Slow down a song and loop the hard part
Guitaroke can slow a song down to half speed without changing its pitch, and repeat any section between two markers. It is the oldest trick for learning a part by ear, with the guitar already taken out of the way.
How do you slow a song down without changing the pitch?
Slowing a recording the simple way, like a tape running slow, drops the pitch along with the speed. Half speed sounds an octave lower, which is no use when you are trying to play along in tune.
Guitaroke stretches the time and leaves the pitch alone. The tempo control goes from 50% to 125% of the original speed, and the song stays in its key the whole way.
How does the loop work?
You mark the start and the end of a section while the song plays, switch the loop on, and that section repeats until you stop it. Typical use: loop the four bars you cannot play, drop the tempo to 70%, and bring it back up a little at a time.
Why do it here and not in a separate app?
Because here the slowed-down loop is also your backing track. The guitar can be removed from the recording, so what loops is the band without the part you are learning, and your own guitar comes through the amp in the same page. You can also keep the original guitar in quietly as a guide until you have the notes.
Questions
- How slow can it go?
- Half speed. It can also go up to 125% if you want to push yourself past the record.
- Does slowing down hurt the sound?
- A little. At the slowest settings drums lose some of their snap, as with any time stretching. Notes and timing stay clear, which is what you need for learning.
- Can I loop a section and slow it down at the same time?
- Yes. Loop and tempo are independent.
- Which files can I load?
- mp3, wav, m4a and flac from your computer.