
I think it's cringeworthy to hear somebody try to pawn off an entire pre-recorded song while miming the vocals and pretending to play the instruments. But I enjoy hearing a talented singer/ musician play and sing along with trax when its clear that he/she is actually adding the same thing to the show that he'd be adding if the rest of the music was being played live. It takes talent to play and sing well no matter WHERE the rest of the music is coming from.
Likewise I think it's hard to listen to a full band when any of the members are terrible. So it isn't the full band that makes it listenable or objectionable, it's the presence or absence of talent... and the more talent there is on stage, the more I'll enjoy it.
As far as the question of "cheating" is concerned: cheating implies that rules were broken. The venue makes the rules. If they don't want backing trax, the people who use them will never get on that stage. The next hurdle is the audience's standards. If the audience hates it, they won't be back, and that means the performer probably won't be back either. The fact that the use of backing trax has become so common tells you that audiences and venues generally accept their use. Beyond that, its just personal preference.
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Good point. There are no "rules" in art. There are norms and some follow them and some break them.
So if there are no rules, how can there be cheating?
If enough people like the art, it's good, even if I personally disagree.
After all, the point of art it to reach other people.
Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton 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
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<< It takes talent to play and sing well no matter WHERE the rest of the music is coming from. >>Exactly. I'll post a link below to the hottest 'trio' playing along the Grand Strand of SC. This is the band the other bands come to watch. The band 'displays' as a three piece group but it's anything but that. Most times their entourage totals about six people. Three stage performers, Sound Technician and two Road Gear Techs for load in and load out. The sound tech and guitarist share production and direction of the show and the sound tech is a performer the same as the stage crew. The guitarist creates loops and sets the tempo for every song. He custom builds his guitars and they include midi controllers and pickups that are professional grade. The on stage performers are excellent singers and musicians but the guitarist is world class having won GuitarWorld's 2009 international guitar contest. He has a nice pedal board but there's a second pedal board that's rack mounted behind him that's triggered by the sound tech. The sound tech also triggers samples, recorded tracks and Wave digital effects for the stage from a wireless tablet controlling a 32 track digital board. In performances, there's stacked backing vocals, doubled vocals and digital effects prevalent throughout. A trio is what the audience sees, but not what they hear. They are a complete show performance. A stage show with lights, sound and action. They are very busy and following FB page, it's not unusual for them to perform 12-15 shows in a three or four day period. Most weekends they'll perform 3 gigs either Saturday or Sunday. Use headphones to listen. It's not overdubbed. It's recorded from the mixer during the performance. SouthSide Saints Band Promo
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Sensational performance.
As Rick indicated in his summation on backing tracks: 'as long as they do it well'.
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
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<< It takes talent to play and sing well no matter WHERE the rest of the music is coming from. >>Exactly. I'll post a link below to the hottest 'trio' playing along the Grand Strand of SC. This is the band the other bands come to watch. SNIP SouthSide Saints Band Promo Wow, that's awesome Charlie! I see that as a good example of effective use of trax to give talented performers a much fuller sound. There's only so much that a spectator can process anyway... with 3 people to watch and that wall of sound, I doubt the average audience member will ever come away disappointed or under stimulated. Remember, we're talking about the same audiences that are OK with a DJ. It works for the band. It works for the venue. It works for the audience. Whats left to criticize, except based on personal preference? Comparing this to an act in which somebody lip synchs and pretends to play along ... well, it's not a fair comparison. The lip synch scenario should be judged separately. THIS (the linked video) is the perfect marriage of technology and the arts in my opinion.
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Those guys have really got it together. I'm sure they'd put on a fine show.
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Pros
The Band is always ready to rehearse.
The Band always plays what they are supposed to.
Nobody drags or pushes the tempo.
I can add or subtract players quickly.
Small gig footprint opens up more venues for certain players
All the $$$ go to you.
Cons
Making quality backing tracks is HARD work.
You can't purchase many useful ones.
Rehearsing the band is hard work. Lots of heads and solos to learn
You need more tracks per unit time than a live jazz band at a gig.
You need quality gear to make it sound like a real unit.
Certainly others can add more in both columns.
All in all, they work for me. I get some gigs using them.
Making and rehearsing the tracks keeps my brain stimulated
I still have some time to play live with other musicians.
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Pros
The Band is always ready to rehearse.
The Band always plays what they are supposed to.
Nobody drags or pushes the tempo.
I can add or subtract players quickly.
Small gig footprint opens up more venues for certain players
All the $$$ go to you.
Cons
Making quality backing tracks is HARD work.
You can't purchase many useful ones.
Rehearsing the band is hard work. Lots of heads and solos to learn
You need more tracks per unit time than a live jazz band at a gig.
You need quality gear to make it sound like a real unit.
Certainly others can add more in both columns.
<...>
I'll add a couple: Pros: You don't have to put up with the musician who shows up late or takes long breaks You don't have to put up with the one who is more interested in chasing the opposite sex than playing music In most local areas, people in smaller groups take home more money per person than in larger groups. Cons: Since you make the tracks yourself, you deprive yourself from the surprise musical input of the other musicians who would be playing those parts If the dance floor is full, and it would be a good idea to extend the song, you can't do that. ----------------- I agree that making good tracks is hard, and it's time-consuming, sometimes difficult to get right, but I wouldn't call it work. Work is schlepping the gear. I've purchased a few, but spent almost as much time "fixing" them as it would have taken to start from scratch. Plus when you make your own tracks, you know them inside-out, every chord, every substitution, every drum beat, every bass note, and that helps you when it's time to improvise your solo. Insights and incites by Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton 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
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Cons:
Since you make the tracks yourself, you deprive yourself from the surprise musical input of the other musicians who would be playing those parts
If the dance floor is full, and it would be a good idea to extend the song, you can't do that.
Notes Norton hit the big one right on the Head The input of other musicians in a live setting definitely goes missing playing with tracks. I lamented it for awhile, now I pursue that feeling in other projects that are 100% live musicians. As far as extending/contracting a song on stage, that's no longer a problem. I perform with 320kbps mp3 tracks stored on ios devices. With the playback software I use I can easily extend/truncate/loop portions of a song. At the gigs I use it to extend choruses of improvisation. At practice, it allows me to loop sections that need more work. I can adjust tempo if need be to make sure a section is exactly how I want it. This "con" can be solved pretty easily.
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eddie1261
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If the dance floor is full, and it would be a good idea to extend the song, you can't do that.
I agree that making good tracks is hard, and it's time-consuming, sometimes difficult to get right, but I wouldn't call it work. Work is schlepping the gear.
Good stuff as usual Notes. But let me lay out a scenario and see what you think. Unless the situation is that the dance floor fills up DURING a song you would really like to extend, don't you see anything trending that specific songs find the dance floor quickly loading up when you start playing it? (Here's a text version of the flow chart from the nerd.) IF that is true that (I'll say some song here) Twist And Shout always loads the dance floor... (IF no stop reading. IF YES keep reading.) then you could go into your song file, copy and paste an extra chorus, verse and chorus into it so you have 2 more solo spots to extend the song, and call it T&S-EXT? Then when you see the crowd has the potential for a lot of dancers coming out onto the floor you load T&S-EXT instead of T&S. Of course if you are playing for a crowd not motivated toward the dance floor but appreciating you almost exclusively from the seats, you load T&S. I know what you mean that you can't decide mid bridge to extend the song playing live with tracks. We used to have a thing where when we played our cheesy Elvis spoof of Viva Las Vegas I would watch the crowd, and if they were hanging around on the dance floor I would sing, in key, "But is he good for one mooooooore time" and we'd pick up on the vamp and do a go around. There were nights the crowd joined in on the silliness and we milked that song for 15 minutes. One night some girl from the crowd brought up the cape she was wearing that night and wrapped it around our singer like an Elvis move, and as he started off the stage I did my schtick and he threw the cape off to sing more "Vivaaaaaa Las Vegas". Good times in that band that we couldn't do with tracks. As far as the cons, most nights I WAS the guy chasing the opposite sex so I can't speak to that. As far as making the tracks being work, I'd call it work in that I spend time on it, but it IS part of the job as much as sitting in boring IT meetings talking about things we already know about used to be. I don't really prepare tracks for live performance like you do, but as much as I like to play producer I play with stuff a lot. There was a jazz guy from Sacramento named Cecil Ramirez who sadly passed away from pancreatic cancer about a year ago. He used to stream on Sunday nights during Covid and then make the streams available for streaming as reruns. His 2nd album, that never got released due to his passing had a song called Faces In The Mirror. I downloaded the stream, snipped that song out of the hour, and loaded it into a DAW. In playing with it I took the B section and swapped it with the A section. I then sent it to him with a note that "This just seems to flow better to my ears when these sections are swapped." His reply was "Oh man, you really have me thinking now. I like that better too. I don't have to pay you for that little bit of production, do I? LOL" He was a great guy. I miss him. But to topic, there are bands who use tracks and bands who don't. It's a matter of personal taste. I personally would rather see 5 or 6 people on stage who can play, sing, AND work together to make the collective sound good, if only because it means more musicians have jobs. And my preference for original music (with the implied degrees of disdain for covers) has been on display often here. Still comes down to "You do you" and make YOUR life happy, not mine.
Last edited by eddie1261; 11/03/22 05:46 AM.
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Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Don't wait - order today!
Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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