Songwriting Study Gift: Backing Tracks from Ultimate Guitar
I noticed an interesting offering from Ultimate Guitar the other day that may be useful to people trying to create better, and more professional arrangements.
For many classic hit songs they have “backing tracks” similar to karaoke that show the actual instruments and accurate parts you can study in two forms—a .wav form mixer, and a tabbed sheet music mixer with left-hand instrument board.
The thing that stands out is how SIMPLE most classic, memorable hits are and how much “white space” there is in the mix. In other words, you don’t hear a lot going on at once. It is a MIX.
The tab version of these songs also shows the intro verse chorus bridge style across the bottom which is very useful for songwriters to see. It’s all here, so to speak.
Such mixes would be easily doable in BIAB if you were to follow the idea that each “slot” in the main program has a letter associated with it, and you can “program” the chord progression so that basic tracks comes in at certain times and you save the full band for later. It is not a gimmick to solve all mixing steps, but it will get you started.
And if you open the file in Real Band you can visually “see” how you are doing in terms of simplicity and flow.
Here is your “typing” code. (This applies no matter which instrument is actually in the slot.)
1st slot bass=b 2nd slot piano=p 3rd slot drums = d 4 slot guitar = g 5th slot strings = s
(Please see preferences to see the midi channels of these tracks)
Example intro (using chord dots)
C.bpd Dm7.bpd G.bpd C.bpd
This may be good for the upcoming FAWM challenge.
Studying hit mixes/songs and using band-in-a-box to construct similar songs/mixes is easy, as long as you realize it is a mix, not a wall of sound.
One thing I did not see in any of the hit mixes (even with Aerosmith and Joe Perry) was a block of instruments all playing at the same time and same volume with a 4 minute pentatonic noodling scale screaming over top the entire time.
I searched and searched and searched but could not find one. Strange. It seems Joe Perry only comes in every once in a while, but when he does, he nails it. Odd. Hmm…..
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
Like most people suffering from Pentatonic Scale Trauma Disorder (PSTD) it is not the exposure to a single pentatonic blues noodling riff on a canned backing track that causes the permanent nightmares.
It is the daily exposure to millions of bogus noodling riffs that creates symptoms of foaming at the mouth and wide, staring eyes, barking at the moon and so forth.
The trigger can sometimes be as simple as logging into websites at the wrong time and seeing forty such songs dumped at the same time.
Cute little gifs can cause hospitalization.
Does that cover it????
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
Like most people suffering from Pentatonic Scale Trauma Disorder (PSTD) it is not the exposure to a single pentatonic blues noodling riff on a canned backing track that causes the permanent nightmares.
It is the daily exposure to millions of bogus noodling riffs that creates symptoms of foaming at the mouth and wide, staring eyes, barking at the moon and so forth.
The trigger can sometimes be as simple as logging into websites at the wrong time and seeing forty such songs dumped at the same time.
Cute little gifs can cause hospitalization.
Does that cover it????
Yep.... my thoughts exactly.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
Appears to me you are giving us a look into the future of computer assisted music, Dave. Every time we sit down with a multitrack and lay in an original vocal or instrumental, we have taken a step, acknowedged or otherwise, into the Brave New World of trans-humanism, the ultimate merger of humans and the machines. Sure, you could say the same thing about driving an automobile, but this is art. Plainly, the DAW was a huge step in that direction. As was the Porta-studio, which put recording into unlimited hands. Band-in-a-Box upped the ante beyond description, and still does. Still, our persistent question is "When have we come up against "that wall," and how to we scale it?"
I've used pentatonic scales but not in my own music. I used them when teaching children to create simple melodies in their 1st few steps as musicians. It wasn't for long either...soon the extra notes were reinstated on the gloks & other tuned percussion so that the kids had to navigate the 12 tones, (as artificial in their own way),to create something that worked for their ears 1st.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed 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 transcribe 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, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
The 2026 49-PAK is loaded with other great new add-ons as well. Learn more about the 2026 49-PAK!
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