We recently shared the project we worked on with Floyd Jane: The Birth of a Song with a short (under 6 min) video link.
But it can take longer than 5 minutes to explain the songwriting process! The project is complete, and in this extended version of the video (it's over an hour long!), Songwriter Floyd Jane shows in detail the songwriting process from inspiration to performance and publication. (YouTube link: https://youtu.be/qPrejgnwb4M)
The idea for this project came about when many members on this forum and elsewhere were asking questions about the song writing process. There are many aspects, and many parts of it necessary to create a song, get it arranged, performed, and then published on the internet. So we asked the great songwriter Floyd Jane, who is a regular member on this forum, if he could help. Floyd agreed and was even able to collaborate with other forum members, Janice and Bud. The result is this video we put together that you can see on YouTube, called "The Birth of a Song (w/Floyd Jane)".
We hope this video helps other songwriters with their songwriting process, and also shows them tools that are available to them along the way. Also, we mention this User Showcase Forum, and hope to see many new aspiring or accomplished songwriters join this community blush
A big Thank You to Floyd for sharing your knowledge with the community and making this possible, and to Janice and Bud for your great collaboration!
Table of contents for the full length video: CHAPTER INDEX: 1 - The Challenge - 01:23 2 - Inspiration for the Song - 01:57 3 - The Musical Hook - 02:58 4 - Writing the Lyrics - 03:21 5 - Writing the Chorus - 04:29 6 - Taking a Break and Refining the Lyrics - 05:53 7 - Adding the Musicians and Creating the Arrangement with Band-in-a-Box® - 10:56 8 - Exporting the Band-in-a-Box® Tracks to use in Studio One - 26:10 9 - Using Studio One to Record the Vocals - 26:59 10 - Importing Band-in-a-Box® tracks to Studio One - 29:14 11 - Microphone Setup - 32:51 12 - Recording the Vocals - 37:57 14 - Creating the Guitar Solo in Band-in-a-Box® - 42:43 15 - Recording the Electric Guitar Lick - 47:07 16 - Mastering the Song in Sound Forge & Follow up - 47:35 17 - Uploading Finished Song to SoundCloud - 51:09 18 - Posting to the Band-in-a-Box® "User Showcase Forum" - 53:53 19 - Concluding Thoughts - 58:28 20 - "A Little Bit Of Me" Music Video - 1:00:13
Good idea to break it up into chapters too, I just finished watching a few of them, will watch more later when I have more time.
BTW, love your tele style guitar, Floyd! When I was a kid, 15 or so, I vividly remember seeing an off white tele with a white pickguard in the local music store, first time I had ever seen a Fender in real life (grew up in a very small town). Ever since then I've always wanted one with that particular colour scheme.
Really enjoyed this and learned a few things along the way. Very inspiring, which is what I need right before FAWM. Especially loved the music video at the end.
Thanks Floyd and PG Music for sharing this video – really interesting to see how others work with songwriting and the technical part of the production. Always some good tips and tricks to pick up. And the MusicVideo at the end – as Joanne mentioned above – great stuff!
@Dave (BlueAttitude) - Hey, Dave... tell you a "secret"... the tele is a G&L ASAT Classic that I picked up on the Musician's Friend Stupid Deal for $299. BEST! $299 I've ever spent! Out of the box, the intonation was perfect. The neck has a silkiness that is a pure joy to play - feels great, so smooth. It stays in tune amazingly well. I grab it most often now (over my Strat) as my "play a little guitar" guitar... love it. Keep an eye out for the Stupid Deal (they have run it again since I got it) - their return policy is good in case you don't want to keep it...
@Charlie - (congrats on your award!) Glad you enjoyed this - it is a lot to watch....
@Joanne - Thanks for watching. Really glad you liked the video at the end! We had a lot of fun making that!....
@Einar - Thanks! Pleased that you like the ending Video!
@Charlie Gannon - Thanks for all your work on this!
I was really interested in your description of the harmonies and that you just use a 3rd above. When I did mine I wasn't sure and mostly did 3rd above with a 3rd below turned down much lower. Nice to know I won't need to work below.
Liked that you used the same 2688 Brent Mason soloist that I did. It's amazing that those soloists can cross genres so well. Took the tip in to generate the entire track a few times. I only did once. Like you, the solo part that was already aligned with my guitar solo section of the song and worked as-is and I didn't have to play with it.
Enjoyed the final music video on the song too. Good idea with the lyrics on the wall. Well done.
Thanks for spending the time in making this video for those of us that can use it as a learning experience!
I enjoyed this and learnt a few new things about BIAB. I just wish you also used Realband and Reaper! Seriously, I thought it was really well put together and I loved the Dylanesk bit at the end!
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
@steve - typically in this type song and production (which covers MOST of them) all you need for harmonies are a third above. And you can do a bunch of them. That makes the background big and fat - AND subtle - all important things...
@Mr. Snyder - the acoustic is a Yamaha FG500. Fairly rare. A GORGEOUS instrument. Like a well worn Martin. It was damaged years ago, which caused the saddle to release. I replaced it myself (with Elmer's glue and a new saddle). Mic? That is just my wife's iPhone recording what we did (she did a GREAT job of handling the videography throughout)
@Terry - I use the standard version of BIAB. For most of my productions it is all I need. I have heard a few things using the Audiophile version that make a difference - if your song is mainly acoustice guitars - and the cymbals are sometimes noticeable - but for productions that include electric guitars, I can't hear the difference... a matter of choice and styles...
That was awesome. You gave me some good ideas and I liked how you used Studio One. Since I’m a sonar user, I was looking at studio one as a replacement since cakewalk seems to have gone belly up.
He who is not busy being born is busy dying. - Bob Dylan
@Neil - glad you got a little out of this. I hadn't really thought of the ending video as "Dylan-esque"... I had thought about doing just a lyric video and then decided to try more of a "hybrid" approach....
@Dave - thanks...again!
@bodhi65 - Studio One is a great DAW (imo). You might give Reaper a try, too...
Top Notch!!!, anyone who writes music should watch this video. I will more than once. Floyd mentioned something about a line while riding a lawn mover, HA, how many songs have been started mowing a yard, or riding a tractor. A great video guys!!!
A big thanks to you, Floyd (and Janice & Bud) for putting this together. While PGM's instructional videos are very good, seeing another forum member use it really gives some insight into the creative process beyond the nuts and bolts of using BIAB. I'm thinking the only thing harder than the entire song creation process is DOCUMENTING the song creation process. So thanks for what I'm sure was a lot of work.
Floyd, I'd really like to see an interview style video on how you guys who were writing on music row went about coming up with song ideas and turning them into a finished song for a recording project. Hook, lyrics, music. Because of your 15 years on the row you have some unique insights to share. I think it would be fascinating.
Thanks for all your hard work and to the folks at PG Music who helped get it out there.
Late to the party, but just wanted to echo thanks for the video and demonstration. That dang song will be in my head until next week, at least. :-)
I smiled with recognition at the first parts, picked up some good pointers in the latter parts, and just enjoyed the video and complete play through at the end. I hope that lyric sheet is worth big money one day.
I'm almost a year late in finding this, but very pleased to watch and learn! Good job to everybody involved in the project!
Watching it I am reminded what an analytical thinker Floyd is... as well as being a heckuva nice guy! Not everybody would take the time to share their knowledge the Floyd has. His presence on the User Showcase has really made a difference.
And it was also fun to watch Janice's whole-hearted immersion into the song. I doubt she ever does anything half-heartedly. I mean that girl rides a bike up hills that most of us wouldn't even want to WALK up! Nuff said.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
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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
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Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
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SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
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