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#118348 06/28/11 10:48 PM
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Progression helper
I would like to see BIAB add a function to be able to audition potential chord progressions and then pick and choose chords to taste. There are several tools that allow this but it would be great to see it built into BIAB.

Suggested capabilities:
1. Circle of 5th
2. Chords maps
3. Potential next chords for (intro ,verse, chorus, bridge etc)
4. Potential chords for a given melodic input (MIDI) by measure

I know that BIAB has a lot of similar things like the ability to figure out chords from audio files, and generating random chord progressions via melody maker, but I just am not aware of a tool that pulls songwriter chord /harmony options together in a pallet to pick and choose from of to suggest chords for a given melody.

Here are a few examples:


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jpettit #118349 06/30/11 07:02 PM
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jpettit Offline OP
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I would appreciate any feedback on this idea.

Would this be useful for Singer/Songwriters who are using BIAB to write music?


  • The chart on the left dynamically shows next chords by color schemes.
  • The table on the bottom show progressions (statistically gather form 1000 of songs) by song part.
  • The Chart on the right shows the flow of typical chords changes via arrows.
  • All three audition the chords when clicked.


They can be used to build better and more complex progression very quickly.
Thanks in advance


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Some form of chord sequence library could be vuseful - e.g. 2'5'1s 1'4'5' , cycles, with user definable key and lenght of sequence (ie. two to a bar one to bar).


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Yes the key must be defineable.

These tools are usually there to help in the full progression writing process.

So for example a typical 1, 4, 5 ( and then what for the pre chorus?) well let’s try a ii,V,iii,IV progression or perhaps to find a chord that goes well with the melody line. (There might be 6 alternative chords that contain the melody movement)

They are very helpful for guitar players or less formally trained musician that relay on their ears. (Like me)


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I see this kind of like asking BIAB to be a teacher of music theory. I mean, the 4th is the 4th note of a scale in every circumstance, so I never even refer to a chord wheel. It's just not that hard to count D-E-F#-G to get to the 4th in a song written in D.

Remember, when you are writing, it's your song and you can take your song anywhere you want to that sounds right to you. I mean, intro, verse, bridge, chorus, half verse, bridge, chorus, solo, break, chorus... why be boring and cliche if you don't have to? Start with a chorus if you want. One of my songs starts with a bridge in a minor key! Just because I can.

Sit at the keyboard and play every chord in every progression and see what sounds right to you.

#118353 07/01/11 08:11 PM
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HERE is a free program that will generate lot's of fun chord progressions.......


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It's an interesting suggestion and could probably be done. Perhaps I don't fully understand the OP's needs, but I am not sure what benefit would be received.

I would suggest taking a basic course in music theory at a local college or music institute. (I recommend this as opposed to buying a book. In a class you can ask questions and hear the teachings used by a skilled musician.) IMO this would give a better understanding of musical structure overall and let the student/user pick apart their own or others' compositions in order to better apply these principles to BIAB and to his or her instrument. Besides, it's fun, if you're kinda geeky about it, and you get to pick other people's brains.

HTH,

Richard


"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Richard gets a "bravo". Being an old school guy, I believe KNOWING music is the framework for PLAYING music. Learn how notes relate to each other. Learn that no matter what note you start on, a major scale is whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step. More important, learn what a STEP is. Once you know how to look at a keyboard or guitar neck and know how to form a scale, you will never need a chord wheel again. The "Circle of 5ths" and "Counter clockwise circle of 4ths" will be ingrained.

Chord relationships come from practice and experimentation. You can sit and crank out status quo songs or you can experiment and play with chord progressions that are not "standard". If you are in C, standard composing sends you next to Dm, Am, F, G.... why not take it to Ab? Or F#?

Remember, songs are nothing more than stories set to music. You are telling the story. You can tell your story any way you want to. It all starts with fundamentals. An 8 week music theory class will open doors for you that will remain locked if you try to figure it out yourself. You will eventually figure it our yourself, but having a teacher there to answer questions will help a lot. I don't know how old you are, where you are and what your life is like so finding classes at a time you can attend them may be an issue, but for 8-ish weeks or so of sacrifice, you will get a foundation of knowledge that has value you can not put a price on. I was fortunate to have done all of this at age 5. I sat for 6 weeks before I was allowed to touch an instrument and took music lessons on a blackboard. And years later, had the man who taught me not been long since dead, I would have liked to find him and thank him. Seriously consider this. It will help you more than you know.

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+1 Ryszard and Eddie. There seems to more and more users here on the forum who don't have even a basic knowledge of musical theory and they want BIAB to do everything for them. It shouldn't work that way. Later, Ray


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Ray, that exact concept gets me into ALL kind of trouble in our local music community. I express this theory that there is a difference between someone who can play an instrument and a musician. I believe if I sit a chimp down in a room with a piano eventually he will play a song. The chimp, however, doesn't KNOW he played a song. He just did the same motion over and over and over and over until it became routine for him. The "musician chimp" knows why he pressed the keys in that specific order.

And SO MANY PEOPLE go off about that. Interestingly, the ones who go off don't know chord structures.....

#118358 07/03/11 11:13 AM
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Thanks for the input.

Although I have been using BIAB for about 10 years, and have written many songs without such a tool, this is my first post of the forum. I have many feature request ideas and just thought I would test the water with this one.

It was by no means a suggestion for replacement of formal music theory training nor should it paint someone in a” same old same old” music box. (in my experience they help to paint outside the box)

I am sure no one needs to be reminded that BIAB already has a chord recognition tool to help people to find the name of a chord that is being played. It already has chord generation options in the Melodist tool; it already has Chord solo generator tools, chord builder tools, harmony generator tools and chord substitution tools.

My examples were from SongFrame, Harmony Navigator, ChordMaps.com so there is a real market for such tools. This just seemed like a feature that might be useful for certain types of customers.

Again thanks


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I learnt to improvise Jazz by playing exercises from pattern books - I suppose this would be an equivelent to this. I dont think many of us remember every chord sequence without reference to something, leadsheet or otherwise. I would use a BIAB chord sequence library for exploring and practice. Finding this a useful teeaching tool doesn't mean you have to ignore other learning roots, lets not be too hasty here


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Quote:

It was by no means a suggestion for replacement of formal music theory training nor should it paint someone in a” same old same old” music box. (in my experience they help to paint outside the box)




Agree....


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Have you checked out chord substitution feature in chord settings ? It looks at your choice and gives it's opinion . Right click any bar >chord setting >chord subs ,looks ahead a few bars too . Has anyone ever made a really awful progression and auto-generated a name and gotten a snide remark for a name ? Try it and see ! Might be a funny post !

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HERE is a book that has helped a lot of folks get a grip on the old "Circle of 5th's/4ths" in the Major Keys. There is a Minor one coming out soon according to the author.

Keep this beside ya & spin the dial to create a progression......I love being a chimp!


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