|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,880
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,880 |
Oh yeah! The real deal for sure. From the opening steel to the vocal to the harmonies everything is classic, i.e., good country.
Folks are still living out songs like this...so why the heck do so few write about it any more? Beats me.
To pull this off it took the "right" lyric, melody, arrangement and choice of RT's -- not to mention a great mix.
Outstanding!
J&B
Old songs like this use to be as common as ticks on a dog. Their time is long gone but I couldn't be happier that it shook the dust off a few nostalgic memories from some of the forum members. I felt this would be one to catch your ear and was anxious to hear your's and Janice's thoughts. Thanks for listening and commenting. Charlie
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 3,218
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 3,218 |
Hello, Charlie
Your vocals, pedal steel, fiddle, everything is great.
Since Japanese radio is never sending country tunes, I can not tell the details about country and western.
However, I felt the real thing in your song.
Very enjoyable listen.
Best regards.
Shigeki Adachi
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,880
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,880 |
Hello, Charlie
Your vocals, pedal steel, fiddle, everything is great.
Since Japanese radio is never sending country tunes, I can not tell the details about country and western.
However, I felt the real thing in your song.
Very enjoyable listen.
Best regards.
Shigeki Adachi This is an older style song that has faded from popularity that details an encounter that still happens to people today. A song about a classic mistake in judgement use to be the heart of country music to my mind. I always appreciate you taking time to share your thoughts and I'm glad you enjoyed your listen. Charlie
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,831
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,831 |
Love the harmonies. And the realtracks.
Well written and a treat to listen to.
much enjoyed!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,052
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,052 |
Many others are far more versed in country music than I am but I love the authentic feel here!! This is just beautifully put together from the write to the production and the mix. Truly stellar!! Take care. Greg
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,880
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,880 |
Love the harmonies. And the realtracks.
Well written and a treat to listen to.
much enjoyed!
Thanks so much. I appreciate you listening. Many others are far more versed in country music than I am but I love the authentic feel here!! This is just beautifully put together from the write to the production and the mix. Truly stellar!! Take care. Greg Thanks for your kind comments Greg. Charlie
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,602
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,602 |
I can’t call my wife I can’t go home
I’ve stayed in this bar way too long
There’s no lie that will get me through my front door
So I tell the bartender my sad story
She tells me boy don’t worry
I’ve something in mind to help you pass the time
There’s a motel 6 just down the road
I’ll check us in we’ll be out of the cold
My loving arms will make your dreams come true
There’s a time and a place for everything
Tonight I’m not looking for a wedding ring
It sounded like a plan and I did what I shouldn’t do.
Three days later I finally went home
I pulled in my drive, and everything was gone
Not even my dog was there to keep me company
She had called on her mama and moved out of town
Took the kids, burned the house to the ground
I’m living, dying buried by this, my sad story
Yes, living, dying buried by this, my sad story Hi Charlie, I initially listened to this shortly after you first posted it. Since then, I’ve listened numerous times both here and at work. Every time I give the song a run-through, the same thought, “This is a terrific song!”, always passes through my mind. What appealed me to most was the way you used rhyme to drive your lyrics’ movement. You’ve done it with great skill. - Before I talk about that though, I want to say that I’m really impressed with how competently you wrote in AAA. It’s a perfect story telling form and it’s one that I have never used because I can never get it to work as effectively as I’d like. After listening to “My Sad Story”, though, I think that you have given me a ‘leg-up’ with how to make it work. The six-line verses, in 4-4-5-4-4-5 meter, are excellent… just right to accommodate the tale of unfortunate liaisons.
Now on to my thoughts about your use of rhyme… This really impressed me a lot. Your approach is meticulous in its planning and execution. The way I see it, verse 2 is the one that properly highlights the intended rhyme scheme. This is… - perfect rhymes on lines 3 and 6 (true/do)
- less formal rhymes on lines 1 and 2 (road/cold), and 4 and 5 (everything/wedding ring)
Rhyming line 6 with line 3 (verse 2) with perfect rhyme is ideal for bringing the lyric flow to a full close before the instrumental interlude. Nice! With lines 1 and 2 in verse 2, the only really noticeable aural relationship is the ‘d’ sound at the end of each word (road, cold). To my ears, this consonance is very effective at creating the grammatical equivalent of a comma. From a rhyming perspective, even though consonance almost passes by without being heard, it creates a sonic relationship. Because this relationship is weak, though, it maintains lyric momentum and keeps the lyrics moving forward. - When I read lines 1 and 2 (verse 2) aloud, I could feel this sense of momentum. If I stopped reading at the end of line 2, I felt a slight sense of discomfort in the form of “this can’t be the end, there’s got to be more to come”. Because of this, when I got to the end of line 3, I could feel a sense of relief.
Because ending line 3 (verse 2) with “do” now drives lyric momentum and the listener won’t be aurally satiated until “do” finds a partner, the feminine perfect rhyme between “wedding ring” and “everything” takes a bit of a back seat. To my ears, this rhyme had a very similar feel to the consonance in lines 1 and 2. When I look at verse 1 from the perspective of verse 2, I see how things were meant to be. I can see and hear the same consonance rhyme between lines 1 and 2 with “home” and “long”. Interestingly, even though the “m” and the “ng” are different sounds and, as such, not really consonance, they belong to the same family of sounds called ‘nasal consonants’ (i.e. n, m, ng). Prof. Pat Pattison calls this ‘home/long’ relationship “family consonance”. Now line 3 comes along and does it’s job to set up line 6. And lines 4 and 5 follow a similar pattern to lines 1 and 2 by having a minor rhyme in the form of a weak syllable rhyme using the ‘-ry’ sound in “worry” and “story”. Then comes line 6 and you’ve set it up perfectly for verse closure with the hanging sound of “door” in line 3. All line 6 needs to do is partner that with something like ‘more, galore, store, shore, etc.’. BUT YOU DON’T!!! I repeat, YOU DON’T!!! Instead, you give us a cleverly executed feeling of lyric surprise. This is extremely effective and it’s a genius way of subtly foreshadowing what’s coming in verse 2. By ending verse 1 with an internal assonance rhyme between “mind” and “time”, you leave the listener longing for the rest for the story! At the end of verse 1, there is only an uncomfortable sense of vague closure. Also, the surprise factor that you’ve introduced here is a perfect match for the twist that you bring with verse 2. Lastly, because the rhymes of “mind” and “time” are so close in proximity, you’ve added lyric acceleration to the lyrics' flow and, as a consequence, an increase in momentum and thus an increase in listeners’ expectations. - By reading verse 1 out loud, it was very easy for me to hear just how much skill was used in assembling these words. Verse 1 was a major highlight.
In verse 3, we have the same pattern of minor rhymes at the end of lines 1 and 2 and lines 4 and 5. Line 3 also sets up the song’s closure by creating the expectation of a perfect rhyme for “company” or at least the ‘-ny’ sound in “company”. But then you throw surprise back into the mix again by putting “story” in the rhyming position for “company”! This is a masterstroke because the lack of perfect rhyme creates a sense of disquiet and is a perfect prosodic choice for emphasising that this tale is indeed a “sad story”. Repeating the last line of the verse adds emphasis and highlights the hook excellently. Quite honestly, I marvel at how much attention to detail is on display in these lyrics. Do you have a fan club? I wouldn’t mind signing up! All the best, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,880
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,880 |
Noel, thanks for such a thorough and detailed review. My intention for the song was to present the listener with a nostalgic and familiar feeling when hearing the song. The lyrical scheme was paramount in achieving that nostalgic familiarity.
Reading through forum members posts, I feel I did accomplish my goal as several have commented how the familiar style takes them back in time.
Regarding your first point about the AAA, that is a very common format and rhyme structure from the 50-60’s time period I was trying to capture. This time period was about country moving from the very traditional (at that time) hillbilly/bluegrass sound to a more of a pop feel but country music had not progressed to the lush, Nashville highly produced sound that was coming.
My impetus to write this song came about from listening to Don Gaynor’s excellent cover of the country classic, “Crazy Arms”. He has it posted in another thread here on the forum. Don’s cover is a very authentic and genuine piece that is true to the time period.
In my attempt to replicate a similar but original song that would be true to the time period, I downloaded Don’s cover, ran it through the ACW and then searched the Style picker over Don's cover song chord chart for an authentic sounding style.
Once I had chosen a style I thought was appropriate, I added several more instruments, ( the best style turned out to be a piano style with sparse instrumentation) so additional RealTracks were auditioned and chosen that fit nicely with the style. Then I used F5 to bring the instruments in and out to complete my music track. The music was arranged, recorded and mixed entirely within the BIAB program much like recordings would have been done back during the time period I was attempting to emulate. There is no cutting/pasting or overdubbing. The tracks are arranged using F5 and rendered.
With my song structure complete, my arrangement complete, and my music rendered, I had an authentic musical bed that is structured for AAA lyrics, with an authentic instrument representation, and it is recorded to the authentic length the songs of this time period. Now I’m ready to write my lyrics.
I have two story lines to choose from for my song. Regardless of gender, songs from this era were mostly about pining for a love you don’t have – ie: “Crazy Arms” /”The window up above” or destroying the relationship you are in ie: “Walking the Floor Over You” or “Back Street Affair”. I chose to use the cheating song theme over the unrequited love theme to reduce the influence of possibly copying “Crazy Arms”.
With my framework of music and theme complete, my task is to write lyrics that fit within the structure, song length and time. I created a verse outline of verse one, create a predicament. Verse 2, make the predicament worse. The song structure places either another verse or instrumental break at this point and I chose to use an instrument break. Verse 3, resolve the predicament either to the good or bad.
Using this structure, line 3 of each verse is the pivotal line. It is the movement line that propels my predicament to another direction and tells me what line 6 will be. Using the 4-4-5-4-4-5 meter allowed me to focus on my storyline rather than losing momentum searching for strong rhymes. In my lyrics, line 3 is the only line I truly had to work at and constantly revise as the story progressed through my predicament.
Verse One: Lines 1, 2 establish my predicament which is reinforced by line 3 and sends me to 4-6 setting up making my predicament worse.
Verse Two: Lines 1, 2 establish the potential to worsen my predicament. Again, line 3 reinforces the potential and lines 4-6 lead me to worsen my plight.
Verse 3: Lines 1, 2 show how bad my predicament has evolved. Line 3 reinforces this and sets up the ending – which in my story; I choose to resolve the ending to be bad with no chance of reconciliation.
The story timeline is written so each verse gives the listener a different perspective. For instance, verse one is written in the first person in the present - It is written as if the speaker is sitting in the bar contemplating the predicament he finds himself in.
Verse two, while still written in the present, is purposely gender neutral, either the bartender or the speaker can be speaking in this verse. It's left to the imagination and point of view taken by the listener.
Verse 3 is again the main character, but is written in the past tense so the three verses each have given the listener a different perspective and view of the story.
With such a strong structure and foundation, the lyrics to this song came very quickly. Most of the work was on line 3 of each verse. The hardest part of the song was the last line. I could not find a suitable ending line to the song. That line had to resolve the predicament in a final way. I couldn’t find it; nothing would suitably end my song.
After a few days searching with no success, while at church, listening as the Pastor preached his sermon, he used the phrase “living, dying, buried… “within a sentence. With the words “my sad story” added, I had the ending resolved. I wanted to reinforce “my sad story” by using those particular words so rhyming was more focused on the “eee” sound of story (y) rather than the “neee” sound of company (ny)
Once I had the resolution last line, I was ready to record and finish my song.
Noel, I truly appreciate you providing such a detailed explanation of the mechanics of how my lyrics developed and why they worked. My lyrical focus was developing the storyline and the meter and rhyming were taken from established rules that songwriters of the time period all used so my genuine replication and authenticity all derived from me copying from songs I’ve heard all my life.
I am absolutely thrilled at your kind comments for this song.
Charlie
Last edited by Charlie Fogle; 05/27/17 02:48 AM.
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,298
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2,298 |
This thread is AWESOME! I really like that we have people here that wrote the song for direct commentary and people who can dissect it from a different perspective.
The song itself and the discussions that occur after the write are what make this forum GREAT!
Last edited by HearToLearn; 06/05/17 04:02 PM.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,590
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,590 |
I haven't read all the comments, but I loved this song. Hank Williams Sn lives. Production etc seems great but I have no knowledge of this side of things except my ears. I loved this snippet.
"moved out of town
Took the kids, burned the house to the ground"
Classic
Windows 10 Home 20H2 Build 19042.487
BIAB 2021 (Build 818)
Intel(R) Core(TM), i3-4160, CPU @3.60 GHz RAM 16 GB, 64 Bit X64-based processor
Zoom UAC-2 (USB 3 interface-built in midi)
VoiceLive 3 Extreme, Sputnik Valve Condenser Mic
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,880
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,880 |
This thread is AWESOME! I really like that we have people here that wrote the song for direct commentary and people who can dissect it from a different perspective.
The song itself and the discussions that occur after the write are what make this forum GREAT! You're right. It's a great forum and I've learned a lot since joining. Charlie
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,880
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,880 |
I haven't read all the comments, but I loved this song. Hank Williams Sn lives. Production etc seems great but I have no knowledge of this side of things except my ears. I loved this snippet.
"moved out of town
Took the kids, burned the house to the ground"
Classic You've put quite a smile on me. Thanks for taking time to listen and comment and I'm glad you enjoyed the song. Charlie
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 3,414
PG Music Staff
|
|
PG Music Staff
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 3,414 |
Amazing song, Charlie. Subject matter, this is a great composition as well. Love the old school country sound on this! A great example of what can be accomplished using Band-in-a-Box. Thanks for sharing!
Last edited by Deryk - PG Music; 06/10/17 12:21 PM.
Cheers,
Deryk
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,880
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,880 |
Amazing song, Charlie. Subject matter, this is a great composition as well. Love the old school country sound on this! A great example of what can be accomplished using Band-in-a-Box. Thanks for sharing!
_________________
Cheers,
Deryk Thanks so much for stopping by Deryk. I'm glad you enjoyed the song. A lot of thanks for anything I do has to go out to PGMusic. Not only do they provide the vehicle for my musical journey, but through this forum, they are the vessel that allows me to share my music all over the world and be part of a great international family. Charlie
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 1,591
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 1,591 |
All good, Charlie. Thanks.
Takes us back to the days before the SOB that runs the trashmill got obsessed with portraying Americans as promiscuous, morally degenerate alcoholics, doing whatever they feel like, without consequences. To the contrary, with reward.
One theory holds that there is so much money flying around the underground heroin economy, the business is going around buying up the legitimate economy, the media being prime real estate.
Yeah, I'm talking about the days of Hank Williams, Porter Waggoner, that era.
Man has fallen, has sinful and depraved nature, but there is an ultimate price to pay for those who don't get right. "My Sad Story" captures that classic country theme.
Last edited by edshaw; 06/11/17 04:20 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,880
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,880 |
All good, Charlie. Thanks.
Takes us back to the days before the SOB that runs the trashmill got obsessed with portraying Americans as promiscuous, morally degenerate alcoholics, doing whatever they feel like, without consequences. To the contrary, with reward.
One theory holds that there is so much money flying around the underground heroin economy, the business is going around buying up the legitimate economy, the media being prime real estate.
Yeah, I'm talking about the days of Hank Williams, Porter Waggoner, that era.
Man has fallen, has sinful and depraved nature, but there is an ultimate price to pay for those who don't get right. "My Sad Story" captures that classic country theme. Thanks. I appreciate you taking time to stop by for a listen and comment. Charlie
BIAB 2026:RB 2026, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,944
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,944 |
Great country tune... I enjoyed it
Jim
†=☮&♥
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 2,699
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 2,699 |
hi Charlie well done sir love it great mix everything fit perfect thanks for sharing eric
AMD (TM) 5950 4.9 GHz 16Core Processor 64 bit 32 bits of ram windows 10 pro 64 bit os. sound card Antelope ZenQ guitars Ibanez 2202a 1968 les Paul Custom and Cavin ae 185 Guitar boss Gt-100,GT1000 pedal Yamaha HS8 studio monitors
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,494
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,494 |
Charlie,
Thanks. I have lost my will to live.
But dang that was some old school country right there.
That's the way they used to do it back in the day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 125
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 125 |
Very nice Charlie,
The $100 note with "Good Song" on it is on its way to you,
Spend it well, Enjoy
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
- Playable RealTracks Set 5
- RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
- SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
- 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
- FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
- SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,296
Posts802,876
Members40,085
| |
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean