Can somebody please share how to do rests/holds/shots on secondary instruments?
Meaning if there are 2(two) pianos in the mixer tracks the hold for instruments except for first piano in mixer is: "C...p" How do I notate same thing for secondary piano?

Thank you,
Mike.

Mike,

Firstly, I'd turn off the dynamic naming feature where BIAB names the tracks after the instruments on them. BIAB will then revert to static names that are the legacy names that the program used for many years. From the top of the mixer to the bottom these names are...

Bass, Piano, Drums, Guitar, Strings, Melody, Soloist

These static names will then remain constant and independent of what instrument is assigned to them. This is how I run BIAB.

The image below shows how to disable dynamic track names.

Once that's done, the rest is easy.

Any instrument (track) that is to be excluded from a shot or hold or rest is then added as the first letter of the track's name to the chord.

Here are some examples.

If I want to have all instruments holding except the instrument on the Guitar track, then I'd type,

X...G (upper- or lowercase letter both work)

If I want to have the instruments on the String track and the Piano track excluded from a shot, I'd type,

X..SP

Hope this helps.

You can also access these settings by right-clicking on the chord sheet and choosing "Chord Settings".

Regards,
Noel

Noel, thank you for reply!
Ok so I will have these:
Bass, Piano, Drums, Guitar, Strings, Melody, Soloist as legacy names.

Letters for shots/holds etc: B,P,D,G,S,M what about Soloist? What letter would that be?

Thank you in advance.

The Soloist and Melody tracks do not support shots, holds and rests.

Noel,
So they do not support shots holds and rests in either scenarios or when "legacy" names are enabled?
Silly me.. I thought that if I put drums on Soloist or Melodist track I would be able to use them (holds, shots...)

Thank you for explaining legacy names, that would at least solve 2 similar instrument problem.

Mike.

Mike,

Changing the names doesn't change the tracks' behaviour regarding shots, etc. I just find it easier to run BIAB with the legacy names and then glance at the line-up when I want to add holds, etc. It makes it easier for me.

The Soloist and Melody tracks are the two tracks designed for users to create melody. As such, their function is different than the other five tracks which are designed for generation of a backing. This is still the system that's employed with MIDI tracks. Being able to add RTs and RDs to either these tracks has only become possible in the last two or three years.

Regards,
Noel

• a co-write with J&B: Deciduous Love (with a twist of Tin Pan Alley)

Noel, got it. Thank you!

Part of the reason the soloist doesn't support shots, holds, and rests is that often times the soloist keeps playing during those pauses. If you need the RT soloist to rest or shot or hold, the generate it on a different track and move it to the soloist track and freeze it. Change back the instrument on the regular track and you can then regenerate the rest of the accompaniment to get that original track back.

John, good thought! Thank you!

Another wishlist item for me..., to be able to use Soloist / Melodist as regular tracks. I will wait, not to pollute wishlist thread to see what Santa brings.
The ideal would be just add a couple mixer tracks that would respond to Shots/holds

Mike.

Hi,

RealTracks on the Melody and Soloist track do respond to shots and holds, they just can't be excluded from playing them like the other tracks can.

If you want a RealTrack on either of those tracks to not play a shot or hold, I'd generate the track without the shot or hold, then freeze it and put the shot or hold back in, or just generate that RealTrack on another track, then add whatever RealTrack was on that other track to Melody or Soloist.

Thanks
Kent
PG Music

My mistake. Seems originally soloist RTs didn't respond, must have missed that change.

That being said, at least it should be an option (band hits a shot or hold and the soloist, well, solos, just like in a live setting).

Kent, thank you for the post.

I hit a mind block, reading this:




The part: "they just can't be excluded from playing them like the other tracks can."

Do you mean that they (Soloist/Melody) tracks will follow the holds/rests together with the rest of the tracks that have them...but not as independent tracks?

and same I assume applies here:

Having a different (not soloist/melody) RT or MIDI on those two tracks will not allow standard holds, rests...

Please let me know.
Thank you.

Thanks for the update, Kent.

Like John and Noel, I missed it when that was changed. Thanks for this news.

Could this be a useful entry in Tips and Tricks?

This is a good thread - very useful info here to answer a good question.

Hi Rustyspoon,

Sorry, I didn't see this question until now. I meant that you can tell the Bass, Piano, Drums, Guitar, and Strings tracks to not play shots and holds, but the Melody and Soloist tracks will always play them. This applies to RealTracks on those tracks, any MIDI you write yourself will of course ignore anything entered on the chord sheet.

Thanks
Kent
PG Music