Customizable backing tracks made from real instruments

Any song, any key, any speed.

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Get the inspiration, motivation, and fun of playing with others… anytime, anywhere.

In bluegrass, old-time, and other “communal” music styles, the magic happens when multiple instruments are playing together.

Most often you’ll find yourself practicing on your own, but with Strum Machine you can simulate playing with other instruments and:

  • Improve your rhythm, timing, and improv skills
  • Gain confidence at playing with others
  • Stay motivated and inspired to practice

No more hunting for backing tracks in the right key and tempo, or fighting with software that sounds cheesy and wasn’t built for bluegrass, old-time, and other acoustic players. Here’s how Strum Machine does it:

Real instrument sounds, mixed together in real time

Strum Machine generates backing tracks by stitching together individual notes, chords, and strums recorded on real instruments: guitar, standup bass, and mandolin.

It’s not just more fun to play with realistic backing tracks; it also better prepares you for real jamming situations.

No matter what the tune or chord changes, it sounds real and it sounds great. I quickly forget I’m not playing with a real band.

– Ben Smith, Oldtime Central

Interactive chord charts at your own speed

Follow along with an interactive chart customized for the way you practice:

  • Stay oriented as Strum Machine highlights the current beat.
  • Choose letters or Nashville Numbers for your chord charts.
  • Loop tricky sections and set the playback speed to your own BPM.

Add, edit, or pick from over 1,000 preloaded songs

Pick from a huge library focused on bluegrass, old-time, and other related genres.

Can’t find what you need? Add or edit songs with a simple editor that makes adding new songs as easy as typing in the chords.

View a list of preloaded songs.

The interface to add songs is amazingly intuitive. I added a song in probably 2 minutes. All apps try to be “easy to use and intuitive” while this one actually succeeds.

– Amy Walsh

Simple and easy to use on any of your devices

Strum Machine has a simple interface that works on any computer, smartphone, or tablet. Just go to StrumMachine.com and log in, or install the app on iOS and Android.

I’m not a tech-oriented person, so this is a great alternative to complex software like Band in a Box. Many thanks for creating this simple, uncomplicated, easy-to-use service.

– Mark Olson

Plus these helpful features and more

Auto-Speedup

Nudge the tempo up with each rep of a song or looped section.

Song Lists

Quickly jump into whatever you’ve been working on.

Works Offline

Practice without an internet connection.

Print-Friendly Charts

Want a hard copy of a song’s chords? No problem; just hit print.

Integrated Notepad

Jot down reminders, link to source recordings, paste in lyrics… whatever you like.

Song/List Sharing

Send a link to songs/lists you’ve created so your friends can access them.

No credit card required.

I’ve seen a huge improvement in my students’ overall timing on fiddle tunes as well as bluegrass breaks and solos after a few months of using Strum Machine, and it has boosted their confidence in playing with other people 100 fold. We love it!

– Megan Lynch Chowning

Strum Machine really has made me a better player and listener in a jam. I’m even getting better at counting into songs, something I’ve always struggled with. I practice/play my banjo along with it every day.

– Larry Benitez

I’ve found that Strum Machine makes me want to practice more, even though I’ve been playing for 30 years. It has rekindled that spark of inspiration in my desire to enjoy my guitar time.

– Rufus Thames

My guitar teacher and I really struggled to find something to help me become accustomed to playing along with others. Strum Machine has completely helped me in this regard. It’s a great tool and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to any player, from beginner to advanced.

– Belinda Patrick

I’d only been playing the banjo for 5 months, and I was getting very frustrated. Three days with Strum Machine has already made a big difference in my playing!

– Courtney Browning

My goal this summer was to work on improvisation – something I’ve always wanted to get better at, but never worked on consistently. Once I started using Strum Machine, I saw what an excellent tool it was for developing this aspect of my playing. The whole thing is easy to use, and the sound is fantastic.

– Jeff York

Pricing

(after your free trial)

usd $5
per month
or $49/year
  • Unlimited use on up to five devices
  • Support ongoing development and improvement of the app
  • Annual payment option with 18% discount
  • No hassles if you decide to cancel
  • Prorated refund offered upon cancellation, even if paying annually

No credit card required.

Questions & Answers

Do you store my credit card information?
No. Your credit card information is never stored on our servers. In fact, we never even see it! Payments are handled by Stripe, one of the most secure and reputable payment processors in the world. They handle payments for Kickstarter, Facebook, Unicef, and 100,000+ other businesses, so security is their #1 priority, and they are fully PCI DSS compliant, with military-grade encryption, isolated servers for decryption, regular security audits, and so on. Here are the juicy details from Stripe.
What if I decide to cancel after I subscribe?
No problem. There’s a link to cancel your subscription in your account settings. Or, just send us an email and we’ll cancel your account. And yes, you’ll receive a prorated refund for the unused remainder of your subscription. (Note: Refunds are not available when subscribing through the App Store, due to limitations with Apple’s payment system.)

Afterwards, if you ever want to come back, you can just resubscribe. All your custom songs, lists, and settings will be just as you left them.
Do you ever do sales or discounts?
Nope, never have, never will. That way you never have to worry about missing out on a deal.

How can Strum Machine improve your music practice?

Try out Strum Machine for two weeks, for free. We won’t ask for a credit card, so if you’re not happy with it, just let your trial expire and you’ll owe nothing.

Start for Free

No credit card required. 14 day free trial, then $5/mo.