Welcome to the Forum and Band in a Box! You are about to embark upon a very fun journey.
Remember, that learning is the fun part, so never get frustrated. You will learn something new every day and after a while you will discover new confidence in your problem solving skills and cleverness as you try and figure things out, trust me!
Here is a little lesson with a link to a BIAB folder I have in drop box to add user tracks and files and other stuff people might find useful.
In the dropbox you will connect to by the link there is a file with a style called a “multi-style”. Pop Multi-Style Plus. (You can find all multi-styles sorted in the style picker if you type in the + symbol) This style will remind you of "Hotel California" a bit.
Here are some thoughts and cool things to learn:
1. These + styles. These styles are “pre-arranged” if you will--so they are pretty cool.
2. Also notice (if you grab my drop box version) that I have chosen to show the chords in both the key “letter names” and also as roman numerals by toggling the chord display. (See screen shots.)
3. This is interesting because almost all Pop Songs are based on the use of I ii iii IV V vii and Dim7 chords in any key--but put in a different order. We will never run out of interesting combinations and new melodies over these combinations in this or any lifetime.
Fiddle and fool with these combinations and you will write 1000 songs easily by the end of next year.
4. This style shows some very cool chord progressions in the various parts. All of the bases are covered in terms of the numbers given above.
The numbers relate to the steps of the scale
C D E F G A B C C Dm Em F G Am Bdim7 I ii ii IV V vi VIIdim I 1 2m 3m 4 5 6m 7dim 1
(Nashville Notation)
In country or pop it is somewhat rare to play a true 2nd chord (or D in the C scale) so that is why the major and minor chords above are referred to most often. Classic exception. Rolling Stones, You Can’t Always Get What You Want. “If you try some time…” goes to the second.
Bb But if you….
C…Try some time…
Rules are made to be broken right??
AND, once you see what’s going on number-wise, and see that you are mixing it up, all you have to do is hit transpose to try this out in other keys.
Also, in drop box I put a pdf manual to the Band in a Box key chord entry short cuts in case you are interested.
Finally, for further arrangement fun, get very used to the dots. Look up shots and holds in the manual and you will have a blast.
Here’s the tip of the day: One dot (period) placed after the chords will solo the instruments.
The “slots” go in this order
1. Bass (b) (could be another instrument here but still “b”) 2. Piano (p) (could be another instrument here but still “p”) 3. Drums (d) 4. Guitar (g) 5. Strings (s) (Could be another guitar or another instrument but still “s”)
In the file I put in drop box, the piano is built into the substyle. (You can see what is in the substyle by hovering over the gold bar and right clicking)
Type E.p and it shows up in pink. Rinse and repeat for other intro chords and you get a piano intro.
Or you can type E.pg and use piano and guitar. A world of wonders.
(If you use the dots I spoke of, and then save and open the BIAB file in Real Band, your “arrangement” is preserved and ready for use or export. Wicked cool.)
Remember to save the Real band file as an .seq (sequence) file.
David, Thank you very much for this detailed and informative post. I will pick up your files from dropbox and give it a go. I will have to keep coming back to your post and reread or I will make a train wreck of the whole thing.I will experiment using the dot method for the solo portions. Honestly,I have not even opened Realband so this should be interesting. I am pretty well versed with scales and modes as the last 5 months before getting BIAB I work quite hard practicing and getting my head back into theory. I am sure I will be coming back with questions. Thank you again!
BIAB 2020 Ultrapak HP Elitebook 8770W Intel I7 2.3GHz 12GB Windows 10pro 64Bit
David, All went well. I really,really enjoyed your tune..great job!! Ha...I saved it, I will noodle on it later. It downloaded into BB and I played with the "dot" feature. I ah....took out your piano and dotted in the bass for the intro. Yeah...A little weird. I will change it back. The dot option is a cool shortcut. Thanks for sharing that.
I saved it and brought it into RB. I just gotta figure out what I am looking at or better yet what I should be looking at. Is there a reason your tracks start on channel 9? And not channel 1? Like I say, I will continue to read the manual and play around. Again, loved the song.
BIAB 2020 Ultrapak HP Elitebook 8770W Intel I7 2.3GHz 12GB Windows 10pro 64Bit
In Beal Band, the first 8 tracks dedicate themselves as BIAB tracks if you open a BIAB file. That is in case the style has any midi tracks in it. Those 8 correspond to the 8 channels in the BIAB layout plus audio.
The Real Tracks in the style go under that.
Comes in REAL Handy as you will learn later.
Anything else is up to you. Generate new tracks. Mix and match. Change styles and regenerate. Play and sing!
Have fun. Write with any questions. You'll get it.
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
In a song up just now 12/3, the duet "Win Your Heart" by Floyd Jane and Janice Merritt, in the chorus there is, I believe, the use of the dot at the end of the phrase "every single day..." is that right?
I also really like that the lyrics are posted on Soundcloud, so I don't have to go back and forth.
Thank you very much for the time you are spending on this.
Just to let you know, there are others - well me anyway, trying to follow this. Thanks
BIAB 2022 UltraPAK Xtra packs 1,2,3,4,5,6,13 2019 and 2018 49pak Asus Zen Book UX533F 1TB ssd Windows10 pro, 16g i7 64bit Allen and Heath Z10fx mixer Alesis V25 controller
We are doing our best to address individual questions and also be inclusive.
Also, we are just getting started so please bear with us as we work out the kinks. This is a volunteer effort and we are putting a lot of thought into the best way to do this to create a library of resources that will be easy to retrieve.
Again, we are glad you are here and feel free to offer suggestions and helpful feedback with specific questions as we are trying to get our sea legs.
Thanks.
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
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Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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