Hi everyone,

Whilst searching on the net I found software to slow down songs. I have found it a bit boring not being able to practise to faster songs and was looking for slower songs and found this. You can also set up loops for practising. Only trouble is you can’t actually save the song slowed down.

SPT-667 Phrase Trainer from http://www.softforall.com/HomeEducation/Music/Phrase_Trainer05120096.htm. And it was freeware.

Happy Drumming

from Kate Oz

Sure ya can! There is an "export" button about halfway down on the right....click it and export the slowed down file!!!.........It sounds kinda choppy (on my system anyway) but I think it will turn out to be an awesome learning tool!! Thanks for the post!!

Hi PeartWannabe

Great, thanks for that. It means I don't have to rush out and buy a second hand laptop to have in the drum room although it probably would be good as I have some DVD tutorials that I could use.

Just hope it sounds okay enough for me to practise to.

I have had a bit of a play around with it and found that some songs have a minimum slow down limit. IE it can be slowed to -25% but not -30%.

Now I can't wait to get home and try it out. It might just be the thing I need to get my enthusiasm for practising back.

Cheers - Kate Oz

Well, I have now tried out this software and have found it great. My latest song for lessons is Come As You Are (Nirvana) @ 120bpm. To play along to this song at this tempo is a bit too fast but by slowing it down I am able to play it. I think this is going to make all the difference to me keeping on learning drums, which I am doing just for fun.

from Kate Oz

Well after my excitement with finding this software I am now really disappointed. I went to use it last night and my trial period has finished. I thought it was free software and no mention was made that it was trial

Fortunately last week I got my act together and saved all of my drum lesson songs at various speeds and saved them to CD - really thankful about that

Now I need to find out how I can purchase this software as I am in Australia and will not use credit card on the internet. I will need to ask around to see if someone who buys on the internet will get it for me.

from Kate Oz

Hi kate, just been messing around with Audacity.
Seems this software can slow songs down so you can play along at slower tempo. Audacity is free so no worries there.
Just import song, go to effects and change tempo.

Regards

jim

Hi Jim

Thanks for that. I have downloaded it and will give it a go.

Will let you know what I think.

Cheers Kate Oz

Yes, I was going to suggest using Audacity for that - it's pretty much the best free audio editor out there, and there are plenty of free plug-ins available, too.

Let us know how it's working out!

cheers

Hi Guys (& gals)

Thanks for the help with this.

I managed to get LAME loaded with Audacity after a couple of goes and have had a go at slowing a song down but not exporting. The computer may not be too happy about it though - Pentium 2. Hopefully will have a new laptop with broadband soon so I can practise with online stuff.

Only trouble is I have discovered that the MP3 slowed down songs saved to CD which I did from Phrase Trainer can't be ffwded or rewound within the song. It's a case of let's start all over again, and again and again - get's boring pretty quickly.

Any idea what format I should use to export so I can save them to CD and play on a CD player? Your help with this will (hopefully) save me a lot of messing around.

I have started seriously practising rudiments and dynamics (on my own) as well as ostinatos and permutations with my teacher. I know that if I don't start doing some serious and disciplined practice that I am not going to get much enjoyment out of playing and will probably give up. After 2 years of lessons and a lifetime of trying to find an instrument I can play (started with recorder, then flute - not strong enough lungs then guitar and keyboard - short fat fingers) I don't want to give up that easily.

Anyway, it's great to be able to get on here and discuss things and get other people's ideas and help.

Catch you soon - Kate Oz

If you are talking about burning the songs to an audio cd, then depending on what burning software you have (Sonic, Creative, Windows Media, Nero, etc) almost any format will work i.e. .wav, .mp3, .wma etc.

I believe that on older versions of Windows Media Player, when playing an audio cd, the player will not allow you to fast forward, rewind, or start in the middle of a song, but once you have ripped the cd tracks to your library, it will.

If you're just going to be using a conventional cd player (not a computer), then you should have no trouble starting wherever you want.

Cheers