It was requested that I post this, so here goes.

A user wanted to be able to set BIAB to default to different start values for a new song. For example, set the first chorus to start at bar 5 (to allow for an intro), set the song length to 96 bars with only one chorus, maybe alternate blue and green part markers ever four bars. But Band-in-a-Box does not support this. Every new song will start at bar 1, go for 32 bars, and repeat 3 times, all in the key of C.

Here's what I do.

Open Band-in-a-Box and make all the settings you wish (tempo, verses, # bars, favorite key, default style, part markers, 2-bar endings, etc).

Then just save that file somewhere easily accessible (your desktop or the folder where you save your song files); call it something like Template.sgu. I would then go to Windows Explorer and make it Read-Only. You could even make multiple templates, if you have a handful of settings you like to use. Just name each file appropriately.

Make sure you have set Band-in-a-Box to associate files in Windows Explorer. Now, when you want to start a new song with those settings, just double click on that template file. It will load into BIAB with your preferred settings in place. When you do this, the song will start playing upon loading it, but just hit the space bar to stop the playback.

Now add your chords and any other changes. If you try to just "save", it will tell you the file is read-only (so you won't overwrite it), and you'll have to do a "save-as".

Great technique. Thanks for sharing.

Maybe one day we can come up with a "hit song" template. Open the template and voila (or viola, as some people like to say).

Or its other form, 'Walla' (pardon my Freedom).

Of course, if you have correctly made your case, I think you will get every bit as much attention exclaiming 'Viola' as if you had said, 'Voila'. The added benefit on the PG Music form is that ''Viola' automatically makes your post "music-related".

Now, viola is nice, but I prefer cello. There's always room for cello.

But if you yell Viola I think of my mother as that was her first name!

Hey for what its worth I'd say "Minga Muerta" (the holy cow version of the word). If you don't like that then "fuggedaboudit"!

Just be careful having too many cello shooters.

(ducking and running...)

Nice John! lol

Nice tip and trick ! Thank's for sharing....

Now THAT's handy! Thanks for the tip!