New SessionBand app sets the tone for chord based music making

By Kira Grunenberg

Composing takes practice and a gradually developed talent for finding and connecting aurally appealing patterns to make a piece. There are entire conservatories made for this endeavor and rigorous methods meant to hone a person’s songwriting ability. All the same, what does that mean for the individual that might just start humming a unique melody while walking down the street and wanting to do something with it? Are they not thinking of composing in some capacity, despite a lack of formal training?

SessionBand is one new app out of London’s UK Music Apps that is just the tool to embody this scenario and give anyone a place to put together their inspiration through a non-intimidating musical experience. Just released to the iTunes store on December 8, (for iPod Touch/Phone and iPad), this is being pushed as “the world’s only chord based audio loop app,” according to this morning’s press release. Right away, there is highly attractive potential for both the seasoned songwriter and the young experimenter to use SessionsBand to make an enjoyable track meant to be shared.

A few elements up front, that make nice differentiators:

Loops have been recorded by professional musicians and session players, so the chord “building blocks” one is tinkering with are of clean cut, high quality.

The interface crosses knowledge levels well: friendly enough for non-musicians to use (chords are displayed as labeled blocks, not in their traditional staff notation) but formally trained individuals won’t be completely compromising what they know because the labels given are still chord markings used in real lead sheets. (e.g. Dmaj, Asus, F7, etc.)

No internet connection is needed after the initial download to access and work with the app’s chord and style databases. Music can be created anywhere.

Styles offered for chord alteration span from 71 different general labels like Acoustic to more niche sub-genres like Deep House or Texas Blues. Initial purchase provides 16 for iPhone/iPod and 20 for iPad. Additional style packs can be purchased, and for the next three days, there is a 60% discount promo on the extra packs.

If anyone is wondering, none of the 80,000 loops in SessionBand are under copyright and are open to free, limitless use.

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In addition, if one has completely finished creating and has a complete track ready to share to their social media, before doing so, the whole track can instantaneously be “flipped” to a different musical style with the tap of one button. A single song could be heard, transformed and saved in every other style SessionBand has to offer.

SessionsBand hits upon a universal mentality that connects the most intense of aficionados with everyone else: if it sounds good, it’s good to someone. More advanced songwriters who work with added elements of lyrics and more complex orchestration can easily use this app to aid their composition time; bringing efficiency to the beginning parts of a work, which for some, is the chord foundation. At the park with no guitar or piano on hand, but a developing idea and a manuscript pad? This backing band in your pocket will help to keep that idea from getting away.

SessionBand is available for £1.99 ($0.99) for iPhone/iPod Touch and £4.99 ($2.99) for iPad here. More information can be found on their website.

Below is an introductory tutorial/demo video of SessionBand:

Kira is an old school music nerd with a love for all things creative; always searching for music’s common ground. She graduated with an M.A. in Performing Arts Administration from New York University. Drop her a tweet @shadowmelody1

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