Opinion: The pros and cons of backing tracks

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Imagine for a moment that you are on stage. On this occasion, however, it isn’t necessary to set the speed, or to lead in, or to make eye contact with anyone else. Instead, you have practised your piece a zillion times with exactly the same accompaniment, so you know precisely how it will sound. You are, of course, playing to a backing track, which these days is an invaluable skill for any musician; and with some of the fancy backing tracks available, they can be both fun and motivational in an educational setting…