Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Beginners Forum
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 188
M
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
M
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 188
Hi

I'm writing a ballad that uses a few augmented chords, but none of the ballad styles I have tried seem to play it (the 5th doesn't augment). I've tried a lot of styles - more than I can realistically list here.

Can anyone tell me some ballad styles (or tracks) that will play this chord properly? It's rather crucial to the piece!

Cheers

Mike

P.S. I am using the Windows UltraPAK.

Beginners Forum
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,586
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,586
Mike,

I've never had any problems getting BIAB to play augmented chords. How are you entering the chord on the chordsheet? Also, on what beat are you trying to get the chord to play?

I use: Xaug (where X is the chord)

Also, what is the name of the style you are using? I'll give it a test run.

Regards,
Noel




MY SONGS...
Audiophile BIAB 2026
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572
There are some options in the program to play 'simple' chords that I've never experimented with, but I think an augmented chord is simple enough already. Yes, how are you typing the chord(s) and what styles are you trying?


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.
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,504
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,504
Are you using real or MIDI styles?

Bob


Bob "Notes" Norton smile 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
Beginners Forum
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 188
M
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
M
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 188
Hi all, thanks for the replies.

Noel96 - The aug chords are all on beat 3. I've tried entering it both as Eb+ and as Ebaug. Neither seems to be effective. Some of the the styles I've tried are:
_JFRBALS.STY Jazz Quartet Slow Ballad
_STRID60.STY Slow Solo Stride Piano Slow Ball
_JEGTBAL.STY Jazz Trio Slow Ballad
_LAKEDAY.STY Lake Day Slow Jazz Ballad (interestingly on this one, the horn section did follow the aug, but the piano didn't)
... there are others, but that's probably enough for now!


Matt - I have tried using the 'simple' chords but that doesn't seem to have worked either.


Notes Norton - I'm using RealStyles.

Beginners Forum
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,586
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,586
Hi Mike,

I've just tried _JFRBALS.STY and it plays the augmented chords fine.

Here's a link to the SGU file that I created...

Test File (SGU)

Audio for test file (mp3)

After playing around a bit, I think that your problem might be a feature called "Natural Arrangements". This automatically overrides complex chords. I found that if I activate Natural Arrangements for the above SGU file, the augmented chords do not play.

Because jazz styles are designed to be used with complex chords, I find it better to disable "Simple Arrangement" and "Natural Arrangement". This will stop the chord replacement overrides.


To disable Natural Arrangements...

1. right-click on the chord sheet

2. select "Song Settings" from the right-click menu

3. set the option shown as #2 on the image below to "disable for this song"

Lastly, if you get a green message on the lower right side of the screen about "Complex Chords", just ignore it. That's Natural Arrangements asking if you want to activate it for this song.

Does this help?

Regards,
Noel

Attached Files (Click to download or enlarge) (Only available when you are logged in)
natural arrangements disable.JPG (83.25 KB, 98 downloads)

MY SONGS...
Audiophile BIAB 2026
Beginners Forum
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 188
M
Apprentice
OP Offline
Apprentice
M
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 188
Hi Noel

That does seem to have worked smile Thank you very much!

Beginners Forum
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,586
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,586
Excellent!


MY SONGS...
Audiophile BIAB 2026
Beginners Forum
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,572
We're going to have to remember that advice. I would not have thought an augmented chord was a 'complex' chord.


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.
Beginners Forum
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,586
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,586
I agree Matt.

From a classical perspective, the four independent chord types on which other chords are built are major, minor, diminished (triad) and augmented. As I see it, these four chord types are fundamental and none should been regarded as complex.

Regards,
Noel


MY SONGS...
Audiophile BIAB 2026
Beginners Forum
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 22
W
Enthusiast
Offline
Enthusiast
W
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 22
Hi Mike,
I’ve struck that problem in the past, and I’ve found that using
flat 13 as the suffix makes for a pretty good workaround. Sounds augmented enough to me.
Hope it works for you,
Cheers,
Geoff

Beginners Forum
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,504
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,504
Originally Posted By: Noel96
I agree Matt.

From a classical perspective, the four independent chord types on which other chords are built are major, minor, diminished (triad) and augmented. As I see it, these four chord types are fundamental and none should been regarded as complex.

Regards,
Noel

Most definitely.

These are the very first triads taught to me in theory class. They are the basis of virtually all the extended chords.

Insights and incites by Notes


Bob "Notes" Norton smile 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
Beginners Forum
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,122
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,122
Great catch Noel.

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

Moderated by  Andrew - PG Music, PeterGannon 

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

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.

PG Music News
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!

All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!

It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.

What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?

XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!

Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!

The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.

The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.

The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.

Note: 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.

The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!

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
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.

2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.

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

Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!

If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!

If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!

Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics86,211
Posts801,989
Members40,071
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
Newest Members
dimtass, Quamido Pirendo, Allan63, brekkea, isledge
40,070 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 126
zedd 110
DC Ron 94
rsdean 89
Noel96 77
Today's Birthdays
mike5256
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5