Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
My Favorite Things
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 8,647
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 8,647
I write and play in quite a few different genres. The flexibility BIAB gives me makes transpositions, from one genre to another, so easy and quick. A number of times I've created a piece, intending it to be a Smooth Jazz or Smooth RnB song. But when I generated the song, it just didn't work in the intended genre.

With a simple click of the Style Picker ... BAM! The song ended up as a pretty decent Pop song. I only had to replace a couple of instruments from the new style and alter a couple of chords.

Just for kicks, I changed nothing but the style (through Style Picker) and got some very interesting results, a couple of which ended up as new songs.

I love playing around with the styles - lots of fun! Sometimes the results is hilarious, sometimes interesting, sometimes just bad and often pretty cool! I spend several hours per week doing just that. You never know what might happen that never crossed your mind.

Have fun with your music!

Alan

Last edited by Al-David; 10/19/17 01:23 PM.

BIAB 2024 Ultra Plus-all StylePaks*Win11*32GB DDR5*Rhyzen 9745x*AT 2035 Mic*Peavey Nashville 112 Amp*Ibanez ART120* Acoustic/Electric/Washburn D200S Acoustic*Stromberg Monterey Jazz Guitar

Loops: https://aldavidmusic.wixsite.com/bestmusicloops

My Favorite Things
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,562
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,562
Great post, Alan.

I compose Brazilian and Latin jazz but I often mix genres in individual parts to make grooves no one has heard before. BIAB makes it easy to experiment.


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; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
My Favorite Things
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,088
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 21,088
Certainly the flexibility knows no bounds.

The versatility to change things around as your have done is probably understated.

It's good to see others enjoying the 'experimenting'.


BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
My Favorite Things
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,686
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,686
Great post Alan!

Like you I have many songs that started with one style only to find another style worked better and/or lead me into a new direction.

I really like putting chords into BiaB then just playing with styles. It is not only fun but also very educational, at least to myself. I am playing genres now that I never even thought of playing before I got BiaB.

I believe that the only limitation of either choosing a BiaB style or mixing and blending BiaB styles is your imagination.

YMMV


Tips on how to fall asleep in a living room chair:
1- Be old
2- Sit in a chair

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
My Favorite Things
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,844
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,844
I love taking a song and just running it through different styles in various genres. Often I hit upon one that is very different from the original, but I really like. Doesn't matter if anyone else likes it, I like it and enjoy listening to it that way.

Great post, Alan. Agree 100%.


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)
My Favorite Things
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,863
C
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
C
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,863
One of my favorite projects was creating from "Erase The Miles", a bluegrass tune by Third Tyme Out, into a 'in the style of Elvis' backing track for a friend who's an amateur Elvis impersonator.

Very easy to do with BIAB...

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.
My Favorite Things
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 8,647
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 8,647
Originally Posted By: Matt Finley
Great post, Alan.

I compose Brazilian and Latin jazz but I often mix genres in individual parts to make grooves no one has heard before. BIAB makes it easy to experiment.


Hi Matt,

Good to hear your take on this. I've not heard any of your compositions ... would love to. Is there a link I can go to hear your music? Di and I are big fans of Latin Jazz, well, most of the Latin genres and subgenres; but Latin Jazz is our favorite.

We do a fair amount of Latin compositions, but mostly Bossa. We find almost all the music from Brazil to be fun and exciting. Thanks for chiming in.

Alan


PS: If you recall, a couple of months ago I posted about Maj6th chords and you replied with a suggestion to use a 6-9 chord. I answered I didn't think it would work. I found that it will work some of the time if i extend the scale. other times, it would work for rhythm backing but not for chord leads. I was going to do a video but just never got to it. Long story why I didn't, but I won't bore you with it. Anyway, thanks for that 6-9 suggestion - it's given new life to some of the songs where I was stymied.


BIAB 2024 Ultra Plus-all StylePaks*Win11*32GB DDR5*Rhyzen 9745x*AT 2035 Mic*Peavey Nashville 112 Amp*Ibanez ART120* Acoustic/Electric/Washburn D200S Acoustic*Stromberg Monterey Jazz Guitar

Loops: https://aldavidmusic.wixsite.com/bestmusicloops

My Favorite Things
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 8,647
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 8,647
Originally Posted By: VideoTrack
Certainly the flexibility knows no bounds.

The versatility to change things around as your have done is probably understated.

It's good to see others enjoying the 'experimenting'.


Hi VT,

Yes, I think that flexibility isn't employed as much as some folks might do so. It's given me so many ideas and the process is relatively simple. As I mentioned in my original post, it can be a lot of fun - sometimes very rewarding.

Keep putting out that goods VT music, my friend!

Alan


BIAB 2024 Ultra Plus-all StylePaks*Win11*32GB DDR5*Rhyzen 9745x*AT 2035 Mic*Peavey Nashville 112 Amp*Ibanez ART120* Acoustic/Electric/Washburn D200S Acoustic*Stromberg Monterey Jazz Guitar

Loops: https://aldavidmusic.wixsite.com/bestmusicloops

My Favorite Things
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 8,647
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 8,647
Originally Posted By: MarioD
Great post Alan!

Like you I have many songs that started with one style only to find another style worked better and/or lead me into a new direction.

I really like putting chords into BiaB then just playing with styles. It is not only fun but also very educational, at least to myself. I am playing genres now that I never even thought of playing before I got BiaB.

I believe that the only limitation of either choosing a BiaB style or mixing and blending BiaB styles is your imagination.

YMMV



hello mario!

Yeah ... I do that a lot. Even if it doesn't give me something I can actually work with, it stimulates to try new things. Those of us who tend to play around in various genres can have some fun and get some rewards with that bit of tinkering. best to you. Stay warm up there in New York

Alan


BIAB 2024 Ultra Plus-all StylePaks*Win11*32GB DDR5*Rhyzen 9745x*AT 2035 Mic*Peavey Nashville 112 Amp*Ibanez ART120* Acoustic/Electric/Washburn D200S Acoustic*Stromberg Monterey Jazz Guitar

Loops: https://aldavidmusic.wixsite.com/bestmusicloops

My Favorite Things
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 8,647
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 8,647
Originally Posted By: jford
I love taking a song and just running it through different styles in various genres. Often I hit upon one that is very different from the original, but I really like. Doesn't matter if anyone else likes it, I like it and enjoy listening to it that way.

Great post, Alan. Agree 100%.



Hi John!

the very first sentence of your reply is exactly what I was referring to, And it can lead to some fun and interesting results. And I agree, if i like it ... good enough!

Thanks for the reply. Best to you.

Alan


BIAB 2024 Ultra Plus-all StylePaks*Win11*32GB DDR5*Rhyzen 9745x*AT 2035 Mic*Peavey Nashville 112 Amp*Ibanez ART120* Acoustic/Electric/Washburn D200S Acoustic*Stromberg Monterey Jazz Guitar

Loops: https://aldavidmusic.wixsite.com/bestmusicloops

My Favorite Things
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 8,647
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 8,647
Originally Posted By: Charlie Fogle
One of my favorite projects was creating from "Erase The Miles", a bluegrass tune by Third Tyme Out, into a 'in the style of Elvis' backing track for a friend who's an amateur Elvis impersonator.

Very easy to do with BIAB...

Charlie


Charlie,

That's a great example of what I was referring to. It's unlimited what one can do with a few minutes of experimenting and then some massaging of the tracks and tine. You hit the nail on the head. Wishing you well.

Alan


BIAB 2024 Ultra Plus-all StylePaks*Win11*32GB DDR5*Rhyzen 9745x*AT 2035 Mic*Peavey Nashville 112 Amp*Ibanez ART120* Acoustic/Electric/Washburn D200S Acoustic*Stromberg Monterey Jazz Guitar

Loops: https://aldavidmusic.wixsite.com/bestmusicloops

My Favorite Things
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,562
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,562
Hi Alan. Did you see, Callie from PG Music just posted your comment? http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=437960#Post437960

It’s also on the running PG Music News to the right, if you have that turned on.

Very nice! Congrats.

About my music, both Mario and John Ford above, and Pat Marr, have heard me live. I do have a studio CD I released in 2006, called Brazilian Wish. You can preview it on the website that is my two names together .com It is also on all the usual suspects for online music. Dr. Gannon gave me permission a long time ago to mention it because I wrote all nine songs on the CD using BIAB. Although the CD is played by all pros in the studios, I sent them charts and the BIAB song demos first so they would be better prepared to play what I wanted. It's a system I continue to use, including for most of the other ten CDs on which I appear. Since that time, BIAB added RealDrums then RealTracks, so the demos get better and better.

I don't recall exactly what I may have said about the Major 6th chord versus 6/9, but we could certainly resume that in another thread if you like. 6/9 is a staple in Brazilian jazz (and my compositions), and that's probably why I mentioned it. But there is more to it if you want to talk more. The 13th is the same pitch as a 6th, just voiced up an octave, so that gives you all kinds of additional possibilities in the upper extensions (you spoke of 'extending the scale'), although it adds a dominant feel because it also includes the minor (dominant) 7th.


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; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
My Favorite Things
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 8,647
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 8,647
Originally Posted By: Matt Finley
Hi Alan. Did you see, Callie from PG Music just posted your comment? http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=437960#Post437960

It’s also on the running PG Music News to the right, if you have that turned on.

Very nice! Congrats.

About my music, both Mario and John Ford above, and Pat Marr, have heard me live. I do have a studio CD I released in 2006, called Brazilian Wish. You can preview it on the website that is my two names together .com It is also on all the usual suspects for online music. Dr. Gannon gave me permission a long time ago to mention it because I wrote all nine songs on the CD using BIAB. Although the CD is played by all pros in the studios, I sent them charts and the BIAB song demos first so they would be better prepared to play what I wanted. It's a system I continue to use, including for most of the other ten CDs on which I appear. Since that time, BIAB added RealDrums then RealTracks, so the demos get better and better.

I don't recall exactly what I may have said about the Major 6th chord versus 6/9, but we could certainly resume that in another thread if you like. 6/9 is a staple in Brazilian jazz (and my compositions), and that's probably why I mentioned it. But there is more to it if you want to talk more. The 13th is the same pitch as a 6th, just voiced up an octave, so that gives you all kinds of additional possibilities in the upper extensions (you spoke of 'extending the scale'), although it adds a dominant feel because it also includes the minor (dominant) 7th.
\


Hi Again, Matt.

Yes, I did see tha5t. It's very nice and rewarding to know one's thoughts and experiences are constructive and or interesting enough to garner a small spotlight. I'm very appreciative of her recognition.

And yes, again, i would like to further pursue the 6/9 and Maj6 discussion in the near future. I think I should let you know that although I do not read notation appreciably, I have a very good understanding of chords, chord structure and how they are mutually used. And I am proficient with the Nashville numbering system.

In the Jazz pieces I compose and perform, I routinely use Maj6, Maj9, m9, m11, m7b5, 7#5,13,13b9, dim and other related chords. I use them a lot in Smooth RnB, too. Just wanted to let you know where I'm coming from.

I appreciate your offer to further discuss the subject. I'm always hungry for new information! Thank you again.

Alan

PS: From time to time, you will significant typos in my messages. I have Focal Dystonia, which makes typing a real nightmare - playing guitar as well. I'm a good speller but my fingers don't want to cooperate at times.


BIAB 2024 Ultra Plus-all StylePaks*Win11*32GB DDR5*Rhyzen 9745x*AT 2035 Mic*Peavey Nashville 112 Amp*Ibanez ART120* Acoustic/Electric/Washburn D200S Acoustic*Stromberg Monterey Jazz Guitar

Loops: https://aldavidmusic.wixsite.com/bestmusicloops

My Favorite Things
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
B
Expert
Offline
Expert
B
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
Originally Posted By: Matt Finley
Hi Alan. Did you see, Callie from PG Music just posted your comment? http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=437960#Post437960

It’s also on the running PG Music News to the right, if you have that turned on.

Very nice! Congrats.

About my music, both Mario and John Ford above, and Pat Marr, have heard me live. I do have a studio CD I released in 2006, called Brazilian Wish. You can preview it on the website that is my two names together .com It is also on all the usual suspects for online music. Dr. Gannon gave me permission a long time ago to mention it because I wrote all nine songs on the CD using BIAB. Although the CD is played by all pros in the studios, I sent them charts and the BIAB song demos first so they would be better prepared to play what I wanted. It's a system I continue to use, including for most of the other ten CDs on which I appear. Since that time, BIAB added RealDrums then RealTracks, so the demos get better and better.

I don't recall exactly what I may have said about the Major 6th chord versus 6/9, but we could certainly resume that in another thread if you like. 6/9 is a staple in Brazilian jazz (and my compositions), and that's probably why I mentioned it. But there is more to it if you want to talk more. The 13th is the same pitch as a 6th, just voiced up an octave, so that gives you all kinds of additional possibilities in the upper extensions (you spoke of 'extending the scale'), although it adds a dominant feel because it also includes the minor (dominant) 7th.


Dear Mr. Finley...

I hope I am not intruding on this post...

You stated that the "6/9 is a staple in Brazilian jazz (and my compositions)". Is that knowledge you gained simply from playing/performing in that genre, or did you encounter some kind of theoretical instruction -- possibly in printable form -- that you consulted and then applied to your own music?

Thank you for your attention,

LOREN


"Music is what feelings sound like."-- borrowed from a Cakewalk Music Creator forum member, "Mamabear".
My Favorite Things
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,562
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,562
Originally Posted By: bluage
You stated that the "6/9 is a staple in Brazilian jazz (and my compositions)". Is that knowledge you gained simply from playing/performing in that genre, or did you encounter some kind of theoretical instruction -- possibly in printable form -- that you consulted and then applied to your own music?

Hi Loren. There is really nothing special. If you look at the sheet music for Brazilian music, especially Bossa nova songs, you will often see 6/9 chords. They are perhaps most effective on acoustic guitar - a truly lovely sound. This has been the case since I started listening to and playing this music in the early 1960s.


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; Presonus Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
My Favorite Things
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
B
Expert
Offline
Expert
B
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,193
Hello, again, Mr. Finley...

All right. Thank you for responding so swiftly and simply! smile

Sincerely,

LOREN


"Music is what feelings sound like."-- borrowed from a Cakewalk Music Creator forum member, "Mamabear".
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

Moderated by  Andrew - PG Music, PeterGannon 

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

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.

PG Music News
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

Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!

If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!

If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!

Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.

PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!

PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.

The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.

The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.

Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!

Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.

Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!

Order now!

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics86,164
Posts801,463
Members40,061
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
Newest Members
Armando D'Errico, PhilinPhil, RBDavis1957, Trenamusic, feralearthman
40,061 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 138
zedd 105
rsdean 102
DC Ron 102
Noel96 73
Today's Birthdays
DORUMALAIA, Rayblue69
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5