David's Tip of the Day: I'm lost... what do I do now? Part 6 (Non-Original Jam Track)

The next step in your practice routine is to bullet-proof yourself for the bandstand. When you play your tune with a band, their backing will not sound the same as what you've been practicing to. To help prepare yourself for this, use a program like the Amazing Slow Downer and slow your song down 10% to get a feel for what would happen if you count your song in too slow. Inversely, set the tempo 10% too fast, which is a more likely error than counting to slowly... we all get excited and tend to count songs in too fast. Next, use jam tracks that have a slightly different feel than that of your original. All of this will go a long way in helping you become familiar with what will happen on the bandstand.