Originally Posted By: newbert


1. BIAB's chord sheet annotation is relatively small, but it's pretty clear which measure is playing at any given time. The lead sheet annotation is relatively large, but it's not nearly as clear which measure is playing. (ie - the highlighting is dim and thin.) Is there a way to either increase the size of the chord sheet notation, or have the lead sheet highlight the current measure more prominently?


Oh dear. You should not develop a habit of watching the Bar Indicator when practicing. You should learn to COUNT AT ALL TIMES FOR YOURSELF as you play. Tapping the foot on each beat should be done until that and the internal counting behind it are second nature. "ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR" or in some Feels it might be "One and, Two and, Three and, Four and" - of course, for a 3/5 Time Signature, you stop at the end of the 3 and start again with 1.

The reason for this is manyfold, but perhaps the first reason is that if you wait until the other instruments have hit the beat before playing, you are already too late. Counting with our own internal clock at all times means that you will always be hitting at the same time with the music you are hearing.

There is no other way. I suppose at some time in our collective playing and practice lives, we've all thought we could get away with not counting, and if we stuck with it, we all found out just how untrue that notion is.

Since you are basically starting out, start with GOOD HABITS from the beginning, for it is incredibly difficult to relearn a bad habit that has been learned by process of repetition.

PRINT THE LEADSHEET OUT ON PAPER AND PLACE THE PAPER ON THE PIANOBOARD. Start BB, but not directly in front of you when practicing. Having a song in .mgu format, with the Melody typically only on the Treble clef, plus those fakechords is the best way to go here.

Quote:
2. Having come from a background of playing off of sheet music (sight reading), I still have a lot of work to do in getting comfortable with quickly identifying chords and their inversions. So, is there any way to slow down the playback of a BIAB file that was created thru the Audio Chord Wizard (ACW), so that I can practice playing the accompanying chords slowly? I know that it's possible to increase/decrease the tempo for a chord progression/style that you input, but it doesn't seem that it's possible to do this with a file that came from the ACW.


If you mute the original Audio file, or Kill that on the BB Audio Track, and then find a BB Style that plays with basically the same feel and tempo and invoke that style, then you can use the Tempo indicator to slow things down. You can also then change Keys, if desired. But the original Audio file you put into the ACW cannot be stretched in tempo or the likes inside BB. If you do want to practice along with the original file, and if the ACW has indeed interpreted all the chords properly, the Windows Media Player has a built in plugin Effect that will allow you to slow or speed up only the Tempo of the audio file. Great for practicing along with a recording when you want to learn *exactly* what is on that recording.

Quote:
3. Related to my inexperience with quickly identifying all but the most basic chords on the keyboard - Does BIAB have a built-in function somewhere that I could quickly refer to, that would show me the notes that comprise a given chord? Note: I have the Piano Chord Dictionary software, but it doesn't allow me to simply type in the chord (similar to the notation on BIAB's chord sheet). If nothing else, what's the best way to use BIAB to learn chords and their inversions (for piano/keyboard)?


I recommend finding an online free resource that shows the basic Chord structures on the keyboard, and their inversions.

There's quite a few things on the Internet like that, some static with pictures, some with written staff, some with automated widgets where if you enter a fakechord name it can show you on the keyboard.

You're on the Internet. Websearch Engines are your friend:

http://www.bing.com/search?FORM=SOLTDF&q=piano+chords

I teach the method that enables the student to always be able to mentally know the notes of each triad first from knowing the Scale it is based upon. Then learn how to add the extension numbers from there. There are only 4 basic Triads, Major, minor, diminished and augmented. You can websearch up very good practical explanations on that subject as well. This method is better preparation than rote memorization of each fake chord encountered in turn. Learn the rules, which are simple, and it works in any of the 12 keys.
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Finally, don't feel daunted. You can read the Grand Staff already, which is important IMO. That can be a big step ahead of most nonreaders when finally addressing the FULL understanding of the Art of Keyboard Playing.

Have Fun,


--Mac

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