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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I am trying to enter a track into BiAB (2012) - the chords load with no problem. This is an arrangement of 'At Last' - so it should sound melodic...
The arrangement that I am entering has 3 key changes throughout the number - and just to make things interesting, I play Tenor Sax - so set the transposition to '2' (or Tenor') to transpose everything to Bb from concert.
I eventually found the mechanism to change the key of the piece (Edit > Settings for current bar)- which was difficulat to find in the help - and made key changes are the bars that I wanted.
When I play back the piece - it sounds wrong - mostly very flat after the key change. When I look at the notation window, I found that the notation display changes to the third key change on the second key change.
I have replicated this with 4 bars each of CMaj chord, then a key change to D Maj for 4 bars, then a key change to E Maj. Entering the notes for each chord like a walking bass line in each bar. After transposing (to Bb) - the display shows 2 sharps for the 4 bars (correctly), 2 sharps for the second 4 bars (incorrectly), 4 sharps for the last 4 bars (incorrectly).
I am fairly new to this - so what did I do wrong???
Chris
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hi Chris,
Hard to figure out what you might have done wrong - or if indeed it is because of something you did, or?
It might be of help if you were to finde a webhost somehwere that would let you upload the songfile to it and then you put the URL to that place here, so others can examine your actual songfile at their end and see what may be happening.
The only other thing I could suggest is that you "bite the bullet" and hit "New" - starting over entering the entire song from scratch and see if it doesn't work out the second try.
HINT: I would first tr to get the song modulations happening right, before trying to invoke the Sax transposition overtop.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hi Mac, Thanks for the response, simple example uploaded to here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9582145/3%20chord%20change.MGUThis is 4 bars in C, change key to D for 4 bars, change key to E for 2 bars This is saved with '0' transposition (concert) - and it plays correctly - with the right key signatures showing as you step through the piece However, after closing biab & opening it again - I now see that the key change is happening 2 bars earlier that it was when I saved 2 bars of C, 4 of D, 4 of E(odd enough). If I now select the 'opt' button and set the transposition to '2' and look again at the notation - I see that I get something different again 2 bars of D, 4 bars of D & 4 bars of E. ... I thought that this would be quicker & simpler than throwing out the more complicated offerings of the late Mr Harry Warren. The reason that I need to do this is to try to provide a backing track (using the bass / keys or guitar chords) and then to overlay the Tenor part for this big band arrangement - but the tenor part is in Bb. So, what I have been doing is to set transposition to '0', select the correct key & enter the chords. Then set transposition to Bb & enter the tenor part as a melody. This has worked well - except for the key changes in this piece.....
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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How about : "edit"> unfold to one chorus and just enter what chords and where you want them.
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Quote:
How about : "edit"> unfold to one chorus and just enter what chords and where you want them.
That's my preferred workflow.
Cheers, Mike My Music * Asus ROG Strix G15CF 32 GB DDR4 4TB HDD + 1 TB SSD NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 8GB Win 11 AKAI EIE PRO Sound Interface. BIAB/RB 2024 UltraPak Build - Latest
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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TommyC & MikeK,
Thanks for response - not sure that I understand. The chords are all fine - the problem that I am getting is with the notation (the notes being added (and therefore played) as the melody line).
The uploaded sample is just an example for simplicity - the real piece is much more complex (but shows the same symptoms).
The only work around that I can currently see is to enter the whole piece in one key signature and manually enter all the accidentals as I need to.... I had just hoped I could avoid that.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Chris, what they mean is to try converting the song from one with repeated choruses to the "one long song" layout and then invoke the keychanges and see if that doesn't work that way for you.
It is a good idea.
--Mac
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Ah - ok - yes, I understand that - worth trying
It is a single chorus song - (actually, I cant remember about that example I posted - but the actual one that I was having the problem is is just one long arrangement - no repeat chorus)
So, I just repeated the simple exercise to be sure
1) New track Key of C - no transposition
2) Set 1 chorus 12 bars
3) first 4 bars C, with 'walking chord progression in melody line C E G C
4) Bar 5 - Edit> Settings for bar to D - enter Chord of D, enter walking chord progression in melody line for bar 5 as D F# A, D
5) Bar 9 - Edit > Settings for bar to E - enter chord of E, enter walking chord progression in melody line for bar 9 as E, G#, B, E
This plays OK & looks ok in both notation & full page view - the key signatures all show at the correct bar positions, etc
6) set 'opt' dialog and set transposition to '2' (Tenor Sax Bb)
Bars 1 - 4 show 2 sharps (D) - Chord & melody line has transposed to DMaj (D F# A D)
Bars 5 - 8 show 2 sharps (D) - Chord has transposed to E - melody line transposes to use EMaj but are shown with the G# as an accidental
Bars 9 to 12 - show 4 sharps (E) - chord has transposed to F# - melody line transposes to F#Maj but shows A# as an accidental
If I now attempt to enter new notes - I have to remember to add accidentals to fit - this explains my original problem - I had assumed that key signatures would work this all out.
So - this still has the same problem - I think there is a bug when applying transpositions and key signature changes ... Pity that my melody line is transposed....
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A single chorus in a "folded" condition is not the same as a single chorus "unfolded". I'd "unfold" the arrangement anyhow, save it with a different name and try again... Might be futile, but still worth the extra 60 seconds. 
Cheers, Mike My Music * Asus ROG Strix G15CF 32 GB DDR4 4TB HDD + 1 TB SSD NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 8GB Win 11 AKAI EIE PRO Sound Interface. BIAB/RB 2024 UltraPak Build - Latest
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Thanks Mike,
I have used biab for some times - but since I play a monophonic instrument have not got around to learning all the functions of this yet...
I found the 'Edit > Unfold' function and ran it. The dialog said that 'this song already has 1 chorus' - so didnt change anything.
Still worth the try.
I just reported this to the technical team
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Did you try not transposing just enter chords where you want them? Hope that will help you!
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Thanks everyone
Thats exactly what I did - switched off 'Transposing' and transposed manually from my chart.
The problem is definitely there - but only applies in the notation window - the Chords always entered OK & I guess if you enter the music via a midi controller - that will be ok too (just dont try printing it).
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Actually, internal modulations within a song are typically handled without penning key changes that only occur for a few bars. Accidentals are the way its done.
A good example of that would be "How High the Moon" which is also the same changes as "Cherokee" where there is a series of 2-5-1s transposing away from the original key and back again. To notate that with key sig changes throughout would make for a needlessly overcomplicated chart.
I think you've got the idea now, though, just leave the Keysig at the original and type in the proper chords at the proper bars.
For entering notes on the Melody track when you don't have a MIDI keyboard, use the QWERTY wizard to punch them in where they belong rhythmically, then use the mouse to drag each note to the correct pitch, this is faster than it takes to describe. See the BiaB FAQ for detailed instructions on this if needed.
--Mac
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PG Music support just contacted me.
They confirm that this is a bug
- with transposition is enabled, bar settings key changes are not adjusted (for example, a bar settings key change to D Major stays at D
Major)
- with transposition enabled, accidentals in chord names are not always displayed properly
The workaround appears to be what we all worked out - transpose manually
Regards
Chris
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