Ultimate guide to guitar backing tracks

Drone backing tracks

We mentioned earlier the benefits of practicing scales over a tonal center – this is exactly what drone tracks are useful for.

• They are usually a single endless tone.
• Sometimes a perfect 5th is included to widen the sound.
• The 5th is a neutral interval and doesn’t change the quality – it’s neither major nor minor.

Drones are great for ear training too – you can practice internalizing each note of a scale either by singing or playing the intervals over the drone.

Often drone backing tracks are fairly ambient and don’t include rhythm, but you can find some that do (just add ‘BMP’ to your search).

Here’s a great track in the key of C. Play any scales or modes you know – just make sure you start the scale on a C and it’ll sound great!

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As you learned earlier in the article, practicing to a tempo is vital for your rhythm skills, so here’s another C drone track at 120 BMP.

Jazz guitar backing tracks

Limitless options here! No genre comes close to jazz in terms of complexity – you need to put in some serious work to navigate the intricate progressions, chord voicings, and rhythms.

Instead of generic chord progressions, you can search for specific backing tracks to songs, or jazz standards.

Here’s an example of a classic standard: Autumn Leaves.

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If that’s a little advanced you can opt for some more straightforward jazz progressions.

It’s good to be able to play the chords before you start improvising so here are the four shapes you’ll need for the following jam track.

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• Once you’re comfortable playing the chords, try to pick individual notes from those shapes as you go through the progression.
• Avoid mindlessly playing one scale over all the changes, try to find the flavor notes for each chord.

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Neo-soul backing tracks

Time for some vibes! Neo soul has been gaining a lot of popularity in recent years. Its combination of Jazz chords, hip hop beats, and soulful melodies has made neo soul a favorite among many budding guitarists.

You may have noticed many of the backing tracks so far have been made with sampled instruments – not this one! Here’s one of our own live-band jam tracks in the key of E minor.

Take a look at the chords before you start improvising.

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Smooth, huh? If you can’t get enough of jamming with our band, here’s another slinky neo-soul backing track – this time in A minor.

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Blues guitar backing tracks

If you’ve been playing guitar for any length of time, you’ve probably had a little jam over a blues track – it’s a right of passage for every electric guitar player.

Blues is often regarded as simple, or easy to play, but there’s a big difference between mindlessly playing the pentatonic box and making the guitar sing!

• When playing the blues, it’s important to focus on phrasing and feel.
• The scale shapes shouldn’t dictate what you play – your ear should.
• A useful exercise is to sing a lick, and then play it.
• This is much more musical and avoids letting your fingers repeat tired old licks.

Let’s take it slow with this 12-bar blues jam in the key of G major.

• The E minor pentatonic is the same shape as G major pentatonic.
• This is because E is the relative minor of G major – they have the same notes.
• Try switching between the two and see if you can hear the difference between major and minor.

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For a deeper explanation check out our article on the major pentatonic scale.

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Let’s pick up the pace a little and add some swing!

Try this Chicago shuffle in C major.

• You can use the same trick to switch between major and minor pentatonic scales.
• Take any C minor pentatonic shape and move it down 3 frets – instant C major pentatonic!

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Funk backing tracks

We know you wanna have another jam with the live Pickup band – so let’s do it.

We’ll start off with a funk groove in A minor.

The chord names and recommended scales are included in the video – we've thought of everything 😉

• Remember to focus on keeping your rhythm as tight as possible throughout.
• Bonus points: See if you can figure out the little turnaround lick!

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Here’s our final jam track – so let’s make it funky! It’s inspired by the godfather himself – James Brown, so don’t turn it loose.

This one is all on you. Do whatever feels right – strum, pluck, and slide your way through this ridiculously groovy backing track in the key of Eb.

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Conclusion

Hopefully you’re feeling thoroughly inspired after all that.

Backing tracks are such a great way to level up your guitar playing, you just need to know how to make the most out of them.

So next time you’re on the hunt for a new jam track remember:

• Try new genres/styles for a fresh perspective.
• Choose progressions that are around your level.
• Don’t always choose a key you’re comfortable with.

If you want to learn how to improve your improvisation skills we’ve got just the thing.

The Soloing Learning Pathway led by Pickup Music founder Sam Blakelock is an absolute game-changer.

Over the course of 3 months, you’ll learn how to make your solos sing with

• Step-by-step lessons
• Daily guitar exercises
• Personalized feedback on your playing

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Author: Richard Spooner

Richard Spooner is a writer and musician originally from the UK. After studying contemporary guitar at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP) in London, he toured the UK with various groups, playing styles ranging from acoustic to metal.

Richard's diverse experience gigging, studying music, working in guitar stores, and managing rehearsal studios has given him valuable insight into guitar and what it means to be a working musician. Since 2019, he has been traveling and working as an editor for Pickup Music, while also contributing to Total Guitar, Killer Guitar Rigs, and Guitar Pro. After a decade of performing, he now enjoys creating songs, writing about guitar, and taking long walks on the beach.