Hi friends, Very new to BIAB/RB. Trying to establish a sensible workflow for myself. A word about me:

1. A horn player, not a polyphonist
2. Better reader than a transcriber
3. Better melodist than chord-based composer
4. A limited theorist, though I understand jazz basics

I have melodic ideas that I'd like to build a tune around. I'll know appropriate chords when I hear them against the melody. I realize this is sort of bass-ackwards of the 'BIAB Way!'

I've read about the Melodist, Soloist, Reharmonist, and Chord Wizard and messed around with Notation and Big Piano but I've not yet been able to find my way yet.

As I said, I read better than I write, so it's difficult entering a melody with complex rhythm into Notation. There doesn't seem any way to enter that melody into notation w/ the Big Piano. Without clicking into the next note position in the staff, the piano just writes notes over notes without the appropriate rhythm. There is some outside software that can listen to a sung or played melody and transcribe it very well. I assume BIAB doesn't do that, but would transcribe well from a MIDI entry. I'd love not to have to work outside of BIAB/RealBand. I tried this today, and the outside app did a great job on transcription, but the rhythm of the MIDI file imported into BIAB from the outside was very off.

I'm thinking a MIDI keyboard is the way, hunt n' pecking a tune into BIAB, then quantizing and speeding it up as the melodic basis for the chord generation. Somewhere it's claimed that the computer keyboard can function as a note entry device?! I've also thought about laying down a scratch horn track of my own. Could someone walk me through generating a chord pattern in either of these ways, or suggest a better way? I hope I've provided enough info to get your wheels turning to help me out of my newbie rut! Thanks so very much!

Hi Warren and welcome to the forums.

I think you're on the right lines with a MIDI keyboard - it looks to me like the easiest way to get started. This is what I suggest, though others may have different ideas.

First of all, just play about with melody on the keyboard until you have something recognisable. Then in BiaB select a style and tempo which might best suit your melody. Open the mixer window and mute all the instruments except the drums and use this as a click track to keep you in time. Vary the tempo as required until you're happy with the result.

Record the melody and quantise if necessary. Now start to experiment by adding a chord sequence and un-mute one or more of the other instruments. You can easily experiment by changing the chords a bar at a time until you get something working.

If you want to add additional tracks, save the file and open it in Realband, where you can add as many tracks as you want.

Hope this helps in some small way.

Cheers, ROG.

Warren,

I would approach creating the song the way you think. First is to make a folder on your desktop to store all you song project files.

1. Record melody using the instrument you're most familiar with, your horn. What will you use to record your horn? I would use either RealBand (RB), the audio track in Band-in-a-Box (BiaB), +++ Audacity +++ or +++ Wavosaur +++.

2. (Optional) If using Audacity or Wavosaur, export to your song project folder the recorded melody to a wave file.

3. Use the Audio Chord Wizard in Band-in-a-Box or RealBand to set the melody time and key signatures and determine the melody tempo and chords. Import the wave form and ACW information into Band-in-a-Box or RealBand.

4. Select a style or group of styles that complement the melody.

5. In Band-in-a-Box, add four or eight bars to the beginning of your melody. Use the melody maker feature in BiaB to create a four or eight bar introduction that complements your melody.

6. Listen to individual instrument tracks until satisfied with the arrangement then freeze the track. Note: you may want to apply effects like reverb, delay, EQ,chorus and so on at this point. The idea is to make each track sound the way you want.

7. Once all tracks are frozen, either export the song project, individual tracks or both as wave files.

8. Star another song project.

.
Hi Warren!

There are a number of questions here, it seems. Here are a couple of ideas from an experienced user.

You can do everything you mention in BiaB. I strongly suggest you learn what BiaB and its sister program, Realband, can do before adding other programs to your workflow.

The notation input method that BiaB uses is quite different from how other programs work, but it is actually pretty brilliant. I beleive that if you take the time to figure it out, you will agree that it works intuitively.

This includes "Staff Roll Notation Mode." It takes a little getting used to, and its worth it.

Here is a pencil and paper exercise that all beginning compers are taught:

What chords contain this melody note? For instance in the key of C - "C (do)" is contained in: C major, A minor, F Major, D minor7
- "D (re)" is contained in: D minor, G7, Bdim, F6, Em7...

...and so on. Write this out for all the 7 notes in all 12 keys. You will get the hang of it pretty quickly. It will add a great deal to your sense of knowing what you are doing.


BiaB has a teaching tool called 'Chord Builder' which will take this process to the next level. (Window>Chord Builder>Chord Builder)

...hope this helps.

in addition to other suggestions offered; items from this post may be helpful
getting music ideas from your head to band in a box

Right click on the chordsheet, select Chord Builder Pressing the [Show More] button in the Chord Builder will opens the Chord Theory section, which displays and suggests chords that are most popular in the current key. [from the c:\bb\bbw.tip file]