Hello Jim, I've sampled through almost all of those tunes and none of them use the drum pattern that Bo Diddley used on "Hey Bo Diddley". They're so wide to the mark, that typing Bo Diddley into the song search shouldn't bring up any of them. the beat is basically a 3 / 2 clave with a New Orleans second line feel. the New Orleans beats come closest, but still just not the real thing. Thanks for your response Dave
One of the many things that made Bo Diddley unique was his sense of timing. You may not be able to find an exact duplicate of the beat used in "Hey Bo Diddley" because the beat is unique to the song.
You may want to consider running listening tests of MIDI styles with MIDI drums. Then you can use the piano roll window to edit the drums to match what you want.
RB has a drum grid editor which may allow you to create the beat you want with midi drums and then export to BIAB. or work mainly in BIAB, open the file to finish in RB and then replace the drums with the beat you created in the drum grid editor.
The Bo Diddley Beat is worldfamous; everybody knows it (though not necessarily under this name) - here's a drummer showing it in detail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH2N2zgf4MQ
I'm very surprised that it's NOT implemented in B.i.a.b. with all its emphasis on American stuff and patterns... I was so sure it was until I found this thread here - and am somewhat disappointed now since I need not just the beat but the whole pattern for a new song of mine right now and was sure I could manage to put up the playback with my B.i.a.b. ....
The Bo Diddley Beat is worldfamous; everybody knows it (though not necessarily under this name) - here's a drummer showing it in detail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH2N2zgf4MQ
I'm very surprised that it's NOT implemented in B.i.a.b. with all its emphasis on American stuff and patterns... I was so sure it was until I found this thread here - and am somewhat disappointed now since I need not just the beat but the whole pattern for a new song of mine right now and was sure I could manage to put up the playback with my B.i.a.b. ....
Norton music has exactly the BiaB Bo Diddley style that you are looking for:
Over the years I've also lamented the lack of a good Bo Diddley Real Drum track. I recently stumbled upon ModernFunk16thsSput that gets pretty close to my ears.
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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!
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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
Playable RealTracks Set 5
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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)
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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