Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 310
H
Journeyman
OP Offline
Journeyman
H
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 310
This tutorial shows how I quickly find styles in BIAB with demonstrations where I use two songs ... "Tell It Like It Is" by Aaron Neville, and "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye. The most important thing I find is to type the chords to the song in FIRST before going to find a style. It helps narrow down your choices considerable. Also by doing this sometimes you can find a style for a cover that you never thought of. If you've heard my Disco/House version of "Walk on By" you can hear how I typed the chords of the song in first BEFORE selecting a Disco style.

https://youtu.be/xWL_owkQgqU

Henry

Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 483
J
Journeyman
Offline
Journeyman
J
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 483
Henry,
Thanks so much for the video. Let me say first off that I have been using BIAB for over 2 decades and performing live with it as well. So what you have to say Is not new to me.
BUT I loved the way you presented it. Very casual to the point and with a great sense of humor.
I subscribed so I will look forward to viewing your other videos.

Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 310
H
Journeyman
OP Offline
Journeyman
H
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 310
Well if I made ya smile it's all worth it :-)

Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954
P
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
P
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 7,954
Humorous, Entertaining and Educational !
If you are using 2018 PG should send you 2020 for the great videos you make promoting Band In A Box !

Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 1,381
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 1,381
Great work. I'm glad you mentioned two things.

1. That the arrangement BIAB delivers will NOT be a perfect match to the record.

2. That you can use this method to find styles "in the style of".

Time well spent.


BIAB 2021 Audiophile. Windows 10 64bit. Songwriter, lyricist, composer(?) loving all styles. Some pre-BIAB music from Farfetched Tangmo Band's first CD. https://alonetone.com/tangmo/playlists/close-to-the-ground
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 310
H
Journeyman
OP Offline
Journeyman
H
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 310
Pipeline: PG Music actually did send me 2020 and I did a testimonial for them. It's posted on their website. Thanks for the support. Henry

Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,475
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,475
Your videos are a lot of fun to watch and will certainly help beginners. Thank you for your efforts.

I’m curious about the tip that entering the chords of the song first will improve the results from the style picker, even when the key is different from the known song. That surprises me, if there is that level of AI going on.


BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 310
H
Journeyman
OP Offline
Journeyman
H
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 310
Matt, here's the deal. When you type in the chords of your favorite song you also type the chords in BAIB in the key of that song. Now at a minimum if it's one of your favorite songs you probably (should) know the melody :-) If you have that's it's just a matter of finding a pattern that is "like" the song. Of course it will not be an exact duplicate but the BIAB patterns can get pretty close. It's just a matter of going through them. In reverse if you start FROM stylepicker you will only hear the chords that BIAB selected to play. Most of the time they are far different than the song you actually want to try. That's why I say type in the chords to the song FIRST. Remember it's not the KEY you're after but more so the pattern that is like the song you're after. In my video when I did "Tell It Like It Is" I used the original sheet music chords and key then listened for pattern that gave me that Aaron Neville type rhythm. That's why I demonstrated in the video the song chords against different patterns. As far as key change the AI does that very well. I'm not sure if you're familiar with my cover of the song "Love on a 2 Way Street" (it's in the forum under BIAB on YouTube) but if so it started with the sheet music chords, finding a pattern (in this case I wanted a Jazz flavor), then changing the key to something I felt comfortable singing.

I hope I didn't ramble :-) Thanks for smiling at my video. Yes it is for beginners. I remember when I started with BIAB and how frustrated I was because everybody said it was just "elevator" music. LOL

Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,475
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,475
Thanks Henry. That’s helpful. It’s the human advantage of auditioning styles using elements of the real song that is important.

I had misunderstood and thought you were saying that it was BIAB that was more likely to find better suggestions if you entered the chords first. That would have required artificial intelligence that I didn’t think it had.


BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Post your own Tips and Tricks here
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 310
H
Journeyman
OP Offline
Journeyman
H
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 310
Hi. Subscribe to my channel. I have quite a few videos with real music examples on how to use a few tools in BIAB. Thanks for watching my video and your comments.

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To

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 Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!

Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!

We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!

Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.

Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.

There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!

Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!

Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.

If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!

Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!

We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can process an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!

There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.

When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.

Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.

Happy New Year!

Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.

Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!

Season's Greetings!

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!

The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.

Team PG

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.

Watch the video.

You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!

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.

Watch the video.

You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!

Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®

With your version 2026 for Windows 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)
  • Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)

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 PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics85,821
Posts796,647
Members39,968
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
Newest Members
Chris##, hendsatri, Gennaro Pirozzi, annegrpan31, Kleven71
39,967 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 183
Noel96 139
DC Ron 114
rsdean 106
DrDan 92
Today's Birthdays
Erik Gran, jordemar
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5