Tools of the Trade

♫ Midi Files:

Midi stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, (M.I.D.I.)

Midi's can be extremely helpful in training a singer to be able to sing to a variety of musical styles and arrangements.

Most singers learn songs by listening to a singer they like on the radio. They sing a long and soon feel that that they KNOW the song. But in truth, they only know THAT version of the song that they heard on the radio.  And yes! They can go to the Karaoke store and find THAT specific version (MP3) to sing to with their Karaoke Machine, but they cannot sing that song with a "live" band unless it is played exactly like the original.

Midi files teach a singer how to hear the song in different ways and learn it totally no matter what is going on underneath the melody line.

And Hear This, Singers!! If you plan to be a Pro, or just sing like one, and truly express what inside of YOU, You MUST learn to listen to the music. Staring at a screen in the Karaoke Club will simply not do that for you.

Here is a comparison between a Midi File and an MP3.

MIDI FILES MP3 FILES Midi files are not recordings but digital representations of instruments. Therefore, a Midi File can be altered in terms of instrument usage, pitch, speed, and can be cut to a specific length. An MP3 file is a recording without the voice. It cannot be altered unless you have specific software that will change the pitch or speed, but if there are background voices included in the recording they cannot be removed. Midi files may not have good sound quality, and if the computer sound card is not top of the line, they could sound tinny. MP3's have great sound. Midi's are usually original versions of a song and not necessarily the same as the song that was recorded by the original artist. MP3's most often are duplications of the original artist's recording, minus the voice of course. A Midi cannot be played on any CD player. However, if it is converted to a .wav file, it may be played on most systems without any problems.  And with a Midi, you can create an arrangement just for you, something unique that's designed specifically for you. Midi Files that we already have are only $3. - Still a bargain compared to Bandtrax.com or Midi-Hits.com MP3's may be played on any CD player or Karaoke Machine. We can also create arrangements from scratch starting at $25/per chart.

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♫ Ordering MP3 Backing Tracks

• Tracks are $3.50 each.
   

• Some of the tracks also have a vocal guide if desired. They are an additional $1.00

• If you don't know exactly what you want, you may browse our selections Here! Just scroll to the bottom where I've listed each folder BT with the correct category. You may choose up to 10 songs at one time.

• YES! WE STILL OFFER LEAD SHEETS AND FAKE BOOKS!! (see below)

♫ Lead Sheets:

For a singer who wishes to ultimately sing with a "live band", lead sheets are a necessary tool! Especially keyboardists and guitar players do not want to negotiate through sheet music, which is really nothing more than some other person's interpretation of  how the song should be played, with too many pages to turn and most of the time not in the singer's comfortable range or key.

A Lead Sheet, which consists of chord symbols, the melody line and often the lyrics, allow the singer and the accompanying musician, whether on keyboard, guitar, or vibe, interpret the song their own way...together.

Here is an example of a lead sheet:

♫ Fake Books:

A Fake Book is merely a collection of Lead Sheets like the one displayed above. Some fake books contain over 500 songs, others a little less, but without having to show the piano part, you can fit hundreds of songs into a fake book.
 

If You are a working professional, or want to be one, Sing Your Life has a great offer for you 

We have obtained 12 Fake Books containing more than 5000 songs of all genres, including:
Jazz
Broadway & Movies
Country
Latin
Pop
International Music
and more...
 

All of the 12 Volumes of music are contained on one CD and ready for download and printing.

There is even a Master Index of every single song with the specific volumes each song can be found in.

You can search by composer, title, genre, artist, or alphabetically.
 

Lyrics, melody notes, chord symbols, rehearsal markings, metronome and breath markings are also included on many of the song sheets. And there are drum licks, keyboard voicings, substitution chords and solos you can practice and master.
 

It took me years to create my portfolio of music...of all the songs I sing on gigs... with the words and notes and correct chords. In the early days before computers, we had to create our lead sheets on music paper manually. Each song could take hours.
 

But now you can own over 5000 songs in lead sheet format on a single CD, and choose which songs to copy into your gig book!

IMPORTANT!!

NOTE!! Singers - PLEASE learn the keys you sing in so that if you are looking at a lead sheet, you can determine if the key on the sheet is your key or if it's too high or too low. To get the respect you desire from fellow musicians, you really MUST know your keys.

To help you learn this, I have created an eBook called, "Musicianship for Singers".

• This book explains how to know the keys you sing in, and

• how to also know the starting note of any song.

• Never worry again if you're coming in too soon, or singing the wrong note!

On the re-launch date of our website, which is slated for January 9, 2012, I will be selling all of my eBooks at half-price, but you can reserve your copy TODAY just by emailing me and asking for it.