Drummer Cafe Community Forum

Someone told me it would be possible to remove the drum tracks from music with certain know how/software - does anyone know how to do this? I would love to get back into shape by playing along with some music without the drum tracks in it.

I bought a Godsmack CD for guitar training that stripped out the guitar, so I guess it would be possible.  Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks!

It's typically impossible to do, although you can remove some elements of the music recording, usually those instruments that are mixed in the center.

I would probably guess that someone re-recorded the songs on your play-along, leaving the guitar parts out. To have the actual recording minus the guitars, with copyright law, would get very expensive unless the artist/group/band who recorded the project initially also put out the play-along ... which is very rare and doubtful.

There are a number of vocal reducer/removal products (software) out there. Do a search with Google and download their free trial if they have it. Often times you can remove instruments, but often times at the expensive of quality loss of the remaining track.

Check out

http://www.musicminusone.com/

No software, but reasonably priced collections of various stuff minus drums.

From what I've ever heard or been told, it's a matter of taking out frequencies from a piece of music. Since the drums cover the broad expanse of frequencies it would be nearly impossible to take them out without reducing the whole track to something nobody would EVER want to listen to, practicing or not.

Frank has a GREAT suggestion there. MMO has a lot of useful play-alongs in many genres, tempos, etc. I'd look those up.

Also, if you happen to have talented friends and the right gear and know-how, you could always have them record the songs and just don't track any drums.
(A bit lengthy and hard to do, I know, but never say never! :P)

You can do this by acquiring the midi version of the song ( assuming it exists ).  The drum track can then be completely removed using a software midi sequencer.  I do this quite often.

Are there really some good quality MIDI versions out there?  I have a hard time listening to something that sounds like it was made on a kids Casio.  Also, I don't mind playing to the actual song along with the drums.  That's how most of my early playing skills developed (or didn't depending on your point of view :-\).  I don't see a huge attraction to playing to a drumless track but that's just me. 

When you're listening back to midi it depends on the soundsamples/devices/synthesiser you're using to listen to it with. The default windows one is pretty horrid sounding. Some soundcards come with something nicer, and some programs have their own set of sounds, such as sibelius's contact player.

Antman is correct in that you must know how to load VSTs within your sw sequencer in order to alter the sound. Its not that complicated once your shown how to do it within your specific sw sequencer.  Because each vendor has their own way of doing this, it is challenging to generalize.

You guys are right and have reminded me that I've actually done that before - my memory is well - otherwise occupied :-\.  It's just more hassle than it's worth IMHO.  Why not just jam to the original LP/Tape/CD/MP3 with the drummer?  Or simply buy the play along products. 

I do agree with this. It maybe useful practising singing or playing a lead guitar, etc. without the track in question, but as drums are the basis of the rhythm section, practising a song without the drums track sounds the same to me as practising with a metronome without a metronome (!). I think if you want that, practise without any track. Maybe putting out sheet music to follow what the other instruments play.

MIDI files - unless they have been deliberately modified - will have an implied tempo that will not vary.  Hence, playing to the MIDI file is almost identical to playing against a metronone - except you have to develop the click in your head yourself.  So, from that perspective, playing with MIDI songs is a great way for you to nail your timing down, and you get the benefit of having to play within a musical context.

I guess that's one reason why my timing is so messed up - playing to all those records and CDs  :o   Seriously, I'm just not inspired to play PERFECT time.  I do want to be able to make the song feel really good and to keep the band on track and I have a lot of room for improvement on that score but I doubt that the difference between PERFECT time and the time on the original CD will make a big difference (old live and bootleg records of artist high on whatever being the exception :P).  However, I'm an old untrained hack so if it works for you, great.

The problem with MIDI files IMO is that they are such grainy snapshot of the original recording - the original timing of the groove isn't retained, the orignal sounds are gone, there are no vocals, guitar and horn sounds are pretty much a joke even with great MIDI sounds, the dynamics of the arrangement is barely there, if at all...  the only plus I see is that the tempo is adjustable - so one could work on songs at different tempos.

But as a replacement to playing along with records, I don't see the advantage. First off having the original drummer there is part of the point of playing along - emulation, inspiration, etc. Second, who would want to give up Page's guitar when playing along with Zepplin? Or playing with Rocco on Tower of Power records? Digging into the groove of these great players is what our ears should be doing, while our arms and legs do their best to play along.

Playing along with drummerless tracks can be a nice diversion now and then, but IMO nothing beats playing along with actual recordings as part of any serious study of the drumset.

David

Yes, this is a very good thing for practising.

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Even though I stick to practising with a cd played in my headphones, I sometimes find it annoying that I can't play exactly what the original drummer does. How about this?