Free mp3 Backing Track made with Band-in-a-Box and 2 Norton Music Styles
 Many people have asked me to post a backing track made with additions made in a sequencer, so here it is. I decided to post a sequence I use in my duo The Sophisticats  . I use it to play an R&B version of Robert Johnson's Sweet Home Chicago, but since it is basic 12 bar blues with no melody fragments from Johnson's song, it is not subject to copyright restrictions. You can use it to play most any 12 bar blues song, or to jam along with (it's in the key of D).
If you are interested in how I made the sequence, here is how I did it:
- Opened Band-in-a-Box and entered the 12 bar blues progression using the 4 bar "turn around" for the intro by typing in the chords in their respective bars
- Assigned the Norton Music style #blubrk2.sty (Blues With Breaks #2) to the song
- Assigned the Norton Music Style #bluchi1.sty (Chicago Blues #1) to the progressions where I wanted to play a guitar or sax solo on stage
- Used the melody track to add a backing sax section
- Recorded the top note of the sax part
- Used Band-in-a-Box Harmony #42 (Generic 2Pr 3rds+6ths) to harmonize the sax parts -- Note: the harmony didn't get saved with the song so if you use the BiaB file (below) you will have to manually supply the harmony.
- Saved as a MIDI file and opened it in an old (bug free) version of Master Tracks Pro (MIDI sequencer)
- Edited the bass line on the last measure of each progression
- Manually entered the walking bass line on the solo sections. I used #bluechi1.sty which has an arpeggiated bass, but I thought it would be fun to have a walking bass there. I have other styles with walking bass lines, but it was easier to just play the bass line that it would be to make a new style or mix and match two styles
- Added a small touch of humanization (randomization) to the sax parts since Band-in-a-Box harmonizes them all on the exact same beat
- Assigned the sound modules and balanced the parts in Master Tracks Pro, I only used a few sound modules:
- Edirol Studio Canvas SD90
- Roland Sound Canvas SC55
- Peavey SP (sample player) to play my own samples of Fender Jazz Bass and a few drum/percussion sounds
- Used Power Tracks Pro Audio to record the output of the sound module array
- Saved and then exported as a WAV file
- Used CDex to rip it. I rip everything for stage at 192kbps stereo, but to save bandwidth, the free sequence I'm posting has been ripped at 128kbps mono -- the sound quality isn't quite as nice, but it is sufficient to practice along with.
This is an all MIDI style, no "Real Track" loops were used.
More information about how I create backing tracks AND how I use them on stage can be accessed here and for a list of all my add-on user styles for Band-in-a-Box and to hear free mp3 demos of most of them, go to: my style demo page
OK, you've waited long enough, so here is the mp3 (and for those interested, the Band-in-a-Box file)
Here is the free mp3 backing track: Sweet Home Chicago and other 12 bar blues songs mp3 4.44mb
And here is the Band-in-a-Box file for those interested in BiaB Sweet Home Chicago MGU
Enjoy!
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