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I've used BIAB for awhile and have the 2011 Everything Pak. I'm just starting to learn the ukulele and am wondering if it's possible to get the tab or chord diagram to show in the leadsheet or notation window. I've had the guitar window and can see the notes being played there after using the add chords feature. The chords show as stacked notes but no diagrams in the leadsheet window. I seem to recall seeing the diagrams, such as are on a fake book leadsheet, but can't recall where. Maybe it was in a different program? Thanks for any help.

Stan


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No uke players out there? Guess it's not as popular as I thought. Lot's of fun though.

Stan


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Hi Stan,

I just tried to see if I could help you and I think you can get the chord diagrams for a ukulele.
Once in the main chord screen in Band In a Box go to the notation icon (the one with the single note)
When you are in that screen go to the Opt icon (over on the left side of the screen)
When the Notations Options screen opens you will see (just below the bars/screen) the Guitar Chord Diagrams drop down box.
Just click on that box and you will be able to select Ukulele.

I have just loaded a midi style song and you can indeed see the tab and chords for a ukulele.

Be aware that I can't play the Ukulele and what I see may be right or wrong....Go try it and let me know.

Best regards
George


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You can use the guitar tab and play only the the first four high strings of guitar (E,B,G,D) ,Uke and guitar have the same intervals of tune. Lead works but you will have an octave higher when playing the guitar "D" string ,still will sound OK .

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By GEORGE,I think you've got it! Sorry, I couldn't resist the line from "My Fair Lady." Your solution does put some uke chords in, but most don't match up with the chord chart I have. That's certainly no doing of yours though. It's interesting that only a couple of frets are shown and they show the fret number. One showed as the 7th fret. I couldn't find any chords on the chart with that pattern. It could be an alternate fingering though. I'm just beginning the uke and you should never allow a trumpet player to get close to a stringed instrument.:) Serves me right for being lazy and not learning the chords shown on the leadsheet. Thanks for the help.

Stan


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Hi Stan,
There is lots of ukulele support in BB. Here are 2 videos that describe what you can do from a ukulele perspective in Band-in-a-Box. (This same approach applies to other instruments like guitar, mandolin, violin, 5-string banjo, and guitars with non-standard tunings)

See more info, and the videos here: http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=319940&an=0&page=0#Post319940


Topics covered in the videos include...

Ukulele with Band-in-a-Box Part 1
1. Using the “Tutor” to see ukulele chords on fretboard in any style
2. Playing a Ukulele style (MIDI) to see and hear ukulele chords

Part 2 of video on Ukulele
3. Ukulele Chord Diagrams (with any song any style_
4. Real Ukulele! RealStyles (e.g. Ukes140.sty) that have a Real Ukulele


Have Fun!
Peter Gannon
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There are a lot of Uke chords that use open strings .

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Wow! I guess I didn't look deep enough. Many thanks Peter and Tommyc. I'm thinking that BIAB will be a real help in learning.

Stan


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"You know you're getting old when..."

My first musical instrument was a ukulele, back in 1954.
In those days, it was tuned thus:

********************************************************************************

"Re-entrant D-tuning
a,D,F#,B

Used to be more popular than it is now. Most of the old song sheets from the ukulele heyday are in D-tuning. Nowadays, the only place I really see it used often is with Formby acolytes."

***********************************************************************************

In all my old uke books, the chords are shown with this tuning.
Is there a way to set up BIAB to use this tuning instead of the "new standard"
of "gCEA" or "GCEA"?

(I'm not at home right now and don't have access to BIAB)

Thanks!
LLOYD S

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The beauty of these forums. I had a uke once and tuned it like the top 4 strings of a guitar. E-B-G-D. Then again when I played around with a banjo I did the same thing. And a mandolin... It's the neck and fingerings I know, so....

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<<In all my old uke books, the chords are shown with this tuning.
Is there a way to set up BIAB to use this tuning instead of the "new standard"
of "gCEA" or "GCEA"? >>

When I was a kid, maybe 10, I recall the tuning being GCEA (my dog has fleas). I'm 71 now so the tuning you are talking is something new to me.

Stan

Last edited by Shastastan; 06/17/11 06:27 PM.

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BOTH tunings are the "My Dog Has Fleas" mnemonic.

The older tuning is just one step lower all around.

A,D,F#,B => G,C,E,A

Fingerings would be identical, but, of course the actual pitch would change by one whole step.


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Quote:

The beauty of these forums. I had a uke once and tuned it like the top 4 strings of a guitar. E-B-G-D. Then again when I played around with a banjo I did the same thing. And a mandolin... It's the neck and fingerings I know, so....




Also known as "The Tedesco Trick" after the late great session man, Tommy Tedesco, who did the same thing with those instruments and even famously on a Balalaika for movie soundtrack work - the more instruments you could cover on those union gigs, the higher the payscale earned. So Tommy bought a trunk full of used stringed instruments and tuned 'em all like his guitar...


--Mac

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Quote:

BOTH tunings are the "My Dog Has Fleas" mnemonic.

The older tuning is just one step lower all around.

A,D,F#,B => G,C,E,A

Fingerings would be identical, but, of course the actual pitch would change by one whole step.


--Mac




When you put it that way, Mac, it's more clear for me. I can't recall that it was not, in fact, two intervals higher "back in the olden days.":)

stan


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So to my question:

"Is there a way to set up BIAB to use this tuning (aDF#B) instead of the "new standard"
of "gCEA" or "GCEA"?"

Am I missing something or is it just not possible?
Item for the Wish List?

Thanks!
LLOYD

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Hi Lloyd

There isn't a way to have custom tunings in BB. One reason is that the fretboards have chord voicings, and these aren't calculated, they are actual voicings that are used.


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OK, thanks Peter!

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I'm new to the BIAB Forum and have a ukulele question. Is it still impossible with the new add-ons to have a ukulele with "low G" tuning? This is the most popular tuning for jazz ukulele playing. Also, if it is possible, how do I do it and how do I get the ukulele fretboasrd display to show it. It shows the gCEQA (re-entrant) tuning where the G string is the G above middle C and "Kow G" tuning demands that it to be the G below middle C. Thanks to the fourm and any help I can get. Blessings

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I think you should add this to the Wishlist Forum as a future request possibility.

I've been sort of campaigning for a *User Definable* stringed instrument course/fretboard view for some time now. Instead of long lists of fixed choices.

That way, *any* Scordatura and reasonable number of string courses could be programmed by the user, named and saved.


--Mac

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I have a low G string on my tenor uke and I just play the same as I do from any other chord chart. I've never seen a chord chart that's any different, but I don't use mine for jazz either. Have you checked the website of Gerald Ross? Sorry I don't have the url, but he does lots of jazz uke stuff.

Stan


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