Re: [Harp-L] Blues Backing Tracks for a Female Vocalist (Wannabe)?

[Miguel Angel Alonso Lopez <destripped@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi, Elizabeth.

I play harp and I've started to sing recently (one year ago), so I
face more or less the same tasks that you face. The only difference is
that I'm a male singer.

When I learn a new tune, first I listen to different covers. I listen
to them over and over, building a strong feeling with the song. Then I
choose the one that I like most as my main guideline. Try spotify to
find the covers you need, there are many blueswomen there (Bessie
Smith, Ma' Rainey, Etta James, etc, etc). Youtube is another source to
find famous covers.

At the beginning, I will try to imitate my "guideline cover" as close
as I can. If you have to find another key, there are lots of software
apps that allow you to change it. I try to keep the original key, even
if it's a bit unconfortable, hoping that the training process will
improve my singing enough to keep that key. Recording and listening to
myself helps a lot. When I start to feel used to singing (playing)
along with the "guideline cover", I write the tune in Band In A Box
(BIAB).

IMHO, BIAB is very very useful. You can make the backing tracks you
need, change the key, and learn a lot about the tune: structure,
chords, ... You can easily change the groove, style and rhythm, and
this leads you to dig more and more in the tune, getting used to it in
different ways. You will also find that you can communicate better
about the song with other musicians in a jam (if it's a 12-bar or not,
if it has quick-change, turn-around, breaks, ...).

In all of this process, as you get more and more confortable with the
tune, different ideas and changes come to mind, so the initial
imitation will slowly move to a more personal style. Again, recording
and listening to yourself helps in this point (well, in fact it helps
always!). Eventually, my own cover becomes my "guideline cover", and I
start to imitate to myself, come up with more changes, etc

My main working procedure is this, and it works fine for me. I've had
lots of fun at open mic jams. Having a realistic backing track is
nice, but with BIAB or Garage Band I don't think is essential (I have
dozens of realistic tracks and barely use them!).

Hope this helps. Good luck and cheers!!

M.A.