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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Feb 2001
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Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 733 |
After 17 years using BIAB I am only now wondering whether I need a strategy for repeating identical chords in the chord sheet when the song has several bars with no chord change. Say you have a song that has no chord change for 6 bars, is there something to be gained by adding extra identical chords. As I understand things the styles are written to generate different notes for one, two, three or four bars etc so the backing tracks will be different for 6 bars with no extra chords versus any other combination adding up to six. Is it worth experimenting with extra chords to generate different tracks. Does anyone do this?
Also I suspect that RealTracks are different and perhaps this is a non-issue with RT's?
Thanks
Tony
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Tony, that's an excellent question. I think we will need PG Music to answer it.
Having said that, I'm going to guess.
I believe the RealTrack phrases can be up to 8 bars.
I absolutely DO NOT repeat the chords each bar in a longer RealTracks phrase unless I have to (for example, if I wanted a series of holds or shots). I think it's best to let the phrase 'stretch out' as long as possible because it results in better voice leading. Otherwise, you can get one bar with the piano in the upper octave, the next where it goes down an octave etc. So, rather than something to be gained, I believe something can be lost by repeating the same chord.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Tony,
I generally do what Matt does. Simply let a single chord entry carry over the 6 (or more) bars.
I haven't tried repeated chords in 2017, but in the past I've found that if I enter a repeated chord, it causes the bass note to play in root position (mostly). A single chord at the beginning of a stretch of bars usually leads to a more adventurous bass pattern.
Being able to use repetitions of one chord (unless shots, holds, pushes, etc. are used) hasn't always been available. In pre-2010 (I'm guessing a bit here), I have a vague recollection that I tried this a few times unsuccessfully - repeated chords couldn't be entered.
Regards,
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Bass on the root too: Noel is right.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Journeyman
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If you look at a style in Stylemaker you will see different patterns for 1, 2, 4,and 8 beats and different weights (frequency of being selected) for each pattern. I have never got into stylemaking but doesn't this mean that you get different patterns depending on how many beats before the next chord? I have never heard that you have to change to a different chord to get a different pattern or that BIAB has changed recently. Also, what happens if you have more than 8 beats between chords and does a style behave the same way if the instrument is a realtrack?
Perhaps someone from PG, or an experienced stylemaker user, could join in. This seems like a fundamental question for BIAB users and doesn't sound like proprietary information. I could embark on a series of experiments but would really like to understand the principle first.
Thanks
Tony
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Tony -
The weights you are looking at apply to MIDI styles. RealTracks are sliced and diced differently, for which I don't have the information as to what is happening under the hood.
But for MIDI styles, as I recall having it explained many years ago, BIAB will look ahead as to how many beats are left before the next chord plays and will use the longest phrase it has available (8, 4, 2, or 1).
Since the longest is 8 beats, then obviously things are going to start over every couple of bars.
For RealTracks, my understanding is that there are up to 8 bar (not beat) phrases, so it handles things differently. PGMusic would have to answer that.
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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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Bass on the root too: Noel is right. Thanks for testing, Matt. In the past, I've used this whenever I want BIAB to play the root note of a chord in the bass. Often this is before a chord change or if I'm trying to get a particular effect.
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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RealTracks are not "samples"... They are full recordings, lasting from 1 to 8 bars . Found that quote in the second paragraph ++ HERE ++ 
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