Apps for an Android tablet?

Hi there,

I've recently added a pickup to my baritone uke and am slowly worked up the courage to have a go at my local pub open mic.

I'm also about to buy my 1st tablet - to be used mainly for uke-related things. So, I'm looking for suggestions for a suite of Android apps that might come in handy for playing live (with the tablet on a stand) and also for recording and sequencing with an electric uke. Happy to pay for ones that are worth the money.

The sort of apps I'm thinking of, but not restrcted to, are:

1. Instead of juggling all those pages of songs, I'd like an app that has access to heaps of music as lyrics and chords and will automatically scroll through a song as I'm playing at a speed I choose. It'd be cool if I could add my own favourites to it as well.

2. A looping app. Hopefully I can plug my uke into the tablet and I can play a sequence and have the app continue to play it as I play something else. Would be great to have 5 or 6 layers and maybe the ability to add other instruments or a mic to the loops. And the audio output of the tablet plugged into an amp. (I don't even know if tablets have these inputs and outputs - have to look into this!)

3. Some way of adding a basic backing band to what I'm playing. (preferably without having to have too much knowledge of music theory)

4. The ability to create a much more complicated backing track. I'd like to be able to add unusual instruments and sound effects and samples and be able to add heaps of effects. I've already started looking at something called Caustic3. I think this is what I'm looking for here. And then be able to play it through an amp while I play live over the top.

5. I'd like to record what I'm playing as well. And later be able to edit and loop and sample etc etc.

6. Anything else that might come in handy for someone happy to experiment.

Maybe some of these would require a program on my PC for the more time-intensive editing processes, but I'd then like to export it to be able to played quickly and easily live.

Anyone who has done this sort of thing, I'd love to hear your recommendations and suggestions! (And if anyone can recommend a particulat tablet, that'd be handy, too! )

Not exactly what you are looking for but handy...
Ukulele Chord Cracker Pro. Try the free version. It will occasionly give you a full version demo.
PitchLab it is a very cool tuner. The pro version is not nessesary but nice.

Stagehand said:

Not exactly what you are looking for but handy...
Ukulele Chord Cracker Pro. Try the free version. It will occasionly give you a full version demo.
PitchLab it is a very cool tuner. The pro version is not nessesary but nice.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions, Stagehand. I've already got a good tuner and chord library app and was just looking for other apps that anyone can recommend that might be interesting to add to a live performance.. I'm now trawling the App Store to see what I can find - already stumbled upon a few drum loop apps.

Thanks for your suggestions, though.

Hi. If you go and have a look at my website you'll find Ukulele backing tracks. I write them and use them as backing tracks when I play live, they provide scrolling lyrics with chords. You will need a player for your tablet. There is a free player available for Windows, so you could try that first. There are also free Trial versions for tablets. I do a lot of the other things you want to do as well, but have a look at KaraUkey first. My tablet is a mini iPad.

I just noticed you're in Brisbane. I'm on the gold Coast. My next gig is at The Nerang All sports club on Wednesday night you can find the details on the meetup website. If you want to see how it all works.

Just to elaborate a little. The backing tracks are multi channel. So you can just turn all the tracks off and have just the scrolling lyrics and chords, or turn individual tracks on or off to add just bass and percussion, for example, or turn them all on to have the full backing track. You can also change the tempo to suit you. Once you have it the way you like it, you can save your changes to the playlist in order to retain your settings.

Thanks for the suggestion and links, KaraUkey!

You know what - I actually saw you at BUMS last Wednesday night. And you inspired me!

I've downloaded a Windows player and your demo song, and when I have more time I'll investigate fully. Although what I really had in mind was something I could load my own PDFs into and have scroll as I play. I have quite obscure taste in music and the songs people HAVE heard before, I like twisting them so they're very different to the original, so I'm thinking a karaoke -style player is not quite what I'm looking for. And the loops I've thinking of are likely to be hip-hop or death metal or pots and pans etc.

I will certainly have a close look at KaraUkey and your site. Thanks!

Hi, That's great I enjoyed the BUMS gig, lots of happy Ukers there. What you're planning sounds like a lot of fun. I'll have to come and have a listen sometime when you get to that open mike. Cheers.