Song Surgeon
Song Surgeon is a state-of-the-art audio slowdowner that automatically detects the key, tempo and chords of a song as it is opened. Change key, tempo, EQ and export to makes changes permanent and portable. Song Surgeon is a division of Todd, Michael and James, Inc. 4620 Derby Lane, Doylestown, PA 18902 Tel: 866-423-0413, 215-371-3909 (F) Email: info(at)songsurgeon.com.
The newest version, 3.1, includes footpedal support for hands-free operation for basic playback functionalities. It also includes something called Music Pad, which enables users to create and store comments, music notation and tablature within Song Surgeon for later recall and reuse.
Whether used for performance or practice or both, Song Surgeon's new sound engine provides unparalleled sound quality at pitch or tempo setting. In addition its reduced pricing for the basic model and the addition of a PRO version with a host of new features not found in competitive products like true wave form editing, multiple loop point settings, audio and video file downloading and data export for making changes permanent and portability, easily make Song Surgeon the first choice amongst musicians whether beginners, hobbyists or professionals and whether students or a teachers. It's the best in class of any similar product on the market.
Song Surgeon 5 has recently voted best Music Learning Software for 2020 and the reason is obvious.
Last February,
I took a vacation to “The Big Easy.” I headed down to New Orleans to hang with my friend Dave. He is a Jazz guitarist, and when he doesn’t have a gig, he is teaching guitar out of his home studio. Dave has a good-sized studio of roughly about 50 students.
His students travel from over an hour away to get lessons, and man can they play. We caught some jazz shows, ate, drank some beer and, of course, talked about guitars the whole time.
Good Advice from an Old Friend
I asked him about some of his teaching methods and why his students were so good. He had several practice tips that described his daily routine, method books, YouTube channels, and technology.
He mentioned that he and his students used a software program called Song Surgeon 5. It helped his students learn the changes, solos and, builds aural skills.
I wasn’t familiar with this tool and asked him what it was all about. He explained that Song Surgeon 5 is a guitar learning software tool that allows you to upload an audio file from iTunes, slow down the music tempo, isolate parts of the song and transpose the key of the song and much more.
I told him that I had never tried Song Surgeon, but I had tried similar products. He replied, “Yeah, but this one doesn’t suck.”
He went on to explain that there are a couple different software programs out there that are capable of doing the same thing as Song Surgeon, but they are not as good.
Whenever the music tempo was slowed down, the audio track became distorted and changed pitch. Not with Song Surgeon 5. “The audio remains perfect,” Dave said.
When I got back to my studio in Austin, Texas, I thought I would check out Song Surgeon 5. I was looking at tools for my students to incorporate into practice sessions. Some of my beginners were had difficulty practicing outside of lessons. I wanted to make practicing and learning more enjoyable for students outside of lessons to accelerate the learning process.
Ideally, my students would use their Apple products to navigate the software program and slow down guitar riffs while practicing.
What Can Song Surgeon Do?
It allows you to upload songs from your iTunes playlist or other music library and automatically detect the chords and diagrams. Song Surgeon can slow down the music tempo by any percentage you need, and you can isolate parts of the song and create practice loops.
Also, this software can transpose the song to any key that matches your current guitar and/or vocal abilities. All with one click.
This amazing software allows you to reduce the vocals of the song so you can clearly hear the guitar parts. There are a ton of other features I haven’t even played with yet.
Song Surgeon 3
Pros
Affordable and User-Friendly.
Available for Mac or PC.
Effective. Promotes guitar learning for people of all ages and abilities. Great for expert guitarist or beginners that haven’t had formal music training.
Actually works. It doesn’t change pitch when adjusting the tempo. Sound quality is never diminished, like the competitor’s software.
Free Trial Version. You can get full access to the software for 4 hours to see if it right for you.
Install on 3 of Computers. So, if you wanted if at work, home, and in your studio, your license will allow for that.
Cons
I haven’t found any yet. Song Surgeon is top of the line best in class as far as guitar learning software goes.
Cost
Song Surgeon
Song Surgeon 5 has a couple of different prices for its software. The Standard version is $74.95 for Windows or Mac. The Pro version sells for $109.95. You can upgrade from the Standard version to Pro later for a reduced price of $35.00.
There are a couple of bonus options to choose from as well. Song Surgeon 5 is available for both Mac and PC for an additional $24.95 or get the software on CD for $5.95.
Read Other Articles About Song Surgeon 5
Read an Interview with Song Surgeon 5 Owner, James Todd
You can also purchase blocks of 20 minutes of custom training, but you likely won’t need it. The platform is, and everything is very intuitive. They also provide free video instruction on how to use the different features.
Song Surgeon 5 Training Videos
Song Surgeon 5 improved the life of my students by teaching them how to practice. Any professional musician or teacher will tell you that the key to learning music more effectively is to practice smaller parts more frequently.
That is what Song Surgeon does, it teaches people how to learn guitar by themselves.
Whether you’re a guitar teacher or a student, Song Surgeon 5 is right for you. It is one of the most essential and useful pieces of gear for musicians ever created. Song Surgeon works well with any instrument, but there is no doubt this software was built with a guitarist in mind.
In Closing…
Song Surgeon Software Download
I use this software in my studio every day and require my students to get it as well. It accelerates the learning process by engaging music learners and making practicing more enjoyable.