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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 39
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 39 |
I just upgraded to 2010 and decided to dive back into understanding Biab. I have the program for the purpose of practicing mandolin, and among other things, Biab seems to be the worlds best metronome! That said, I have never fully understood some of the basic song entering/formatting controls in Biab. Please excuse me if this is due to my lack of understanding when it comes to musical structure. Can anyone one point to a good tutorial on repeats, codas, and endings in Biab? I can never seem to use the repeats and multiple endings functions correctly, and at a more basic level I always get extra bars in my songs (a 32 bar song always has an extra 2 bars finish at the end that I cant remove).
I am sure this is Biab 101 stuff, but I am not getting it with the manual alone. Any push towards a good source for learning this would be much appreciated. Basically my goal is to be able to manually enter songs from sheet music and notation I have, and my lack of control in doing so in Biab means I can never quite duplicate them precisely.
Thanks, Douglas
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
The videos on the website...watch them all.
Search Google for band in a box songs. Lots around.
Then if you have a new version, check for folders in the bb directory. Folksongs. Navigate there, go to Irish or whatever and pick a song. Then use the style picker, change to a key you like, and jam along.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,610
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,610 |
The extra two bars may caused by the default 2 bar ending. Click on the "S" button to the right of the song title and uncheck the 2 bar ending. Later, Ray
Asus Q500A i7 Win 10 64 bit 8GB ram 750 HD 15.5" touch screen, BIAB 2017, Casio PX 5s, Xw P1, Center Point Stereo SS V3 and EWI 4000s.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 393
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 393 |
Here's a PG Music tutorial on the subject of repeats, etc. http://www.pgmusic.com/tutorial_repeats.htmThese tutorials and FAQ's are a great source of info, if you haven't looked at them. Bruce
Macbook Pro 2018
2.6 GHz 6-core Intel Core i7, 16 GB RAM
OS Monterey
BIAB for Mac 2022
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 39
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 39 |
Thanks folks! First I did not know about the 2 bar ending; that solves one of my big issues. Second those tutorials area extremely helpful. I have gone looking for stuff like that in the site, but there is so much info to sift through, I must have been missing the ones I wanted each time.
Douglas
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 2,217
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 2,217 |
.
Are you playing BLUEGRASS mandolin? If so, look in your Band in a Box folder. Look for the "Bleugrass Fakebook" folder, or maybe its called "BG FAKE." Try out all the songs in that folder. If you dont have that folder, call PG Music and find out how to get it.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 39
Enthusiast
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OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 39 |
Thanks for the tip on the Bluegrass Fakebook; I had not seen that. I dabble with a little bit of bluegrass type stuff so that is handy, but most of what I want to practice is not easily found in midi or BiaB form. To supplement the ready made files that I can find, I want to get good at transferring music from paper to Biab, and I think I am starting to head in the right direction. The funny thing is that I am extremely computer literate, but the combination of BiaBs' very complex options and my weak knowledge on some music terms makes this a bit more of a challenge than other applications I work with. Hec, the Biab website alone has a massive amount of info and can be a little confusing, but now that I have the right tutorials page I feel like I am in good shape.
Cheers, Douglas
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,616
Expert
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Expert
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,616 |
I learned that laying the song out in a single chorus can be very helpful. This includes the 1st/2nd endings, repeats, intro, tags, etc. Once that is done, you can 'clean' up the arrangement by defining those items if desired. FWIW, I only use those for obtaining lead sheets - where getting the song on a single page is important. My actual performance songs are Unfolded.
Also, if you intend to use Realband at some point, it will be easier with an Unfolded song.
R
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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