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#47125 12/06/09 06:26 AM
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I've got the lessons pack and working through the 101 jazz guitar phrases. They are all in one key only. It is easy enough to change the key, but is there a way that I can easily get BIAB to generate the same chord progression in all keys? Typing them all again umpteen times is pretty boring and a waste of time!

Cemil #47126 12/06/09 07:13 AM
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The Windows version has a Pref/transpose setting -> "Each chorus that a song is playing, transpose by ...". Not sure about the Mac version.


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MartinB #47127 12/06/09 01:52 PM
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Not there. There is a Pref button that brings up a couple of screens of Preferences, but no transpose setting there. The Transpose menu only allows you up or down by a specific number of semitones.

Is it somewhere else or not existent on the Mac version ?

Cemil #47128 12/06/09 02:19 PM
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The Mac and Windows versions are rather different today - PG Music prefers keeping quiet here. A Mac user could tell you more.


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Cemil #47129 12/06/09 02:36 PM
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I don't believe that there is any automatic Transposition available in the Mac version as of yet.

However, you can change the keysignature dropdown to another key, say yes to the little prompt window that should pop up and it will instantly transpose to the selected key. One at a time.

Saving the song in each key with an altered filename can let you store them all in one folder for playback one after another in practice sessions.

Ex:

song_C.mgu

song_F.mgu

song_Bb.mgu

etc.


--Mac

Mac #47130 12/06/09 04:04 PM
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Just passing by and I thought I'd give you a quick, low tech opinion. You would do yourself a real favor if you worked out the phrases you want to get a handle on * by ear * in all twelve keys rather than have BIAB transpose them for you. They'll stay with you longer and increase your facility on your instrument.

Thats guaranteed.

Of course its a bit more work but then you get out of practice what you put into it. Guys that can really play know all about this.

Good luck.

bonecall #47131 12/06/09 04:54 PM
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bonecall's speech rings very true.

The smart student realizes that shortcuts don't make the thing happen any faster and usually a lot slower.

*Learn it by ear.

*Do it in your head.

*Take one key a day, rotating around the circle.

*Always do your own solo transcriptions.

That's the fastest way to get to the point where you are choppin' heads nightly.


--Mac

Mac #47132 12/06/09 11:17 PM
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Thanks for the advice. I wanted the auto-transpose for the backing tracks, not for the lines

I normally learn the line, then play the chords for a while until the progression is firmly anchored. Then I start playing the line at slower tempo usually, then go up to the normal tempo as I get better at it. At that point, I'm not looking at the screen at all. I usually keep the melody line on until I get the rhythm and phrasing right, then switch that off too, just keeping the backing tracks. I was hoping that I could move it around the circle automatically, but Mac's system of saving them under different filenames should work. Alternatively, I suppose i could do one key a day.

I'm just getting back into playing after a (forced) 22 year break and loving it! Would appreciate any suggestion for improving the above routine.

Last edited by Cemil; 12/07/09 12:09 AM.
Cemil #47133 12/07/09 04:41 AM
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Before the Windows version got the auto-transpose feature, I did it with separate songfiles for a long, long time. And my few students used it that way, too.

If you can Jukebox the files, so much the better. Then they will load and play in whatever succession order available for an uninterrupted transpose practice session.

Another trick is to convert to audio files such as mp3, then edit them all together into a continuous row of transposed songs. Use an mp3 player such as the iPod to practice along with, or burn to CD. I did the burn to CD for students for years because the student did not have a copy of BIAB but always has a CD player. Then I printed out the chart also so they'd have just the Melody line and Chord Changes like a fakesheet, but only for key #1, which was usually the original keysig of the target song.


--Mac

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