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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Apr 2009
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OP
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Yep... I've seen folks ask this question several times and there's never been a good answer other than, you can put 4 chords into a bar as long as you separate them with a comma.
So... here's a thought.... FYI.... I have not tried this because this idea just occurred to me. And I've never really had the need to put more than 4 into a bar.
So.... feel free to try this and see if it works.
Essentially, lets say the song is at 120 BPM... and you need, for some bizarre reason to have 8 chords in quick succession all played on the beat and all being 8th note chords.
Where you want the 8 chords to be... in the space of one measure/bar.... add a measure. Now, you edit the bar settings for both bars so that the tempo is 240bpm. Now, simply add the 8 chords... 4 to a bar delineated with commas as is normally the case. Just be sure to edit the 3rd bar to return the tempo back to 120.
I'm thinking this might work. Although, there might be chord voicing issues playing them that fast. I've seen BB do some strange things in situations like this. Also, the effect of the tempo change WILL affect the other instruments. So, doing this and having it sound good might require the editing abilities of a good DAW...or.... silence/mute the drums and anything else that makes it sound "off kilter".
But hey... give it a try if you're wanting to squeeze in a butt load of chords into the space of 4 beats.
Waddaya think? Ever try this? Did it work or not?
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Jul 2000
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Oh yes, this is a long-time workaround. I just mentioned it this morning to a beginner who wondered at first how to get more than two chords per bar. It's even more likely to work now in BIAB 2017 because you can set RealDrums to half-time.
By the way, assuming we are talking about doing this for an entire song, this is the basis under which Notes Norton's expanded syles have worked since the early 90s.
The drawback is the notation won't be right, but you can often get the sound to be right.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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The other drawback is because you are doubling the tempo, styles may or may not work well with it, and the drums are usually way too fast. Norton's expanded styles take this into account.
Here's hoping that at some point in the near future we get native 8th note chord support. I know there will be those that will then clamor for 16th note resolution, but 8th note gets us much closer to properly capturing most music (and with pushes, you can still get on the 16th note divisions).
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Jul 2000
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John, about the drums being too fast, I agree. That was the main reason (along with 100 bpm sambas) that I requested the ability to do half or double-time RealDrums. Try it!
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Another way might be to write two sets of changes at the same tempo.
The first set lets say will be the chords you will place on the 'and' of each beat. Yet just write them as if they were normal 4 to the bar.
You then copy/move tracks bouncing this chord part over to a spare melody or soloist channel.
Then erase the chord sheet and write the second set of changes; the ones that'll sound 'on' the beat.
Go back to the first set on the other channel then time shift them ahead by 55/60 ticks or whatever works best for the feel and style you're working in.
They should now fit exactly in between the on the beat changes.
Can sound a bit stiff if you don't push them ahead by the right number of ticks so experiment. It can useful for short riff phrasing you can't find in the style you're using but which you need for the song.
HTH
Alan
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"Here's hoping that at some point in the near future we get native 8th note chord support."
Yes....Please!!!!! I believe this one change would open a million possibilities.
Regards,
Bob
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Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
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Joined: Dec 2016
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Newbie
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Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 3 |
[quote=Guitarhacker]Yep... I've seen folks ask this question several times and there's never been a good answer other than, you can put 4 chords into a bar as long as you separate them with a comma.
Guitarhacker, You said the above, I have just been trying to simply get 4 chords in a bar, which I have done visually using the "Chord Settings". The chords appear where I want them but BB doesn't play the chords I put on the 2nd, and 3rd beats. I havent found any instruction in the help files to tell me how. I tried what you mentioned, typing commas in between but the commas disappeared as soon as I hit enter. Please help I have 2 songs now that need to have different chords played on the 3 beat.
Thanks,
Ken.
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I seem to have it working now.
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