 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Sue G
Date: 2003-06-07 09:41
I know i've asked a similar question a while ago but I was just wondering if any of you know where I could get backing tracks for easy listening type music for the clarinet from please ? You know the sort that buskers use - I apologise to all of you professional players out there but I just want to play my clarinet to entertain small groups of older folk with whom I work - they enjoy the sing-a long stuff - Scarborough Fair, English Country Garden and so on .........
I don't know of anyone who plays the piano/keyboard or similar who could either play with me or put a backing tape together for me .......
Midi's, I've discovered, although plentiful on the net, aren't much use - when you finally figure out how (with the purchased software of course !) to convert to a format which can be recorded on a CD the quality is pretty poor. I need backing tracks to enhance my playing not make it sound worse than it already does !!!!
Any ideas please ??
Thanks
Sue
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2003-06-07 09:53
Sue G wrote: "I apologise to all of you professional players out there but I just want to play my clarinet to entertain small groups of older folk with whom I work"
There is nothing to apologise for! This board is for everybody. Enjoy playing!
I only know about the Jamie Aebersold records, but I they are all jazz.
Sorry not to be of much help. I'm sure someone else can help you.
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Author: geo
Date: 2003-06-07 12:11
Hello Sue,
in Germany there is the publisher Kunzelmann (scores plus cd accompaniment) with a diverse selection for clarinet/basset horn + piano on CD, (e.g. I have one of the Scott Joplin editions), but there was also a very interesting thread here a few weeks back with a few links to online resources and shops which may be more readily available to you and may have something in the area you are looking:
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=111688&t=111688#reply_111688
- geoff
Post Edited (2003-06-07 12:21)
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Author: hans
Date: 2003-06-07 15:27
Sue,
Hal Leonard and Warner Bros have products that (I think) might do what you want; e.g., I am looking at one right now from HL with the following titles: All the things you are; Call me irresponsible; Autumn leaves; East of the sun; I'll be seeing you; I left my heart in San Francisco; In a sentimental mood; Isn't it romantic; The very thought of you; and The way you look tonight. The CD contains full performance tracks plus accompaniment tracks. This particular one (Standard Ballads) is from the Singer's Series. I liked some of the tunes so I transposed the music for Bb and Eb, but they have many that are accompaniment CDs for Bb, Eb, and C instruments, including Dixieland, Bossa Nova (Antonio Jobim), movie themes, Jazz, etc.
Warner Bros has accompaniment CDs with music from Jerome Kern, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Gershwin, Swing, Henry Mancini, Burt Bacharach, Latin, etc. The only one to disappoint so far was the Swing CD, which used too much electronic instrumentation for my taste.
Since I stopped playing with the swing quartet a few years ago, I've bought over 20 of these things and they have given me much enjoyment.
Hal Leonard has a web site http://www.halleonard.com/ that may tell you more or you can email me if you like.
Hope this is useful,
Hans
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Author: allencole
Date: 2003-06-07 17:52
The Hal Leonard book are by far the best in terms of practicality. The only question is whether any of them fit your profile of sing-along things.
You are primarily mentioning simple songs. You might be able to find CD-equipped sing-along sets which would closely match your audience's tastes, but possibly require you to transpose a melody or play the song by ear. If this is practical for you, suitable material might be found via karaoke suppliers, bookstores like Heaven & Earth, or on the music education market.
Allen Cole
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Author: Sue G
Date: 2003-06-07 18:58
Thanks for your help - yep it's the easy ones I want to play - they need to be I've still got "L" plates on and at my time of life starting out .........!!!!
Sue
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Author: Bob A
Date: 2003-06-08 00:39
Sue G, "A Blessing On Your Head, Mazel Tov, Mazel Tov" for bringing enjoyment to older folk like me. I would love to do the same. I hope someone finds something and posts it so I can share.
"L" plates for the benefit of some unenlightened "yanks" are driving licenses initially issued to learners. You may be a "learner" as far as the clarinet is concerned but your heart is pure.
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Author: msloss
Date: 2003-06-09 13:31
Don't sell short the MIDI files yet. Quality of sound is totally driven by the quality of the device/software producing the sound. If you use the basic synth sounds that come with most computers, yeah they'll sound like drek. For a couple hundred dollars there are some great computer-based synths that will do good things for you. Gives you control then over instrumentation, key, pace, # of repeats, etc.
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Author: Sue G
Date: 2003-06-09 19:21
Thanks.
I'm not sure what you mean by the term "computer-based" synths - can you tell me what they are please ?
Is it software for the pc, hardware to connect to a pc or something totally seperate to the pc ???????
Thanks again all for your help.
Together we've the potential to make a lot of old folk very happy ! and one not quite "old" beginner clarinetist happy too !!!
Sue
:)
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Author: msloss
Date: 2003-06-10 13:30
Check a merchant like Sweetwater (www.sweetwater.com) and do a search on "software synth" and you will be deluged with options. There are programs that either run stand-alone or with sequencer/audio software on your computer to do a lot of, and in some cases more, than a lot of hardware-based synths. They typically have very rich sound capabilities, and a lot of bulletin boards have additional patches or samples you can add for little or no cost. If you need midi control software for any reason to play back the sequences you pulled off the web, there are very inexpensive "lite" editions of a lot of sequencers that should cost less than $100. If you have a notebook computer and something to play back the sound through for your gigs already, you can be in business for less than $500. If you don't have a portable, you can always make tapes from your home PC.
Good luck!
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Author: katchow
Date: 2003-06-10 13:31
one thing i've found...well, i should preface this first by saying i use a mac...some midi programs allow you to substitute the sound bank it uses for playing midi files. One program i use, "Harmony Assistant" offered higher quality sound files you could purchase on cd. You may have noticed the default sounds on your computer for playing midi files sound a little tinny (or just plain cheesy), this can be improved by using a higher quality sound database. For example, a higher quality sound will have multiple recordings for different notes of the piano, whereas most default sets will have only only one sample per instrument (the one sample is sped up and stretched out to account for higher notes which produces a very unatural sound).
another thing that is helpful...a lot of midi programs can quantize a midi file to whatever degree you like before playing...meaning it can purposely play a rythmn slightly off to make it sound more natural and less mechanical...
ok, i'm really bad at describing technical stuff...and i by no means am a "midi" expert...
IMO, i think midi files will always sound a little wacky...but there are ways to improve on them, and there are so many free files out there...
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