|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 36
Enthusiast
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 36 |
Hi Guys,
Most of what I do in BB is play songs imported from collections, i.e. Real Book, etc.. However, recently I've started creating my own songs and transcribing songs from other sources, and a couple of problems I am encountering have me scratching my head:
1. If I enter chords, say, in an 8-bar section, then enter a repeat for those 8 bars, BB will play the chord progression correctly the first time through the repeated section, but afterwards, it just plays the last chord encountered before the repeat and ignores all my nicely-entered changes on the repeat! What's up with that?
2. I didn't see a way to make an entire song in 2/4 time, so I used Edit/Set Time Signature (range of bars), and used bar 1 thru bar xx (end of song). If I enter a chord on the first half of the bar and the second half of the bar, BB ignores the second chord, as if it's skipping over it.
Could I be missing something obvious? If not, I'm surprised that BB is having problems interpreting such basic musical elements as 2/4 time and a simple repeated section. If there are fixes or workarounds to these problems, I'd sure like to be enlightened. Thanks.
--Doug
Visit the Elegance Music page on MySpace for samples of my current work.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
The two chords for a 2-beat bar are both in the first CELL of each bar.
Separated by a Comma.
Ex: C,G7
Both in the first cell (first half) of the bar.
Ignore the second cell in every bar.
I wouldn't use the repeats for 8 bars. Instead, I'd highlight the first 8 after entering the chords, hit Copy and then place the cursor at the following bar and hit Paste.
--Mac
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 141
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 141 |
Quote:
1. If I enter chords, say, in an 8-bar section, then enter a repeat for those 8 bars, BB will play the chord progression correctly the first time through the repeated section, but afterwards, it just plays the last chord encountered before the repeat and ignores all my nicely-entered changes on the repeat! What's up with that?
From the tutorial at http://www.pgmusic.com/tutorial_repeats.htm
An important setting to understand is the "Generate (insert) new bars" checkbox. When you use the 'Repeats\codas\1st-2nd endings' command, you need to tell Band-in-a-Box if you want it to generate new bars for the repeat, or if you want it to use bars that are already in your song. In the 'Edit Repeats and Endings' dialog, if "generate (insert) new bars" is checked, Band-in-a-Box will create as many new bars as are needed for the repeat, and will automatically insert the chords in those bars for you. If "generate (insert) new bars" is unchecked, Band-in-a-Box won't create any new bars; it will use the bars in your song immediately following the section that you have told it to repeat. Not setting this correctly is the most common mistake made.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 36
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 36 |
Thanks, Mac. What about 3/4 time? How are the cells divided up in 3/4?
It would be great if BB had a way of specifying meters for the entire song, so we wouldn't have to specify a range of bars from beginning to end. Most music doesn't change meter in mid-stream.
It would also be more intuitive if BB used the same number of cells in each bar as the number of beats. Have three cells for 3/4 time, 2 cells for 2/4, etc..
My main reason for wanting to use repeats is to keep an entire song on one page, when I print it out. Yes, I can copy and paste an 8-bar section, but I'm inputting these songs from a C fakebook to BB so that I can input the melody and then transpose it for a Bb instrument, printing it out and using the lead sheets in a non-BB live situation. The fakebook I'm transcribing some songs from has most songs on one page, using repeated sections, D.S. al Fine, etc.. To have two (or especially, three) pages for a song which should fit on one page is really inconvenient in use. So I'd like to have the BB-generated lead sheet formatted with repeats so that I can have one page per song.
Visit the Elegance Music page on MySpace for samples of my current work.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 36
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 36 |
Ed- thanks for your input, too. That's a pretty counterintuitive concept- having to specify that BB generate new bars for a repeated section. Doesn't it follow that if you're repeating a section, that you'll need the bars that you're repeating played? It should be automatic. Unless there's a case in which you'd have a repeated section and not have the repeated bars played. What musician sees a repeated section in their sheet music, and when they go back for the repeat, just plays the same note and chord that they encountered on the last measure before the repeat? Kind of silly.
Visit the Elegance Music page on MySpace for samples of my current work.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,853
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,853 |
Hi, Protostar -
Think of the cells more in terms of beats, rather than than bars. BIAB is pretty much based on 4 beats to the bar, with each cell supporting 2 beats (and just use a comma between each chord). So, as Mac explained, if you want 2/4 time (or two beats to the bar), then you only use the first cell for those two beats. If you want 3/4 time (which also requires specifying either a waltz style or explicitly setting the bar to 3 beats using the F5 key), then you use the first cell (for beats 1 and 2) and then just the first half of the 2nd cell (for beat three). If you used a comma in the second cell and entered another chord, then the waltz style would just ignore it.
And of course, for 4/4 time, you would use both cells, with the first two beats in the first cell and the 3rd and 4th beats in the 2nd cell.
I hope that made sense.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 493
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 493 |
Re: setting a song to 2/4 - at the first bar of the song, hit F5 (the bar settings window) and enter 2 for the number of beats per bar. From then on your song should be in 2/4 until you change it back to 4/4 or 3/4 with the F5 window. As you may have noticed, the beats per bar in the Bar Settings window will be 0 when you open it (unless you have already changed that bar - the default is 4/4 so I have always thought it should say 4 but it is a small issue), so if you change it at some point you will need to type in the 4 to get back to 4/4.
Good luck.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,684
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 27,684 |
Quote:
As you may have noticed, the beats per bar in the Bar Settings window will be 0 when you open it (unless you have already changed that bar - the default is 4/4 so I have always thought it should say 4 but it is a small issue)
+1
This would be a good suggestion to post over on the Wishlist.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,853
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 12,853 |
I believe that it might make sense to show a 4 (for 4/4); however, I believe that is consistent with other settings where 0 (zero) means no change to the default. It would also show 0 for a waltz style, which has 3 beats to the bar.
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 36
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 36 |
Btw Ed J, thanks for the link to that Repeats tutorial. That is clearing things up for me quite a bit.
--Doug
Visit the Elegance Music page on MySpace for samples of my current work.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697 |
Quote:
Doesn't it follow that if you're repeating a section, that you'll need the bars that you're repeating played? It should be automatic.
Shame on you, you're thinking like a musician.... 
This gets almost everybody who's familiar with fake book charts. The thing is Biab was created by highly educated musicians in the first place but sometimes computer programming just doesn't allow for everything I guess. Logically I completely agree with you, if you tick the repeat box with the number of bars then it should know to just copy those bars and put them in. It's probably one of those arcane programming things where if they did that, it screws up something else totally unrelated but who knows? Overall Biab is pretty good with following proper musical concepts which is why it very common in music schools all over the world.
I've found the best way is to enter your tune as one long song no repeats, codas or anything else. This is where the copy/paste function is very useful then go back and create the repeats because everything is there to do it. The tag ending and coda's work very well too, just experiement a bit to learn exactly how they work.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 603
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 603 |
Quote:
Doesn't it follow that if you're repeating a section, that you'll need the bars that you're repeating played? It should be automatic.
No. One very common use of the Repeats dialog is to fold up songs that are already entered in full. In those cases, you do NOT want measures added, because they're already there.
That has nothing to do with arcane programming practice. It can't be made automatic, and you need the checkbox.
Larry
______
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 36
Enthusiast
|
|
OP
Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 36 |
Well, it could (and should) be made automatic - maybe this is one for the suggestion box. Here's a couple of scenarios:
1. You're writing a song from scratch, or transcribing one from a fakebook, that has already been folded up (curious term) with repeats. You type in the chords for the first 8-bar section, then put in a simple repeat. BB would detect that the bars after the repeat are different, and generate the bars in the repeated section. In fact, if you tell it to repeat a section 'x' number of times, BB would generate that section of bars 'x' times.
2. You are writing a song, or are dealing with a song in which all repeats have been unfolded. You have a 16-bar section which consists of two identical 8-bar phrases. You then put in a repeat at the 8th bar. BB would detect that the bars after the repeated bar are exactly the same as the repeated section, and NOT generate the bars. Automatically.
3. The two 8-bar phrases you're entering are identical, except that the last bar of the second 8 bars is different (to modulate to the bridge or something). BB would detect this and instead of a simple repeat, it generates a 1st & 2nd ending repeat, automatically generating the bars.
Eventually, BB could become quite sophisticated in this automatic detection of song form and generation of logical repeats, D.S., Coda, etc.. in cases where there's more than one system of repeats that might work, BB could present a pop-up menu of choices, and you could select the folded-up version of the song which makes the most sense to you.
BB is a great program - and I feel it could be made even greater by enhancements to the programming, making it conform more to the way musicians use music, not the way a computer deals with it.
--Doug
Last edited by protostar; 04/29/10 02:05 PM.
Visit the Elegance Music page on MySpace for samples of my current work.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
|
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
That sounds like a good idea to me, Doug!
To make sure that development team sees it, you should place that post on the Band in a Box Wishlist Forum...
--Mac
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 11 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Windows & Mac Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 22.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 22 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 11 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
XPro Styles PAK 11 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 11 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 22.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 22 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Peter Gannon Talks Band-in-a-Box with zplane
zplane recently interviewed Peter Gannon, the founder and creator of Band-in-a-Box, about the software's early days, what sets it apart from AI, how zplane's audio algorithms are used in Band-in-a-Box, and more!
Special thanks to the team at zplane for their continued support.
Check out the full interview here: https://products.zplane.de/blog/peter-gannon-interview-pg-music
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PDT today!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
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 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®.
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!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Mac® to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac 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 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
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®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PDT on May 31st, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Check out the Band-in-a-Box® for Mac packages page to find the best package for you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,641
Posts807,851
Members40,179
| |
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean