Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
All well and good, but this leads on to the question, how much time really (especially at our age) does one want to practice and spend almost every free minute getting better at our hobby? That all boils down to how much the end result matters to each individual, and only they know the answer. Using me as the example, at one time I thought I wanted to get into Ham radio. They I found out that the testing included fluency in Morse Code. I had no desire to spend the time learning Morse Code, so the idea of being a licenses Ham radio operator died right there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 8,987
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 8,987 |
My problem was how to forget them.  We played nearly the same set lists for way, way too long. Ditto, J&B. We had about 250 songs in our repertoire and we would shuffle the setlist each night (assuming the same venue). We knew our repertoire well enough to open it up to take requests from the audience. That can be thin ice if your band is not prepared for the challenge. A pet peeve of mine is - musicians that are constantly tuning. Nothing shouts 'amateur' louder than that. Back on topic: Joe, most songs only have 3-5 chords per key (wait to flame me, Eddie) so try to train your ear to tell you 'when' more than 'where' to change chords. You will begin to think of each key as those 3-5 chords rather than the thousands of possibilities available. Hit the afterburner, Eddie!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,588
Expert
|
Expert
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,588 |
Good advice Donny. I'm going to give that a spin. I want to be book free by the end of this year, so that I can connect with my audience. Not that the dogs really care! I find the Jazz numbers in my set to be the hardest to remember because they're a bit more complex.
Windows 10 Home 20H2 Build 19042.487 BIAB 2021 (Build 818) Intel(R) Core(TM), i3-4160, CPU @3.60 GHz RAM 16 GB, 64 Bit X64-based processor Zoom UAC-2 (USB 3 interface-built in midi) VoiceLive 3 Extreme, Sputnik Valve Condenser Mic
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,110
Expert
|
Expert
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,110 |
His original thesis said he doesn't practice enough. Will the court clerk please read back Mr. Vidmar’s objection? MR. VIDMAR: ASKED AND ANSWERED Counselor, your argument in support of your objection is a Thesis, which is a statement, not a question. Your objection is to a question asked. The Court’s ruling stands. Of course the REAL answer to How do you memorize chords to lots of Covet songs is simple: Eddie don’t do no stinkin’ cover songs. "I eat way too much food and I am fat. Does anybody have any tips for me to lose weight?"
Well, um, I'll start with "stop eating way too much food". Then we move on to switch to a heavier fiber and less carbohydrate based diet routine. However, I am not going to move in with you and cook for you. Adults shouldn't need someone else to provide the discipline it takes to accomplish a goal. Agreed there? This is probably a good teaching moment, because your weight loss example plays into exactly what I’m saying. You tell the patient his problem is that he eats too much food and if he eats in your manner he is going to lose weight. He comes back and asks for alternative strategies and you basically tell him that he doesn’t have the discipline and he’s asking you to provide it for him. Great bedside manner by the way. People often times need strategies that they may not be familiar with to help them reach a desired goal. If he came to me and asked me for an alternative strategy, I’d have several, but I’ll share one as an example. I’d ask him if he knows that when Arnold Schwarzenegger was a professional body builder, that he consumed between 5,000 and 6,000 calories every day just to maintain his muscle mass. I’d explain to him that muscle size is one of the main determinants of your body’s metabolic rate and that by starting a program to build muscle mass and sticking to it, he would be burning lots of calories even he was sitting watching television. I’d ask if he would be willing to trade his lower calorie diet for one with higher calories but 3 hours of weight lifting and 3 hours of cardio every week. If he agrees, I hook him up with a personal trainer and he can give that a try. All I’ve provided him with is information and all I invested was the time to educate him about a different way to accomplish the same thing. 3.0 had a Master's Degree and she had to be told to come in out of the rain lest she get wet. Seems like that is a problem that should have shook out during Beta testing. According to previous reports, 1.0 and 2.0 also had serious flaws that slipped through Beta as well. Sounds like a QA issue. Also why IQ tests means nothing. Someone with a photogenic or eidetic memory can score off the charts on an IQ test and not have any real world sense. An example of that kind of person is Sheldon Cooper. Folks that don’t watch the Big Bang Theory won’t get the reference and folks who don’t regularly read the forums wont understand the significance.
Keith 2025 Audiophile Windows 11 RYZEN THREADRIPPER 3960X 4.5GHZ 128 GB RAM 2 Nvidia RTX 3090s, Vegas,Acid,SoundForge,Izotope Production,Melodyne Studio,SONAR,3 Raven Mtis
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
If he agrees, I hook him up with a personal trainer and he can give that a try. After which he pays someone to visit the trainer FOR him.... 3.0 had a Master's Degree and she had to be told to come in out of the rain lest she get wet. Enormous salaries tend to skew those test results. 3.0 was going to be my retirement plan. It soon became apparent that there isn't enough money in the world.... Quoting me: Also why IQ tests means nothing. Someone with a photogenic or eidetic memory can score off the charts on an IQ test and not have any real world sense. Quoting Keith: An example of that kind of person is Sheldon Cooper. Folks that don’t watch the Big Bang Theory won’t get the reference and folks who don’t regularly read the forums wont understand the significance. Quoting Sheldon in the DMV office: "How else are they going to learn?" I make it a point to never tell people they are wrong. However, I am happy to spend as much time as necessary explaining why I am right. Bedside manner is the least of my concerns. By a certain age, life should have seasoned people to a point where things don't need to be sugar coated. I will not acquiesce to the millennial mentality and contribute to the pussification of America. Heaven help this country when this generation of pansies comes into power. There will no longer be a militia to defend the country and the people we now call terrorists will have an open door to take over. And the response of the millennial power base will be to tweet about it and record the invasion on their cell phones for Facebook. Back to topic: practice, practice, practice remains the correct answer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,173
Expert
|
Expert
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,173 |
I think there is no substitute for experience but how do you get experience. In the mid 70s I played behind a guy that would simply stand on stage and people would call a song, away he would go. There was no telling what key or anything else, basically you just played and sort of hoped it worked. It usually did but there were two tricks one was to know the song (if not that particular song others of the same ilk) the other was when not to play (if you are really lost then shut up).
Another really great place to learn was in country music clubs (jazz clubs, folk clubs etc all work). Here you would be backing other folk who often had chord charts or whatever but rarely managed to have them correct or would be off singing a song in a different key or in some cases a different song to what was written. Timing could be anywhere from a complete stop start to singing in 3/4 to 4/4 song. Very quickly you learn to adapt, improvise and where chords should go.
These days someone may ask me for a song so I design it in BIAB. I pick a suitable style and enter the chords often taking less than 10 mins to get the basic song down but it is almost instinctive that I know what the next chord should be based on the previous chords and style of music. Sure I’m not always 100% correct but amazingly close most of the time.
My two bobs worth. It is practice, working with others and heaps of experience.
Tony
Last edited by Teunis; 06/08/18 01:24 PM.
HP i7-4770 16GB 1TB SSD, Win 10 Home, Focusrite 2i2 3rd Gen, Launchkey 61, Maton CW80, Telecaster, Ovation Elite TX, Yamaha Pacifica 612 BB 2022(912) RB 2022(2), CakeWalk, Reaper 6, Audacity, Melodyne 5 Editor, Izotope Music Production Suite 4.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 34
Enthusiast
|
Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 34 |
here's my $0.02
When I was quite young (15), I used to play with David Peel. We played in Washington Square Park a lot, and he would turn away from me because he was working the crowd. Since I knew Dave only knew six or seven chords, I soon learned how one chord led to another - known as resolutions.
There aren't an infinite number of these, and they all make sense once you understand them.
Two years later, I started doing "club dates" (here in NY, that's what we call weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, coming out parties, quadrilles, etc.) I'd be thrown in the lion's cage with guys who played with the big bands of the 30's and 40's, expected to play any song from any period, with no sheet music. Often without even given a key. That's when it REALLY clicked in.
Sure, I screwed up - a lot. Came home from gigs embarrassed and disgusted. But I figured out which resolutions I had trouble with and got to recognize them. I still get caught out sometimes, especially now that I'm old and lazy(er), but the fact is some chords lead to a few possible other chords. By learning songs such as "On The Street Where You Live", "Cherokee", "Stella By Starlight", "Have You Met Miss Jones", and really analyzing how they go from one chord to another, you'll get it.
You'll be able to play anything, pretty much on the spot, within the first chorus or two. As long as you know how the song goes. You might also listen to anything by that lunatic Burt Bacharach (I mean that in the most respectful way) and Steely Dan (Aja album) once you get the hang of it, just to test yourself. Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years" is a great model of using every damn note you can in the melody and choosing chords accordingly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,385
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,385 |
I think there is no substitute for experience but how do you get experience. In the mid 70s I played behind a guy that would simply stand on stage and people would call a song, away he would go. <...snip...>
Tony When I was a very young musician, there was a single act, an organist way out west in Ft Lauderdale in a bar that seemed to know anything (I think it was called The Hacienda Lounge). He would take requests from the audience, and I never saw him stumped. He was truly amazing. But I guess some people have a special talent for that, and take the time to develop it and make the most of it. My brother-in-law is in the club-date business. He knows hundreds and hundreds of songs. He also has a talent for very melodic solos, even on difficult songs. The club date people here do key signatures with fingers. Up is sharp, down is flat, and the number of fingers designate how many sharps or flats. A fist is either C or Am. I've never done the club date thing, but used to be a regular in a Sunday Jazz Jam. I didn't know the heads of all the songs they played, but I was blessed with a good ear and could fake my way through a solo on almost anything they threw at me. Here is another suggestion. Take the music in small chunks. Memorize the first 8 bars, which is often pretty much the A section. Start with the music, then see how far you can play without the music. When you screw up, do it with the music again, then take a couple of minuted doing something else - without your musical instrument. Then try again When you get the A section down, move on to the next. But be sure to play the A section every time you play the song (without the music). You will get the song 'under your fingers' this way. See if that works for you. Of course it will take time and practice, but it will be worth it. Insights and incites by Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove & Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,913 |
Which instrument are you intending on memorizing songs? Should have asked this awhile ago. On keys one of the exercises that will help you in live performance situations is to practice inversions as you move from chord to chord. Memorizing the feel of what this is like in all of the keys is an important skill, in my opinion. How to walk around on bass as you do this also helps to become smooth and seasoned. And you must mix in the practice of playing in front of others, if your intent is playing out; which you have posted about for the past several years as something you want to do.
The first time is nerve wracking and you probably won’t even remember most of it. Second time the same. After awhile,you’ll recall what happened and can adjust. But this outside force of performing in front of people needs to be part of your routine. You will never be fully ready for it so don’t wait.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,179
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,179 |
When you get the A section down, move on to the next. But be sure to play the A section every time you play the song ...
Insights and incites by Notes
I agree with Bob on this important part. This was the gist of my previous post. It is important to re-inforce the memory as you move ahead, it helps tie it all together and also affects muscle memory, making it more natural over time (you don't think about it so much as just play it). Keep repeating what you know so far, while adding the new stuff. After working in 'sections', do the same as you move on to new songs.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
And to REALLY factor in your proficiency on your instrument, practice blindfolded. Take away the crutches and you CAN'T walk with them.
When I was a younger man, I played a lot of basketball. I got to be okay as a strong side guard, shooting, setting picks and playing good defense. I wanted to be a point guard though. When I tried, all the defender had to do was take away my right hand and I was done. So one summer, I spent 2 hours twice a day playing in my backyard wearing a boxing glove on my right hand, forcing me to use only my left. That evolved into taping my right hand shut, but I spent that whole summer using only my left hand. I dribbled the ball off my shoes a lot, because that hand change also changed my footwork to the opposite side. Point being that I had to force myself out of my comfort zone. By fall, I could use either hand equally well.
But I will say in every post....
Practice. Practice. Practice.
If you want it bad enough, work hard to get there. There are no shortcuts that replace hard work and many repetitions.
When my keyboard rig expanded to where I had a keyboard set at 90 degree on my left hand, I found that I had to reach there without looking a lot to play a part. I just put a piece of roadie tape on the A above middle C and I cold feel where that tape was and know where to play. Again, that took a lot of practice. How bad do you want to accomplish this? That, and what you hope to accomplish, will determine how many hours you need to put into it. If you want to get just proficient enough to sit around the campfire and strum, you can do that far more easily than playing your local House Of Blues where people pay 30 bucks a ticket to see you.
Practice. Practice. Practice.
Last edited by eddie1261; 06/09/18 07:04 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
When I was a very young musician, there was a single act, an organist way out west in Ft Lauderdale in a bar that seemed to know anything (I think it was called The Hacienda Lounge). Notes, I will apologize in advance, but I HAD to do this joke. When you were a very young musician, that bar must have been an underground speakeasy place right, since it was likely during Prohibition. (Is there an icon for "duck and run"?)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,385
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,385 |
Nah, Florida wasn't even a state yet  Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove & Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,075
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,075 |
Here's my 2 cents on the original question and the recurring capo discussion:
1) If your goal is to be a master musician then follow the strictest advice offered by everybody
2) But, knowing what I know about Joe, I think his goal is to play music informally for the purpose of entertaining friends and maybe earn a buck now and then. That is a very different goal. I think Joe is looking for the shortest route to actualizing his personal goal (which is much lower than the goal of playing at Carnegie Hall)
I'm a lot like Joe, so I offer my own experience as one path to having fun as an entertainer in a world where you aren't a virtuoso.
When I played in bands, I was solely responsible for playing guitar. I could block out everything except the position of my fingers on the fretboard. If I needed barre chords, no problem. I knew where they were, and there was nothing to distract me from getting to the right fret. 100% of my attention was focused on playing guitar.
Later when I started booking solo gigs with backing tracks, it was a different ballgame, because I was suddenly responsible for everything... remembering chords, lyrics, solos, making changes to the mix on the fly etc. I discovered that multitasking meant that instead of having 100% of my attention on the guitar, I suddenly had 25% on the guitar, 25% on the lyrics, 25% on the mix with the rest being divided by distractions from the audience, trying to remember how to start the guitar solo etc. Every time my attention shifted for any reason, I'd start missing the target fret and then the song would crash & burn.
So I switched to a capo approach for a couple of reasons:
1) the changes are so familiar its easy to auto-pilot
2) I never had to worry about missing the target fret for barre chords
3) some of the covers I was playing were originally recorded with a capo, and the only way to duplicate the original sound is to use a capo.
4) I accidentally started to understand the value of the nashville system.
5) after switching to a system in which I always played 1st position chords, I no longer needed a chord sheet... which surprised me a little, because I had hundreds of active songs
Having said all this... while I was still trying to establish this act, I practiced a lot. I treated it like my job, waking up every morning , going to my music room and playing thru / working on the set list until my daughter came home from work at 5:30 pm. No matter which approach you take, a certain amount of practice is going to be necessary.
All the advice in this thread is potentially helpful. The real question is which advice you are most likely to follow up on. No advice is helpful if you don't follow it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
So I switched to a capo approach As stupid as this is going to sound for someone who started playing guitar at age 11, I CAN'T use a capo. It makes me think WAY too much. Couple that with perfect pitch (That has receded back into near perfect pitch over time) and when my ear hears a chord, I go right to that fingering relative to the fret markers. Those fret markers are BURNED into my brain. If I know a song in C and the singer wants to do it in E flat, it would be easy enough to put a capo on the 3rd fret and play the same fingerings using the capo as the nut, right? Nope. I suddenly start to think too much about fret markers and "Well, when I played this in C, the 6 minor was A minor, and that fingers here, so what do I do now when the 6 minor is suddenly C minor and the way I know to play C minor is to barre the 3rd fret but this metal clip on thingy is on that fret and in my way so what do I do", rather than be able to "think C" and finger it the same way, like an A minor, but viewing the capo as the nut. Believe me, I tried many times. If I have to think and not just play instinctively, it's really awful. So with you being able to use a capo, you are a solid one up on me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,075
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,075 |
As stupid as this is going to sound for someone who started playing guitar at age 11, I CAN'T use a capo. Eddie, I think you are a very intelligent man, and therefore nothing you could possibly say sounds stupid to me. I think you very accurately pointed out that we're all different people with different learning styles and aptitudes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,173
Expert
|
Expert
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,173 |
I am with you Eddie I have tried capos and failed I would much rather Barr the chord and play that way. I used to find putting a capo on would often knock the guitar out of tune (maybe in my mind) unless you really took your time. Also a big chunk of metal as the nut got in the way. I had some light capos I think there is one in my guitar case but I never use them.
Others however are very successful with them.
Tony
HP i7-4770 16GB 1TB SSD, Win 10 Home, Focusrite 2i2 3rd Gen, Launchkey 61, Maton CW80, Telecaster, Ovation Elite TX, Yamaha Pacifica 612 BB 2022(912) RB 2022(2), CakeWalk, Reaper 6, Audacity, Melodyne 5 Editor, Izotope Music Production Suite 4.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 23,324
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 23,324 |
I rarely use a capo but when I do I capo responsibly No really I rarely use a capo. I only use it when I am doing an old country or folk song that need to have the open chord ringing sound that I can't get with barre chords. Roughly I would guess that is about 1% of my guitar playing.
Last edited by MarioD; 06/10/18 12:49 PM.
I get most of my exercise these days from shaking my head in disbelief.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 8,987
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 8,987 |
If you think capos are only for wimps; https://youtu.be/pS0cEWwWnGQ
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Off-Topic
|
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,173
Expert
|
Expert
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,173 |
Hi Don, I would never suggest capos are for wimps but as Tommy points out capos can knock a guitar out of tune. Usually when doing live shows to be standing on stage playing around putting a capo on, then making sure tuning is fine seems to be a distraction to me. I prefer not to unless I am really forced to which I find is very rarely. Playing an Eb (or any chord up the neck with the C shaped chord) is not an issue for me. Using 2 fingers to play an A shape anywhere on the neck is the same and this method also leaves 2 fingers for playing fills etc. Rarely do I find myself with the need to be hitting all 6 strings, I don’t often need use all 4 fingers to play chords. Tony
HP i7-4770 16GB 1TB SSD, Win 10 Home, Focusrite 2i2 3rd Gen, Launchkey 61, Maton CW80, Telecaster, Ovation Elite TX, Yamaha Pacifica 612 BB 2022(912) RB 2022(2), CakeWalk, Reaper 6, Audacity, Melodyne 5 Editor, Izotope Music Production Suite 4.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mac 2025 Special Upgrade Offers Extended Until August 15th!
It's not too late to upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® and save! We've extended our special until August 15, 2025!
We've added many major new features to Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, including advanced AI tools like the amazing BB Stem Splitter and AI Lyrics Generator, as well as VST3 plugin support, and Equalize Temp. Plus, there’s a new one-stop MIDI Patches Picker with over 1,100 MIDI patches to choose from, all neatly categorized by GM numbers. The MultiPicker Library is enhanced with tabs for the SongPicker, MIDI Patch Picker, Chord Builder, AI Lyrics Generator, and Song Titles Browser, and the tabs are organized into logical groups. The Audiophile Edition is enhanced with FLAC files , which are 60% smaller than AIFF files while maintaining identical audio quality, and now ships on a fast 1TB SSD, and much more!
Check out all the new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® here:
Purchase your Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac during our special to save up to 50% off your upgrade purchase and receive a FREE BONUS PAK of amazing new Add-ons. These include the 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK, Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana, Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes, MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano, Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7, Playable RealTracks Set 4, RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark, and more!
Upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and add 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and 20 RealStyles, FLAC Files for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks, Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster, MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster, Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8, and RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe.
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs!
New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2025!
We’ve expanded the Band-in-a-Box® RealTracks library with 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 449-467) across Jazz, Blues, Funk, World, Pop, Rock, Country, Americana, and Praise & Worship—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Blues & World (Sets 449–455):
These RealTracks includes “Soul Jazz” with Neil Swainson (bass), Mike Clark (drums), Charles Treadway (organ), Miles Black (piano), and Brent Mason (guitar). Enjoy “Requested ’60s” jazz, classic acoustic blues with Colin Linden, and more of our popular 2-handed piano soloing. Plus, a RealTracks first—Tango with bandoneon, recorded in Argentina!
Rock & Pop (Sets 456–461):
This collection includes Disco, slap bass ‘70s/‘80s pop, modern and ‘80s metal with Andy Wood, and a unique “Songwriter Potpourri” featuring Chinese folk instruments, piano, banjo, and more. You’ll also find a muted electric guitar style (a RealTracks first!) and “Producer Layered Guitar” styles for slick "produced" sound.
Country, Americana & Praise (Sets 462–467):
We’ve added new RealTracks across bro country, Americana, praise & worship, vintage country, and songwriter piano. Highlights include Brent Mason (electric guitar), Eddie Bayers (drums), Doug Jernigan (pedal steel), John Jarvis (piano), Glen Duncan (banjo, mandolin & fiddle), Mike Harrison (electric bass) and more—offering everything from modern sounds to heartfelt Americana styles
Check out all the 202 New RealTracks (in sets 456-467)
And, if you are looking for more, the 2025 49-PAK (for $49) includes an additional 20 RealTracks with exciting new sounds and genre-spanning styles. Enjoy RealTracks firsts like Chinese instruments (guzheng & dizi), the bandoneon in an authentic Argentine tango trio, and the classic “tic-tac” baritone guitar for vintage country.
You’ll also get slick ’80s metal guitar from Andy Wood, modern metal with guitarist Nico Santora, bass player Nick Schendzielos, and drummer Aaron Stechauner, more praise & worship, indie-folk, modern/bro country with Brent Mason, and “Songwriter Americana” with Johnny Hiland.
Plus, enjoy user-requested styles like Soul Jazz RealDrums, fast Celtic Strathspey guitar, and Chill Hop piano & drums!
The 2025 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2025 49-PAK!
Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac!
With your version 2025 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Or upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2025 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 33 new RealTracks and 65+ new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 29 new RealTracks and 45+ new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 20 new RealStyles.
- Look Ma! More MIDI 13: Country & Americana
- Instrumental Studies Set 22: 2-Hand Piano Soloing - Rhythm Changes
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 44: Jazz Piano
- Artist Performance Set 17: Songs with Vocals 7
- Playable RealTracks Set 4
- RealDrums Stems Set 7: Jazz with Mike Clark
- SynthMaster Sounds and Styles (with audio demos)
- 128 GM MIDI Patch Audio Demos.
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2025 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyles,
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- Look Ma! More MIDI 14: SynthMaster,
- Instrumental Studies Set 23: More '80s Hard Rock Soloing,
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 45: More SynthMaster
- Artist Performance Set 18: Songs with Vocals 8
- RealDrums Stems Set 8: Pop, Funk & More with Jerry Roe
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®!
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Mac!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Mac!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 9 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
New! Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher for Windows!
Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest and greatest in the all new Xtra Styles PAK 20 for Band-in-a-Box! This fresh installment is packed with 200 all-new styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres you've come to expect, as well as the exciting inclusion of electronic styles!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Minimalist Modern Funk, New Wave Synth Pop, Hard Bop Latin Groove, Gospel Country Shuffle, Cinematic Synthwave, '60s Motown, Funky Lo-Fi Bossa, Heavy 1980s Metal, Soft Muted 12-8 Folk, J-Pop Jazz Fusion, and many more!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 20 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 209 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 20.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 20 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 20 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
New! XPro Styles PAK 9 for Band-in-a-Box 2025 and higher for Windows!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 9 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 29 RealTracks/RealDrums!
We've been hard at it to bring you the latest and greatest in this 9th installment of our popular XPro Styles PAK series! Included are 75 styles spanning the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres (25 styles each) that fans have come to expect, as well as 25 styles in this volume's wildcard genre: funk & R&B!
If you're itching to get a sneak peek at what's included in XPro Styles PAK 9, here is a small helping of what you can look forward to: Funky R&B Horns, Upbeat Celtic Rock, Jazz Fusion Salsa, Gentle Indie Folk, Cool '60s Soul, Funky '70s R&B, Smooth Jazz Hip Hop, Acoustic Rockabilly Swing, Funky Reggae Dub, Dreamy Retro Latin Jazz, Retro Soul-Rock Fusion, and much more!
Special Pricing! Until July 31, 2024, all the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 9 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 9 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums58
Topics84,451
Posts779,352
Members39,665
|
Most Online25,754 Jan 24th, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|