Keyboard players and pianists now need only an iPad to play their favorite songs along to real band accompaniments.
As usual, technology is leading the way for hobby musicians who want to expand their playing experience with NoteStar: a brand new and free app that gives keyboardists the power to summon their own backing band at will.
Whilst the hobby guitarist can head off at will with their six-string in hand, the keyboard player is often more limited in their mobility, making casual jamming and band practice with others a chore. Now, with professionally recorded backing tracks and vocals synchronized to the hands-free sheet music on-screen, the band experience can instead be brought to the keyboards.
Another problem often faced by players who do manage to find transport over to practice, is the band politics and power dynamics of the jam room. From the struggle for supremacy between lead guitarists and singers, to unstoppable sax soloists and the bassist intent on pushing their own arrangement upon the ensemble, keyboardists either find themselves shunted to the margins looking for the quiet life or drafted into the role of group diplomat. Of course, if you take away the musicians, you take away the arguments, giving full control to the musician behind the keys, distraction free.
With playback options that include A-B looping, track muting, metronome toggle, adjustable tempo, and managable individual track levels and transposition control, the keyboard player can tailor the accompaniment to their needs and preferences. The app, as you’d expect, displays in both portrait and landscape orientations, and features resizable and scalable text and sheet music size for easy reading.
There are already 200 songs available to purchase through the app at £2.49 each. The catalogue features chart-topping hits and classic favorites, specially selected for keyboard players with 20 new tracks added each month.
NoteStar is available now for free on the Apple app store for all iPad owning keyboard players. Check out the demonstration video below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiwM9Hh89ZE