I really wanted a program that I could play some of the songs I want to learn. (Folk, rock, and some country) I wanted to put them into the program and strum along. Is BIAB what I want? Can I choose the songs I want to play along with? (and if so how?) I am not good at setting the tempo (I have a metronome and cannot set it)so it is hard to keep up with any song. Sometimes I am way ahead (most of the time this happens) and sometimes I am way behind. I would like a band in the room that I can play with? To songs I like. Is this possible? and is it learn-able for someone who does not have a music background, at all. Thanks for any help.
Joanne
YES, YES, YES and YES!
--Mac
First of all there are 1,000+ country, folk and rock styles and most of them have demos that you can play along with. ... and you can slow down the tempo until you can play along easily (and then speed up the tempo as you get better).
You can also pick a style, enter the chord progression to your favorite songs and play along to those. How "close" they sound to those songs depends on which style you choose and how much work you want to do (ha, ha).
It seems to me that BIAB was invented for this exact purpose.
You have described one of the things at which BIAB excels. Imagine a backup group with infinite patience, the ability to play in any key at any tempo (or any style, for that matter), and that is available to you at any time. It will do all that you ask and more. If you only make one musical investment in, say, the next 10 years, this should be it.
Hoping to welcome you to the BIAB community soon!
Richard
one thing biab will not do is slow down or speedup to match your playing
this is a good thing you can slow the playing down so that you can practice playing until you can play in time at the slower tempo and then increase the tempo gradually towards the desired tempo
since we are expecting a new version in december i suggest you contact support@pgmusic.com or 1-866-983-2474 (USA/Canada) and ask when would be the best time to purchase to qualify for a free upgrade
video links to tutorials and features
http://www.pgmusic.com/videos.bbwin.htmhttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfpd1dp6SywiAJI88A5SXT-gEJAzLZk1gband in a box and realband (biab & rb) are great ways to learn and enjoy playing music
Thank you all very much. I think you have convinced me that BIAB is something I can work with and practice with; I guess I never thought of practicing with the tempo slower and then speeding it up. I always thought I had to have it right the very fist time. I like the idea of working my way up to 'right'.
Thanks again
Joanne
I'm a pro player and I don't remember the last time I played a challenging written part perfectly the first time. The way to work out a difficult passage is indeed to slow it down to a tempo where you can learn it precisely, then speed up as your ability allows. BIAB is an excellent tool to make this process fun.
Not only tempo, but changing keys is another great use of BIAB. When I compose a song, I will try it out in several keys until I find the one that is best for the sound, range, and fingering of different instruments.
In case you didn't understand Mac:
Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Its the best thing you can do for your playing
Another thing you can do Jo, to improve your sense of time, is count in your head. You dont need the guitar in your hand all the time to do this. Do it in the car, when listening to your favorite tracks, etc. Count like this, 1234,2234,3234, 4234,5234, that way you get to know where you are ni the song.
Do it until it becomes a gut instinct and available anytime in your mind. It takes a while to habitualise this.
I've never used it personally but I think BB also has a guitar teaching mode where it displays the fretboard and shows the notes it's playing as it plays a lick....
I know there are educational add ons too that will help you learn lots of new things.
One of the things you really get out of BIAB is the ability to play with a drummer and bass player. especially if your just learning (timing is everything). The other is the amount of different styles you can choose from which can be daunting at first but you wont get bored so practicing is no longer a chore but a pleasure. You will get much better at playing using BIAB as a tool. It is one of the greatest programs I have ever bought for that very purpose. The awsome thing about it as you grow with the program and advance as a musician, you start to pick up music theory, and other aspects of music like notation that can be difficult to master. This program makes it so when your a beginner you can type in a few chords and be off or when you get more advanced, you can tweak it to be much more than that. If you look at some of the videos running around out there you will find out just how advanced music production can be done using BIAB and Real Band as a tool.