I am new to BIAB this year and I was wondering if the program has the ability to create chord progressions on its own. Would someone please steer me in the right direction? I'm in information overload right now as I learn the software, and I can't find that functionality. I know that if it exists, it could well be right in front of my eyes.
I am new to BIAB this year and I was wondering if the program has the ability to create chord progressions on its own. Would someone please steer me in the right direction? I'm in information overload right now as I learn the software, and I can't find that functionality. I know that if it exists, it could well be right in front of my eyes.
Thanks!
Although I haven't actually used it, I think what you are looking for is the Melodist feature.
From Help, it states:
"Feel like composing a brand new song?
Using the "Melodist" feature you can compose a new song in the style of your choice, complete with intro, chords, melody, arrangement, etc. All you have to do is choose from one of the many "Melodists" available and press [OK] button. The program then creates the intro, chords, melody, and arrangement in any given style. The Melodist will also generate a melody over an existing chord progression."
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.
Within this window, you have many options to choose from and select.
To generate JUST the chords, simply remove the check-marks next to the other criteria: -Generate Intro -Insert Bass Pedals -Generate Melody -Solo in Middle Chorus (may already be unchecked, mine is!) -Allow Style Change -Auto-Titles
Make sure there's just a check-mark next to "Generate Chords" and then click [OK]
Voila a complete Chord Progression!
Give it a try on a new project to familiarize yourself with the Melodist feature.
It hasn't really been updated in a DECADE or more, but as suggested, the Melodist is what you're looking for. Songwriting is often a chick-or-the-egg proposition where the more theoretically inclined may write a progression and then fit a melody to it. Less scholarly types can often intuitively create a melody, but have no clue how to harmonize it.
I really wish PG would spend some more time on this. Some styles, like Ragtime, are almost indistinguishable from human creations, but some of the others can be kind of corny.
It hasn't really been updated in a DECADE or more, but as suggested, the Melodist is what you're looking for. Songwriting is often a chick-or-the-egg proposition where the more theoretically inclined may write a progression and then fit a melody to it. Less scholarly types can often intuitively create a melody, but have no clue how to harmonize it.
I really wish PG would spend some more time on this. Some styles, like Ragtime, are almost indistinguishable from human creations, but some of the others can be kind of corny.
Maybe a good item for the Wish List?
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.
> It hasn't really been updated in a DECADE or more, but as suggested, the Melodist is what you're looking for.
The Melodist was updated in 2019 to use RealStyles instead of MIDI styles. This was because some of the MIDI styles gave a “corny” sound to the created melody, and the backing tracks now add a more realistic sound (just as they do for other songs).
There is a checkbox in the Melodist that allows you to choose if you want RealStyles or MIDI styles. It defaults to Real Styles.
The melodist can be used to create chords for any song (with or without an existing melody), in various styles.
The reharmonist creates chords from an existing melody (in various styles of chord progressions). It can be used interactively where you see various possibilities, and can replace a few bars for example.
Thanks, all. I've been experimenting with the Melodist and it seems that at least for me, the best way to use it for inspiration is to compose songs until I find a 4 bar progression that sounds interesting and them to embellish from there. The full songs it comes up with seem to meander around pretty loosely, so I try to catch a short segment that I can use. That's more than enough for me.
I have used the Melodist feature extensively, especially the Melodist preset 58 Rock Fast. There are ways to change how the Melodist creates the chord sequences, under the Melodist Maker "edit" button. I have asked for a video explaining the best use of the options under the "edit" button; nothing from Peter Gannon and team, so far.
Under the "edit" button, make changes to the numbers for "Choose Unusual Chord Progressions", "Mix Minor and Major Progressions", and "Number of Variations to Choose From." How those numbers effect the outcome is still a mystery to me and the reason for my video request. But they obviously are doing something.
I usually let the Melodist create a full song for me and then just regenerate the parts I don't like until I'm satisfied, or until I come up with my own chords.
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.
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