LearnJazzPiano.com archives: Software for practicing recorded solos?
superp9 -- 07/30/2007, 01:32:52 -- #36112
Can anyone recommend a good software to practice solos with?  I've come across things like Amazing Slow Downer, Transkribe, Slowgold, but they don't do it right.  I'm not looking to to transcribe, just slow down segments (without changing the pitch) and loop them so I can learn them by playing along.  Also, it would be useful if it could save several segments of each song in a list so I don't always have to go back and readjust the loop I am trying to learn.  And I want the software to be able to play mp3 files...a couple of the programs I mentioned claim to play mp3 files, but all it does is convert it to a wav file first.  I want it to play mp3 directly, no conversion (I don't care if the quality of the slowed song is worse).  Is there anything out there like that, or have I discovered all the options already?  Thanks.

sid -- 07/30/2007, 02:25:42 -- #36112
Is Transkribe the same thing as Transcribe! ?
Transcribe! does everything you want and is relatively cheap.  See:
http://www.seventhstring.com/

sid

superp9 -- 07/30/2007, 08:11:51 -- #36112
Yeah, that's the same one.  It's pretty good, but not really what I'm looking.  That's more for people who want to do accurate, note-for-note transcriptions.  I just want to take a song, split it into a bunch of pieces and go through each segment to learn it.  Winamp has a Loop Master plugin which is great and I used it a lot.  However, it can't save multiple segments so it gets frustrating to always move the looped section around constantly.

sid -- 07/30/2007, 10:36:10 -- #36112
Actually Transkribe (its correct name is Transkriber) isn't the same as Transcribe, I just found out.  Transcribe will certainly allow you to put in section markers, loop sections and change tempo without pitch.  It will also analyse notes and chords, but you aren't obliged to use those capabilities if you don't want to.  I can't see what else you'd want from a powerful and inexpensive software.  Have you visited the seventhstring website?  I'm sure you'll find it does what you want.  Transcribe has often been mentioned on LJP, always with strong approval by newbies and vets alike.

sid

superp9 -- 07/30/2007, 21:07:00 -- #36112
Thanks sid.  Yeah, I realize now that they are different.  There's a guy at work that has Transkriber and he says it's pretty good.  I don't like the fact that you can't try the program before you buy it, but it sounds like just the thing I'm looking for.

knotty -- 07/31/2007, 07:31:27 -- #36112
One tool that might be worth looking at is Audacity.
You can do all sorts of things with it, like slowing down without altering pitch. Making selections, loop etc.
And also a whole list of things I don't really understand.
Here's a link to the features:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/about/features

also, it's open source and 100% free. Works great on Linux too, if you should care.

Scot -- 07/31/2007, 10:47:50 -- #36112
Audacity seems like a decent application except that you can't change stuff on the fly.  Transcribe allows you to change speed and pitch and whatever you want on the fly while the file is playing, and there is no wait time for "processing" when it happens.

Other than that, Audacity looks pretty good and could be used for many things, including as a very nice transcription and looping practice tool.

Copyright © 2005 by Scot Ranney. All rights reserved.
Click Here for more information about performances and clinics. Click Here to sign up for Scot's music announcements.