Tools for playing in sync with a recording?

[clinton-blackmore]

Hi.

I’d like to practice by playing in sync with previously recorded or synthesized music, and was wondering if anyone had tips on doing so easily. I suppose I’m looking for technology tips.

In the past, when I’ve tried to use my phone or computer to play a song, I’ve found it starts right away and I am not able to get my hands into position fast enough to play the first few notes with it.

I would love to be able to sit at my harp, choose all or some of a piece, select a tempo, push a button, have a lead-in, and have my fingers on the strings ready to play along before the song itself starts — and it might be even better if the playback automatically repeated. It’d be cool if it could give me advice on where I’m messing up, but let’s not go crazy here 😉

Are there any (computer or phone) apps (or similar) that anyone knows of that might help with this? Or, perhaps additional hardware, such as a USB footpedal (which may allow for starting/pausing a song)? Maybe there is a different technique I should try (perhaps playing with a metronome?)

I’d be delighted to have any ideas.

The best I’ve come up with is (tediously!) inputting a song into Musescore, ready to be synthesized (at different tempos!), but it is difficult to control the computer and be on the harp ready for the start of a piece.

[e-nb]

I can’t help you with the longer run-in, but to change the tempo, check out speedshifter from ABRSM – http://gb.abrsm.org/en/exam-support/practice-tools-and-applications/speedshifter/#
I find it really useful.

[clinton-blackmore]

That’s fairly slick (after the annoying sign-up for an account process). I can’t tell you how much I wish it were open-source software; it’s so close to what I need.

Thank you, e-nb.
Clinton

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