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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 264
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 264 |
Hey everyone
Mostly I use BIAB for practicing with.
Either loading standard chord progressions and playing with them in different styles
Or I've programmed some drum only styles where beats drop out to help with my timing.
I'm writing an article for my website on how to use BIAB for practicing - does anyone who uses BIAB to help practice their instrument post how they use BIAB?
Thanks in advance
Paul
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 812
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 812 |
Greetings Paul,
Good thread and topic here. Peter and Company have really developed the ultimate practice tool with BIAB. I not only use it for my own personal practice, but for my students and classes as well. For Example:
1. My personal practice: I now have many folders containing the exercises of my music books. I play both Trumpet and Piano. Most brass exercises can be a tad bit tedious and unmusical. BIAB to the rescue, I now have tasty backing tracks for my Trumpet books, both Exercise and Etude books. I am also working on a Transcribed solo book, which I will put into BIAB. In this way I will have the Original MP3 of the solo (Clifford Brown or Bill Evans for example) Then the chords and solo written out in BIAB. I can slow down the solo or change keys at any time, allowing me to zero in on trouble spots. Last, I now have a Big folder of my personal favorite tunes, that I play using the Jukebox feature. This insures that I really know the tunes and is great for playing through without pausing, I can then shuffle these tunes in my iPod when Im gigging and I will always know the tune even if I can´t see my iPod!
2. I use BIAB in my Harmony and Music Theory classes. I have many music theory books now in BIAB format, it is so much better to play REAL MUSIC then just trying to explain some concept . This week, I made a file for the song Ïf you never come to me¨by AC Jobim. I was able to play in the melody from my EWI , Type in the chords and Print out parts for Concert, Bb and Eb instruments in less than 10 minutes! I then printed out another copy without the melody, asking my students to improvise using their pencils. I then printed another copy of a Soloist part (Pat Martino 16th note solo) WOW, my students were blown away by this approach to Improv.
Really Paul, I´m just scratching the surface here. PM me if you need more details, and I can also zip you some files so you can see what I´m talking about.
Hope this helps,
Ed
Acapulco
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,508
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,508 |
I originally bought BiaB back on the Atari/ST computer to practice improvisation on my saxophone with. After all, improvisation is a series of making tensions and releasing those tensions, but without the rest of the band, there are no tensions. I still use BiaB to practice improvisation with. It is great for that. I also write aftermarket styles for it http://www.nortonmusic.com - I started writing the styles for myself, gave them to friends who raved about them, so I took out an ad in Electronics Musician. Peter Gannon called one day and offered to help me convert them to PC and Mac (thanks Peter) and before I knew it I was in the style business. I also use BiaB as a scratch pad to generate backing tracks for my duo - complete instructions on how I do that are at http://www.nortonmusic.com/backing_tracks.htmlBut of all the uses for BiaB, I think it is one of the best practice tools on the market. Almost any song, any key, any tempo, any style, and your band-mates don't have to hear the clinkers while you practice. 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
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6
Newbie
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Newbie
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6 |
Here are some things I use BIAB for:
1. Playing the melody of a tune on my tenor, in unison with lead instrument and rhythm, to keep my intonation and time honest.
2. Listening to the chords of a tune and then soloing over them.
3. Generating an endless stream of sight-reading material in many styles and keys with the Soloist.
4. Adding new tunes to my book and printing lead sheets in C, Bb, and Eb.
5. Having fun, as decreed by Peter Gannon.
I bought Band in a Box to use as a practice tool, and that's still its primary role in my musical life. Though Real Drums and Real Bass make for an amazingly realistic accompaniment, the most important capabilities for me are still those fundamentals having to do with accompaniment (including easy transposition and tempo change), generation of melodies and solos, variety of styles, and notation. I hope PG will not abandon further development of those capabilities of this wonderful program in favor of pretty horn sounds (which are way cool, but I still want to be the best-sounding horn in the room when I practice).
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 264
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 264 |
Thanks everyone for the posts - when I've written the article for my website (the original purpose of the Original Post!) I'll post a link here so you can have a look....
Cheers
Paul
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
Wow, bass players practice? (Ducks)
C G C G C G C G G C G C C......
Groovin'!
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 264
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 264 |
thats a tough exercise!
DO I use both hands?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1
Newbie
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Newbie
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1 |
Hello Edward,
I am using BIAB the same way you do.
Actually, I would like to find a transcription of Clifford Brown's solo on Delilah.
Any idea where I could find it ?
Thanks
Francis
francis.behr@gmail.com
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,624
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,624 |
Hi Francis,
Welcome to the forums.
Have you tried Google and then looked at the images that Google finds?
This post you found was created back in 2009 (03/16/09 according to the time stamp) and the original poster doesn't drop by too often these days so they might not see your question.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6
Newbie
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Newbie
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 6 |
I've used BIAB in 3 ways over the years... 1) Back in the 90's I developed awful tendonitis and nerve damage to my right elbow so couldn't physically handle recording the bass and drum parts to my original songs. I used BIAB to play/record the rhythm section then multitracked the guitar and vocals on top. My arms were blown out, but I could still write/record my stuff. BIAB was a lifesaver! 2) Currently I'm trying to learn to play pedal steel guitar and BIAB is the perfect practice buddy. It's super easy and fast to enter in any song I want to learn then play and repeat, repeat, repeat! 3) Another thing I use it for to optimize my practice time...I can save a song as a standard midi file then import that into TablEdit (tablature editing software) which will translate the midi file into pedal steel tablature. Saves me lots of time where I used to have to transcribe pedal steel tab by hand. BIAB...there is no substitute 
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,070
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,070 |
WytchCrypt, I noticed your #2 about learning to play steel guitar. Did you know there is a steel guitar forum that has a special section just for Band-in-a-Box? You can find out more about the steel guitar forum ++HERE++
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 6,725
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 6,725 |
Don't know if this fits the question but, the way I practice with BIAB is to rehearsh for my gigs.
#1. Determine my set list
#2. List them according to Key Sig and tempo so the set is easiest on the ear and brain.
#3. Put on cans, grab a nearby guitar and run through the set using Jukebox.
#4. Of course time the set as I edit what I want to be the final.
#5. After I get it where I think it should be, then I add at the bottom a list of 5/10 more songs that can be substituted with the click of a mouse.
6. After my list passes the can test I repeat all of the above through the PA I will be using on the gig.
7. Then I pack for the gig and have a Jack Daniel's and Water.
PS: I also like to spend at least 5-6 hours a week working on original and new cover material.
Later,
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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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Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
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- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
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- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
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