|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 1,166
Expert
|
OP
Expert
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 1,166 |
Hi all!
This post is about the joy of making a ‘mistake’ while songwriting and finding you have stumbled onto a small miracle in the process. This doesn’t happen very often to me but when it does, it feels like rain after a drought or finding $50 in an old coat pocket. I wonder if this happens to most of us and if you’d be willing to share your gem?
A couple from me … I was recording a bass part and, to save time, recorded a verse phrase and copied and pasted to all other verses in my DAW, forgetting that verse 4 had a slightly varied chord progression to try and mix it up a bit. If I had been aware, I would have varied the bass part accordingly, but because I copied and pasted, I ended up with a really nice combination on verse 4 that added a touch of gold dust to that final verse. Unplanned.
Second … I was writing a melody over a chord progression using BIAB, and usually apply a bit of theory I.e. feature notes of the chord but with passing notes etc. When I went to sing it accompanied by guitar in order to ‘humanise’ what I had done in BIAB, I sang and held a second (interval) over the chord rather than a 3rd or root, thinking I was singing what I had written, only to find when singing against BIAB that I was ‘off’, but the 2nd was so compelling, I had to keep it and vary the song accordingly.
Andrew D
Last edited by Andrew Dee; 04/05/25 02:57 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,688
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,688 |
Cool topic, I could fill a page. My favorite is keeping a loud, emphatic, "hoo-AH!" throat clearing at the beginning of a vocal take. The song was more than a little bit off the rails as was the (properly) recorded vocal, so it fit right in. Magic indeed!
DC Ron
BiaB Audiophile
Presonus Studio One
ASUS I9-12900K DAW, 32 GB RAM
Presonus Faderport 16
Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 9
Newbie
|
|
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 9 |
Songwriting rule #47: mistakes are just “creative decisions” in disguise. Sounds like you nailed it twice!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,858
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,858 |
I can't think of anything specific right now but yes. I totally agree. Wrong notes, timing mistakes, can all be very interesting points that give a song that special juice.
I love it when that happens.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 101
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 101 |
Don't know if this counts as what you're lookin' for but . . .
I have been working on a song I thought could turn out pretty good but was struggling to find the hook / bridge / chorus to finish it off. Went to work on it a couple nights ago and accidentally opened up the document for another song I had started and abandoned a while back with a similar name. Seems I had a clever idea for a chorus but could never get a song out of it at that time. Long story short - put the two together and wound up with a fairly decent tune . . .
Don't ever try and be like anybody else and don't be afraid to take risks. -Waylon Jennings
PC-Win 10 Pro-Intel i9 9900 3.6 GHz-32 gig ram-SSD (X3)-AMD RX 550
AUDIO INTERFACE-Presonus FP10/Firepods
SOFTWARE-Sonar X3 / BiaB 2026 UltraPAK
~Russell~
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 1,166
Expert
|
|
OP
Expert
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 1,166 |
My favorite is keeping a loud, emphatic, "hoo-AH!" throat clearing at the beginning of a vocal take. The song was more than a little bit off the rails as was the (properly) recorded vocal, so it fit right in. Magic indeed! Thanks Ron - could you name the song and is it accessible? I'd like to listen. Andrew D
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 1,166
Expert
|
|
OP
Expert
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 1,166 |
Songwriting rule #47: mistakes are just “creative decisions” in disguise. Sounds like you nailed it twice! Hi Mike - yes I was chuffed by them. I sometimes wonder if it's my subconscious having its hand in the creative process. Andrew D
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 1,166
Expert
|
|
OP
Expert
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 1,166 |
I have been working on a song I thought could turn out pretty good but was struggling to find the hook / bridge / chorus to finish it off. Went to work on it a couple nights ago and accidentally opened up the document for another song I had started and abandoned a while back with a similar name. Seems I had a clever idea for a chorus but could never get a song out of it at that time. Long story short - put the two together and wound up with a fairly decent tune . . . Thanks Russell! Sounds like you reunited two long lost brothers! I haven't had such luck myself, but earlier this year I started a process of listing all my unfinished song parts (e.g. verse but no chorus, chorus but no verse, lyrics with no music and vice versa) to see if I could pair any to make a whole. I haven't gotten far yet, but hoping something pops out of this. Andrew D
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 1,166
Expert
|
|
OP
Expert
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 1,166 |
I can't think of anything specific right now but yes. I totally agree. Wrong notes, timing mistakes, can all be very interesting points that give a song that special juice. I love it when that happens. Thanks Herb! Yes, it can be a real dopamine release when it happens. Andrew D
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!
Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
Order now!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,184
Posts801,710
Members40,062
| |
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean