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...

Please help.

How can one use Biab 2024 to display multiple verses of lyrics over chords and change the key?

I want to have all my songs for my live performance set in Biab, chords and lyrics.

I want to be able to change the key quickly and at will (because my band loves to do that for some unknown reason).

I need to be able to see all the lyrics and the basic chord sheet, with 2 or 3 or 4 sets of lyrics.

I am close to achieving that, BUT I cannot add the 2nd verse of the lyrics, which is all I need (I think) now.

BTW, I think I could achieve this 2nd verse simply if there were a way to enter a line return (AKA new line) in the lyrics entry box over each bar, but I cannot do that with \n (backslash-n) or such so far.

I will attach a screenshot of what I have so far, and I am just a novice at this.

If I can help it, I would like to avoid having to output a PDF lead sheet with lyrics-- rather I would like to stay in the main Biab song window.

Note, I will NOT be playing the Biab song in real-time (live), but just using it as a "quick way to transpose the chords" and a way to read the lyrics for singing.

Note, I will be playing the song with Biab during my private practice sessions, so I need that functionality for sure.

What do you think, recommend, suggest, etc?

(I would be especially grateful for an SGU example with 2 verses of lyrics.)

Thank you.

-- Mark

...

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Last edited by mkamoski; 11/27/24 02:03 PM. Reason: fixed typos and added clarity
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Hi.

I don't know of a way to get two lines of lyrics into Bar Lyrics. What I would do is to also activate "Section Text". That will give you are second line above "Bar Lyrics". The Section Text row could be used for verse 1 and the Bar Lyrics row could be used for verse 2.

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Also... just in case you are not sure how I changed the font size, I did the following:-

1) Open Preferences and select Display Options (#2 on the image below).

2) Click on the dropdown menu (#3) and select either Section Text Layer or Bar Lyrics Layer (#4).

3) Select the Choose Font button (#5) and then adjust font-type and font-size to suit.

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Wouldn't 'Unfolding' the song make it linear and thus solve the problem?
Honestly asking as I am NOT a BiaB pro ..


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Quote
...I want to have all my songs for my live performance set in Biab, chords and lyrics.

I want to be able to change the key quickly and at will (because my band loves to do that for some unknown reason)...
If you are using RealTracks then this might be challenging to do 'on the fly'. I don't think that there is an 'instant' way to achieve this.


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Originally Posted by AudioTrack
Quote
...I want to have all my songs for my live performance set in Biab, chords and lyrics.

I want to be able to change the key quickly and at will (because my band loves to do that for some unknown reason)...
If you are using RealTracks then this might be challenging to do 'on the fly'. I don't think that there is an 'instant' way to achieve this.
Making that change during the song is probably largely infeasible, but setting up a key a few seconds before playing should work OK.

One possible nuisance is that BiaB's normal behaviour is "generate and play", which means it'll start whether or not you're ready. I'm not sure if there's an easy way around that.


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<< Wouldn't 'Unfolding' the song make it linear and thus solve the problem? >>

His screen shot shows the song file unfolded.

<< I need to be able to see all the lyrics and the basic chord sheet, with 2 or 3 or 4 sets of lyrics. >>

Like this Screen Shot?

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Lyrics on the Section and Bar Layer.jpg (202.41 KB, 130 downloads)

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If you use the Big Lyrics window it will scroll the lyrics and chords in a simple fashion. This will eliminate the need to double them up. Works great! The Key change i am not sure of. I have never changed keys during a performance before. If i am playing with different people i request a lead sheet from them with chords and the Key info upfront not after i am in front of an audience. I practice in advance and do not want to change chords on the fly just seems to muddle stuff up.


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I am sorry, I did not make that clear.
My use cases are as follows.
(1) For performance, I use the song in Biab display mode (not playing Biab in playback mode), as just a lead sheet with just chords and lyrics, and I already know that I can change the key at-will easily so when the singer says "hey let's try this in the key of C major so everybody transpose now" I can just click and transpose then and there.
(2) For practice, I will set the key and then playback in Biab (with Biab accompaniment) as usual.

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thanks... the big lyrics is not really what I am looking for... I really want just a lead sheet view (not playback) with chords and all lyrics (lyrics above the bar)... and for the key change I was not clear because I just need to change the key 1x before playing not during a song... thanks.

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Hi Charlie.

Yes, exactly how you have those lyrics setup in your screen shot, that's what I seek.

How did you do that?

Please advise.

Thank you.

-- Mark

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Hi Gordon.
I am sorry, but I was not clear.
My key change needs are already met, as I know how to change the key-- and I do not need to do it on the fly.
Really, I am just trying to get all the lyrics on the page, kind of like what Charile showed in his post here.
Thanks.
-- Mark

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Hi Noel.
Yes, that is very helpful.
However, I would need to accommodate >2 verses of lyrics-- sometimes up to 4 to 6 verses of lyrics.
Do you know a way to do that in the same manner you show 2 verses of lyrics.
Thank you.
-- Mark

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Originally Posted by mkamoski
Hi Charlie.

Yes, exactly how you have those lyrics setup in your screen shot, that's what I seek.

How did you do that?

Please advise.

Thank you.

-- Mark
Each measure/bar of the Chord Sheet Section and Lyrics layers can contain a fixed amount of characters. Spaces made with the space bar on the PC keyboard count as a character. Use the pc keyboard space bar to fill spaces to the end of the layer block and the next character past the end of the layer block expands the Section or Lyric layer block to a new line. In a document editor, that's called word wrap. In simple terms, word wrap works in those individual Section or Lyric Layers.

The process is to input the lyrics that you desire for that measure's Section or Lyric Layer first verse and use PC keyboard spaces to advance the curser past the end of the block and expand the block and create a new line beneath the first line and input the lyrics for the second verse.

Hope that's clear.


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Unfortunately that doesn't work for me. Using the method will make multiple lines of lyrics show up on the PCs Chord Sheet, but they don't show up either by direct printing to printer or pdf.
Unfortunate as I normally transfer song .pdf files to a tablet to use for performances.
Probably a printer setting?
Cheers and thanks for any suggestions.

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What kind of lyrics do you? Are they note-based or bar-based lyrics?


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Hi Noel96.

The music I am studying has bar-based lyrics, which is the context here.

If you have any suggestions to get multi-line lyrics showing in Biab, like a typical Real Book lead sheet, then please let me know.

Thank you.

-- Mark Kamoski

...

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G'day Noel, Thank you for taking the time to ask. I'm using bar-based lyrics.

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I assulme you are looking for something like this... I have never seen BIAB do anything even close.

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Here is how Muscore can do it...

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