How the backing tracks work

The Player reads the chords in a chart and generates a backing track with piano or guitar, bass, and drums for you to practice with. It foll...

Backing track styles

The style decides what the piano, bass and drums play behind your chords. Tap or click the style name in the player controls and choose from...

Backing track style vs. style indicator

Two things are called the style, and they do unrelated jobs. The backing track style decides what you hear. Choose it from the player c...

Mixer - change playback instrument

The Mixer reshapes iReal Pro's backing track. Open it from the Player controls: on iOS and Android tap the chart, then tap the Mixer button ...

Change instrument to guitar/piano

2026 updateiOS v2026.3.4 or higherAndroid v2026.3.1 or higherMac 2026.3.1 or higherWindows 2026.4 or higher All styles will now show al...

Two styles in one song

Four Jazz styles play two feels and switch by themselves. Latin/Swing, Bossa/Swing and Swing Two/Four switch between sections, as do the Blu...

Embellished chords

The Embellished Chords option in the Mixer controls how closely the voicings follow your chord symbols. With it off, you hear the symbol exa...

Chord on off-beat

The player places chords on the beat, so iReal Pro does not play a chord that falls on an off-beat eighth note. Some players have worke...

Waltz

Open the Editor and set the time signature to 3/4. There is generally no need to change the barlines, but a bar holding more than three chor...

Brushes (drums)

For the drums to play brushes rather than sticks, choose one of these Jazz styles: Ballad Even, Ballad Melodic, Ballad Swing, Ballad Double ...

Adjust tuning

The backing tracks are tuned to A4 = 440 Hz. You can set it anywhere between 415 and 466 Hz to match an instrument at a different pitch.&nbs...

Adjust tuning

The backing tracks are tuned to A4 = 440 Hz. You can set it anywhere between 415 and 466 Hz to match an instrument at a different pitch.&nbs...

Create your own backing track styles

There is currently no way to create your own style. The styles are recorded performances rather than patterns you can edit. What you ca...