PG Music Home Forums PG Music Product Forums Band-in-a-Box for Windows Need Some guidance

I lead worship at a small/medium size church. I presently have a group of very dedicated but varying level of musicians. As a result I would like to simplify some of the song arrangements to more basic chords as we grow in skill level. Creating the charts and most of the time if their is a real chart printing out music is not a problem. What I have ran into is with most amateur musicians is that they rely heavily on the lyrics in the song to let them know where they are at. This is where I need some guidance. I have played around with the lyrics entry which I assume would need to be note based with varying success. Didn't find the manual real clear on this feature. It seems to be a painfully slow process. I normally do not have a melody line so that may be causing an issue as well. Maybe that is just the way it it is and I am going to have to live with it. So my question is:

- Should I continue to try and figure out lyrics in BIAB?
- Should I just export charts to Print Music and try to do the lyrics there?

I really think lyrics entry and importing them is something almost all music programs today do not handle wel, even some of the notation programs. My guess is someone coming up with a good way to enter lyrics would gain some interest in the performer side. Seems it ought to be possible with XML and other formats out there today. Anyway probably too much comment to go along with the question.

Will look forward to the responses. Happy New Year everyone!

Terry

Note based entry is very easy. You should be able to do a standard hymn in less than 10 mins. in my experience. It just takes a while to get the hang of it. To be honest if you were going to put in the notes and words for something like Amazing Grace 3 choruses, you will never find a piece of software that comes anywhere near Band in a Box. It may be the biggest thing that has ever been devised that seems to be overlooked.

Then again most standard hymns are kicking around in .kar type formats somewhere and you can import the whole she-bang into Band in a Box quite handily.

here's the 2012 help file toc, available from the help menu pick something that looks interesting and explore
additional tutorials & videos here

http://www.pgmusic.com/support.htm

Welcome to Band-in-a-Box Help

If you don’t find the information you are looking for in this help file, feel free to contact our Technical Support Department at 1-866-9TECHPG (toll free in USA and Canada), 1-250-475-2708, or live on the Internet at http://www.pgmusic.com.

Visit the FAQ pages at http://www.pgmusic.com for the latest tips on using Band-in-a-Box and other PG Music Inc. products.



Version 2012 New Features

If you are upgrading from Version 2011, please see the Version 2011.5 New Features topic. There are also new topics describing the Mixer Window and BB Remote.

Version 2011 New Features

Upgraders from previous versions should read the section on Version 2011 New Features and take the Version 2011 Tutorial.



Getting Started with Band-in-a-Box

Basics

Setting Up MIDI Or Sound Card

Automatic Patch/Drum Kit configuration

Matching Drums, Patches & MIDI Channels

ReadMe for Latest information not in Manual



Tutorials for Using the Band-in-a-Box Program

Tutorial #1: Interface/Driver Setup

Tutorial #2: Loading/Playing Songs

Tutorial #3: Inputting New Songs

Tutorial #4: Creating Custom Drum Kit/Patch Map

Tutorial #5: StyleMaker: Editing Existing Styles

Tutorial #6: Making a New Style

Tutorial #7: (Notation, Printing, Harmonies, Rests etc.)

Tutorial #8: Using the Soloist

Tutorial #9: Using the Melodist

Tutorial #10 Using the Audio Features and Guitar Chord Melodies

Tutorial #11 Using the Guitar Styles

Tutorial #12 Using the Chord Wizard and Embellisher

Tutorial #13: Using the Style Wizard & Leadsheet Harmony

Tutorial #14 Using the Audio Harmonies & Repeats/Endings

Tutorial #15 Using the Piano Roll

Tutorial #16 Using the Conductor & Sequencer

Tutorial #17 Using the RealDrums and Audio Chord Wizard

Tutorial #18 Using the RealTracks

Tutorial #19 Using the RealTracks, RealCharts and more

Version #20 Using the Drag n Drop DAW, Track Freeze and more

Version #20 Using the Soloist Medley and more

Version 2012 Tutorial



How to...



USING KEYSTROKES INSTEAD OF MOUSE

Conductor Functions with MIDI Keys and QWERTY Hot Keys

Keystroke List

Hot Keys

New Hot Keys

New 3D Dialogs and more Hot Keys

MAKING A SONG

Typing in chords

Enter/Recognize Chords Automatically

Get Chords from Audio Files: Audio Chord Wizard

List of Chords

Using Roman Numeral, Nashville , or Solfeggio Notation

Using Part Markers to change Substyles or insert drum fills

Copy/Paste sections of chords

Copy From ... to Bar ...

Intros/Endings/Begin/End/# of choruses

Repeats/Codas/1st-2nd Endings

Erasing Chords and Melodies

Song Embellishment

Vary Middle Style of Song

Tags

Rests, Shots and Held Chords

Copying Rests

Pushes

Entering Chord Options (Rests and Pushes ) with Mouse

Lyrics Entry

Selecting/Changing Styles

Recording Melodies

Additional Melody Track

Humanize Melody Track

Changing the Number of Choruses

One BIG Chorus

Saving Songs to Disk

Making MIDI files ( Clipboard or Disk)

Song Settings (title, key, etc.)

Volume, Panning, Reverb, Bank Settings

Instrument ON/OFF selection

Automatic Fill of instruments w/patches

EZ-Access to Patches

Play Intelligent Guitar Styles

RealDrums: Live Audio Drum Tracks



NOTATION AND PRINTOUT

Notation Window

Notation Enhancements

Lead Sheet Window

Printout of Chords, Melody, Solo and Lyrics

Looping Notation

Notation Scroll Ahead

Intelligent Accidentals

Automatic Tick Offset

Print Preview

Save as Graphics File

Multiple Tracks of Notation

Section Text for Notation

Scrub Mode for Notation



HARMONIES

Setting Up Harmony Channels

Selecting Melody or Thru

Harmony Maker- making new harmonies

Using the Harmonies

Using Live Harmonies when Band-in-a-Box is stopped

Audio Harmonies



SOLOIST

Using the Soloist

Selecting and Playing a Soloist

Soloist Maker

Editing a Soloist

Soloist Wizard Play along



MELODIST

Using the Melodist

Melodist Maker

Melodist Tutorial



GUITARIST

Generating Chord Solos

Playing Intelligent Guitar Styles

Making Intelligent Guitar Styles with the StyleMaker



AUDIO

Record Audio

Record Audio Finished

Audio Harmonies

Render Audio to Stereo WAV file

Burning an Audio CD

Direct to Disk Audio Rendering

Audio Batch Dialog



LOADING AND PLAYING SONGS

Opening Songs from disk

Loading Songs by Full Title

Quick Access to Songs

Loading Favorite Songs

Choosing a New Style

Using "Style Picker" Window

Loading Favorite Styles

Playing/Pausing/Stopping Songs

Muting Instruments

Changing Tempo

Tap-in Tempo Change

Changing Key ( Transpose)

Transposing PART of a Song

Watching Piano Keyboard Display

Jukebox Playback

Wizard Play along feature

Recording to External Hardware sequencers

Vocalist and Real Time Arranger support

TC Helicon Audio Harmonies



CHANGING SETTINGS

Changing Program Color Scheme

Changing Patches (instruments)

Changing Patches at any Bar

Harmony Change at any Bar

Style Change at any Bar

Style Aliases

Using Favorite Patches

Changing Volume

Changing Reverb/Bank

Changing Combos/Master Volume/Reverb/Tone

GS functions

XG functions

Preferences (for all songs)

Preferences (2)



FILES ASSOCIATED WITH BAND-IN-A-BOX

Transferring between IBM/Mac/Atari

Essential Program files (Bbw.EXE,*.DLL, ZZ*.STY, Bbw.TIP)

Config files (MYSETUP.DK, INTRFACE.BBW)

Song files (*.?G?)

Style files (*.STY)

SysEx files (*.SYX)

Melodist files (*.ST2,*.MEL,*.M1)

Soloist files (*.ST2,*.SOL,*.S1)

Style list text (BBW.LST)

Style Alias files (*.ALI)

Patch list text (*.PAT)

Color Scheme Files (*.BBC)

Harmony Files (*.HAR, *.H1)



Troubleshooting

PG Music Info: Tech Support/Upgrades

ReadMe for Latest information not in Manual



Functions On-Screen

Keyboard Area



Tool Bar Buttons

Title, Tempo Area



Chord Entry Area





Pull-down Menu Functions

File Menu

Edit Menu

Styles Menu

Opt(ions) Menu

Play Menu

Lyrics Menu

Melody Menu

Soloist Menu

Audio Menu

GM Menu

Harmony Menu

Notation Menu

Window Menu

Help Menu



Dialog Boxes

Save Patches With Songs Dialog Box

Edit Current Bar settings Dialog Box

MIDI Driver Setup Dialog Box

MIDI Settings Dialog Box

Drum Note Assignment Dialog Box

Favorite Patches Dialog Box

Favorite Combos Dialog Box

Patch Map Dialog Box

MIDI File Dialog Box

Step Edit Melody Dialog Box

Melody Quantize Dialog Box

GS Part Settings Dialog Box

GS Reverb Type Dialog Box

Record Melody Dialog Box

Record Melody Finished Dialog Box

Preferences

Chord Options

StyleMaker Miscellaneous Settings

Import MIDI File To Melody

Select Melody or Thru Harmony

Select Harmony Channels

Tip Of The Day Dialog Box

Select Song By Title

Select Style with Information

Copy From Bar .. to Bar ..

Erase From Bar ... to Bar ...

Copy Rests

Slide Tracks

Notation Window

Print Options

Song Settings Dialog

Set Time Signature

Favorite Songs/Styles

Transpose From...to...

Make a Patch Map Advanced

Humanize Melody/Soloist

Soloist Select

Soloist Edit

Choose Instrument for Soloist

Color Scheme Select

Print Multiple Songs

Favorite Harmonies

Patches on Higher Banks

Melodist Dialog

Melodist Maker Dialog

Lead Sheet Window Options

Guitar Window Options

Chord Substitutions Dialog_

Auto Chord Substitutions Dialog

Master Tuning Dialog

Chord Builder Dialog

Print Preview

Ear Training

Audio Edit Window

Live Harmony Dialog

Style Wizard

Loop Settings

Melody Embellisher

MIDI File Chord Interpretation Wizard

Display Options

Arrangement Options

Count-in and Metronome Options

MIDI file options

MIDI Options

Harmony Channels and Settings

More Soloist & Melodist Settings

General MIDI Patch Edit

Drum Kit

Favorite Instruments

Output Chords on Channel

Transpose THRU Part

Record Filter

Notation Window Options

Lead Sheet Options

Audio Settings

Guitar Settings

Big Piano Settings

Lyric Window Options

Print Options

Batch Create MIDI Files

Sequencer Window

Conductor Window

Global Overrides

ASIO Audio Drivers

SoundTrack Dialog

Bar Reharmonist Dialog

Select Reharmonist Dialog

Audio Batch Dialog

Nudge Chord

Search/Replace

RealDrums Settings

RealTracks Settings

TranzPort Settings

Lead Sheet Memo

Fold

Event List Filter

Audio Play Settings

Soft Synth Latency Adjust Dialog

Practice Window



StyleMaker: Making Or Editing Styles

StyleMaker Table of Contents

StyleMaker How To Section

StyleMaker Overview

Tutorial #5: Editing an Existing Style

Tutorial #6: Making a New Style

StyleMaker: Making Drum Patterns

StyleMaker: Making Bass Patterns

StyleMaker: Making Piano, Guitar, Strings Patterns

Making Waltzes

StyleMaker: Making in Step-time and Notation

Making a Hybrid Style

Making a Style with the Style Wizard



StyleMaker Dialog Boxes

Drum Pattern Options

Bass Pattern Options

Piano/Guitar/Strings Pattern Options

Chord Playback

Miscellaneous Settings

Assign Patches to Style

Import Instrument to Style

Drum Screen Alternate Notes

StyleMaker Pull-down Menu Functions

StyleMaker Buttons

Making Guitar Styles with the StyleMaker Buttons



For Help on Help, Press F1 on your computer keyboard.

I think your question is:

Is it easy to do chords and lyrics together in BIAB (and you need tight control over where the lyrics go), or should you do most of the notation in something like Finale's PrintMusic?

I haven't used BIAB lyrics feature, so I can't really help -- but I have heard others say that notation in not necessarily BIAB's strength. If you have a program that's purpose in life is to print out charts with lyrics, then I would go that route.

Maybe someone who has tried what you want will chime in.

Kevin

Yep Terry,
as an amateur musicians who as you sugest relys heavily on the lyrics in the song, I totaly understand.
Having just winged it for nigh on 30 years, you just carnt change the habits ( sins ) of a life time.
As for manual a lot of the modern, ( which i am guessing is what your into ) stuff is in PDF format supplied with or without the printed sheet.
I personaly am trying to scan this in via "Photoscore" lite which will import PDF's and output midi.
then try to get the melody only so that real band will produce a backing track for mre to play to.
I play at the "old peoples" early morning service buut I am looking to have some livley backing tracks for use away from church.
I may well be wrong but i can see it taking way more that 10 mins per song to manualy enter the notes.
If your not making backing tracks then the Photoscore lite may well do it for you.
Keep me posted as to how you get on.

I use the lrics notation all the time and when you get used to it, it's very easy. I've done over 300 songs using it. You add the syllable for each note (with a - for hyphenated words.) It's easy and accurate.

Hi TerryB,

I don't think you would have to deal with note-based lyrics just to get a chart with lyricas and the chords above them.

Check out the BIG LYRICS Window in BiaB. If the chords are entered into the BiaB grid, lyrics entered into the old non-note-based lyrics slot in Notation mode, in the right places, should match the chord changes.


--Mac