Play along with our recordings of viol consort music designed for you.

Every ELIZABETHAN PLAY ALONG allows a musically satisfying experience and is useful for players at all levels. They are designed to allow you to play along and blend into the consort in a very comfortable format. Chose from English viol music by Byrd, Gibbons, Lawes, Tomkins, and others, duos to sextets. With an ELIZABETHAN PLAY ALONG you can be part of a viol consort while playing by yourself at home. Prices are from $35 to $49.

Details

Recordings

Alexander Rakov designed the recording process, using the best resources available to us.  Each Elizabethan Play Along comes with a recording of the entire piece and with each piece mixed for playing along with two separate parts. We also include tuning notes and, for most, slower practice tempos.

The Stereo Play Along Mix

To hear the complete piece, set the speaker balance knob in the middle. By turning down the left speaker, you can hear the piece without one part; by turning down the right speaker, you can hear the same piece minus a different part. By adjusting the volume, you can blend in with the consort. If you are playing the CD on your computer you can control the speaker balance by clicking on Volume Control or Audio Properties.

With this stereo mix you can “ghost in” your part, have it play very softly.  This is useful if you ever get lost, as you can listen to your part at this lower volume to allow you to find  your place. To do this, set the balance knob so your part plays very softly, loud enough to hear when you are not playing, but easy to cover up when you are playing along.

The Mono Play Along Mix

For systems without a speaker channel balance knob,  we include the complete piece and a mix without your part so you can play along. This is a custom mix.

Tempos

Along with our performance tempo, we provide the piece in a slower, practice tempo. We can also provide a tempo you choose.

Formats

Available via mail on CD or for online download as MP3 files. Click here to see a list of our play along CDs and sheet music sets. Click here to see a list of our play along audio downloads. There are no shipping  and handling charges for audio downloads.

Pitches

We customize each Elizabethan Play Along to the pitch you choose, A=415 or 440.

Temperament

Slightly wide 4ths and 5ths close to perfect. The Elizabethan Play Along includes pitches to match to set this temperament.

Sheet Music

Use your own parts or request ours, created on free open-source software.  Click here Ortiz Recercada Segunda sheet music. Click here for Gibbons Fantasia No. 3. Click here for Tomkins UtReMi.
Click here to see a list of our play along CDs and sheet music sets.

Samples (with all parts)

Listen to Fantasia No. 1(quartet) by Orlando Gibbons from Elizabethan Play Along Gibbons, Tomkins, Byrd (for viol consort).

Listen to Fors seulement by Josquin from Elizabethan Play Along of the Fridolini Ms. (Renaissance) on Crocker viols of early design.

Click here to listen to Thomas Weelkes, Make Haste Ye Lovers from Elizabethan Play Along Brade, Weelkes, Anon.(for viol consort)

Try a Play Along (minus your part)

[Scroll up to find the sheet music for these play alongs.]

Click here to try Diego Ortiz, Recercada Segunda from Elizabethan Play Along Ortiz Set 1. To play along, set the speaker volume control to the left and you will hear just the lute ostinato.
Click here to try Orlando Gibbons, Fantasia No. 3 from Elizabethan Play Along Gibbons Trios nos. 1-4. To play the treble viol part, set the speaker volume control to the left; to play the bass viol, set it to the right.
Click here to try Thomas Tomkins UtReMi from Elizabethan Play Along Simpson, Locke, Tomkins, To play Bass 2, set the speaker volume to the left; to play Bass 1, set it to the right.
Click here to see a list of our play along CDs and sheet music sets.
For questions about which to chose or for help please contact us.