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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,881
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OP
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,881 |
Yep... I've seen folks ask this question several times and there's never been a good answer other than, you can put 4 chords into a bar as long as you separate them with a comma.
So... here's a thought.... FYI.... I have not tried this because this idea just occurred to me. And I've never really had the need to put more than 4 into a bar.
So.... feel free to try this and see if it works.
Essentially, lets say the song is at 120 BPM... and you need, for some bizarre reason to have 8 chords in quick succession all played on the beat and all being 8th note chords.
Where you want the 8 chords to be... in the space of one measure/bar.... add a measure. Now, you edit the bar settings for both bars so that the tempo is 240bpm. Now, simply add the 8 chords... 4 to a bar delineated with commas as is normally the case. Just be sure to edit the 3rd bar to return the tempo back to 120.
I'm thinking this might work. Although, there might be chord voicing issues playing them that fast. I've seen BB do some strange things in situations like this. Also, the effect of the tempo change WILL affect the other instruments. So, doing this and having it sound good might require the editing abilities of a good DAW...or.... silence/mute the drums and anything else that makes it sound "off kilter".
But hey... give it a try if you're wanting to squeeze in a butt load of chords into the space of 4 beats.
Waddaya think? Ever try this? Did it work or not?
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.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Oh yes, this is a long-time workaround. I just mentioned it this morning to a beginner who wondered at first how to get more than two chords per bar. It's even more likely to work now in BIAB 2017 because you can set RealDrums to half-time.
By the way, assuming we are talking about doing this for an entire song, this is the basis under which Notes Norton's expanded syles have worked since the early 90s.
The drawback is the notation won't be right, but you can often get the sound to be right.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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The other drawback is because you are doubling the tempo, styles may or may not work well with it, and the drums are usually way too fast. Norton's expanded styles take this into account.
Here's hoping that at some point in the near future we get native 8th note chord support. I know there will be those that will then clamor for 16th note resolution, but 8th note gets us much closer to properly capturing most music (and with pushes, you can still get on the 16th note divisions).
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,582 |
John, about the drums being too fast, I agree. That was the main reason (along with 100 bpm sambas) that I requested the ability to do half or double-time RealDrums. Try it!
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 716
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 716 |
Another way might be to write two sets of changes at the same tempo.
The first set lets say will be the chords you will place on the 'and' of each beat. Yet just write them as if they were normal 4 to the bar.
You then copy/move tracks bouncing this chord part over to a spare melody or soloist channel.
Then erase the chord sheet and write the second set of changes; the ones that'll sound 'on' the beat.
Go back to the first set on the other channel then time shift them ahead by 55/60 ticks or whatever works best for the feel and style you're working in.
They should now fit exactly in between the on the beat changes.
Can sound a bit stiff if you don't push them ahead by the right number of ticks so experiment. It can useful for short riff phrasing you can't find in the style you're using but which you need for the song.
HTH
Alan
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139
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"Here's hoping that at some point in the near future we get native 8th note chord support."
Yes....Please!!!!! I believe this one change would open a million possibilities.
Regards,
Bob
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 3
Newbie
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Newbie
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 3 |
[quote=Guitarhacker]Yep... I've seen folks ask this question several times and there's never been a good answer other than, you can put 4 chords into a bar as long as you separate them with a comma.
Guitarhacker, You said the above, I have just been trying to simply get 4 chords in a bar, which I have done visually using the "Chord Settings". The chords appear where I want them but BB doesn't play the chords I put on the 2nd, and 3rd beats. I havent found any instruction in the help files to tell me how. I tried what you mentioned, typing commas in between but the commas disappeared as soon as I hit enter. Please help I have 2 songs now that need to have different chords played on the 3 beat.
Thanks,
Ken.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Dec 2016
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Newbie
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Newbie
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 3 |
I seem to have it working now.
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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.
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
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With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
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Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
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Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
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- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
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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
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2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
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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
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