Sources for backing tracks

Hi everybody ~ I wonder if there’s a good source for backing tracks to acccompany the harmonica. YouTube is somewhat limited from my searches. Thanks!

There are a ton of backing tracks to be found online, but most are not specifically aimed at harmonica players. To redress the balance, I have published three volumes of Blues Harmonica Playalongs as book/CD packages, each available in English and German:

Steve Baker: Blues Harmonica Playalongs vols. 1 - 3, artist ahead Musikverlag

These are instrumental tunes in a range of blues and related styles, recorded with a great band. Each song comes in two versions on the CD, one with my harp and the other as a playback without harp. The book contains transcriptions and detailed descriptions of what I played and how I played it. Available from the publisher here:

http://s296368176.online.de/shop/index.php?cat=c144_blues-Harp.html&XTCsid=fb99038f2f29d694eb018faaaef6dfdf

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Thanks dude. :notes:
Is there a way to preview, or listen to the tracks before purchasing?

I can really recommend Steve’s Blues Harmonica Playalongs. I also started out with them.

Besides that you should also try out backing tracks that aren’t necessarily harmonica related or suitable at first sight. There is a lot of stuff on YouTube. Here are some channels for playalongs I like:
QuistTV (for blues and modal grooves)
Gonzalo Bergara (for gypsy jazz)
Learnjazzstandards (for jazz)
Camilo Valendia (a recent discovery of mine)

(Somehow I can not post links to Youtube)

Hope this helps!

-K

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Thank you very much. I love the diversity.

Hi ,

I recommend this https://www.youtube.com/user/QuistTV

It has tons of good backing tracks for practicing , its a good way to play in different posicions too

Cheers and have fun !

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Thank you very very much. I just checked out a great track in A minor

You can listen to a selection of the tracks on my website:

regards
Steve Baker

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try making your own backing with audacity software and bits of you tube
easy to put together.
favourite players mark feltham from nine below zero,johnny mars,slim harpo.

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I use these made by Shoji Naito.

http://www.bluesharptracks.com/

JF

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Has anyone here used Mac Band in a Box to create their very own backing tracks ?

I haven’t tried it myself but I know from Harp-L that plenty of people do. I’m sure it will work fine if you know what you want.

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Hello Mr. Baker!

I am interested in your three volumes of Blues Harmonica Playalongs as book/CD packages in
English. My question is, would you happen to have the books available in a download format? I’m asking because I’m totally blind, and books would make it that I would need someone to read them to me. This would not allow me to make any type of quick or steady progress. I would like the availability to do it independently! With a downloadable version like Word, PDF or Txt, this would be possible because I have a screen reader on my laptop that would be able to read it to me.

Also, when I clicked on the link, everything was in German, so I couldn’t do anything for obvious reasons! Thank you for your time and consideration in advance!

Rick from NYC

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Hi Rick, I trust you are now sorted with the Playalongs and that I don’t need to respond here. how are you getting along with them?