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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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I am trying to design a song that can best be described AABAABCB format. What is the easiest way to do this? I have been trying to use the Repeats but it is not working. I tried using codas and the like. But, the programming is still a bit over my head.
What I want is 2 verses followed by a chorus, loop back through one time, bridge and end with the chorus. I have been through the instructions but I am more lost.
Can anyone explain how to do this?
Thanks,
RickeG
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Enter the chords for "AAB" and set the start bar at the beginning and the end bar at the end of "B". Then set repeat to 2 times. Enter your chords for "C" after the "AAB" and either copy or re-enter the chords for "B" after the "C". Then set the tag ending to start the bar after the first "B" and to end after the second "B".
So, basically, you'll end up with:
||: A A B :|| C B
If that didn't make sense, let use know and I can provide more detailed information.
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)
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Don't worry about putting in endings or repeats. Enter the chords as one big song. You can put in repeats, etc later. The repeats, endings, codas, etc are there as a convenience to make the display and/or printouts easier.
You can use copy/paste to quicken your entry of the song. Once you get the hang of things, there are shortcuts that will automatically copy your chords when making repeats, etc but save that for a rainy day.
Remember, once your entire song is laid out, you can set repeats if needed.
BTW, I think your terminology is different than BIAB which a song has an Intro, Chorus(es), optional tag and Ending.
R
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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There used to be a limit of 255 bars for a song (don't know if that is still true with 2010 or not), so since you have a lot of sections you might bump up against that limit as one big song. Then you will have to figure out the repeats and such. I've only had one song exceed the limit in several years of BIAB use, and like I said it may not be an issue anymore.
Good luck.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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BIAB still has a 255-bar limit.
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)
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I used to be able to handle about 15 bars, but I'm sure I'm down to 4 or so....LOL.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thanks folks,
My initial thought was to string out the whole song. But, two things happen. One, it takes longer to generate being the are more measures although the same patterns. Two, the screen gets too confusing for me.
John, I liked your logic. But, if you can elaborate on how a tag works in this context. I did not think of tying the AB together and just doing a repeat from there. I suppose I can set the repeat to 2. That would cover the bulk of the composition. Being I never strayed beyond the scope of the repeat sign at the end of the composition, this is the foreign part for me. So what you are saying is that I can continue in the grey measures by imputting the C & B parts. How do I get rid of the "ending" measure that always sits at the end of the repeat to insert the additional measures?
I know this must be elementary to many here. If I were composing on a sheet of paper it would be a piece of cake. But, it is trying to move what is on paper into BIAB where you do have to understand the logic of how it is programmed to get it to match your score on paper that is creating a challenge for me.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
My initial thought was to string out the whole song. But, two things happen. One, it takes longer to generate being the are more measures although the same patterns. Two, the screen gets too confusing for me.
It should not take any longer to generate. Putting repeats, etc make it easier to look at but the song should still be the same length thus have the same generation time. Play around with the Fake checkbox on the main screen. That may help.
Quote:
if you can elaborate on how a tag works in this context. I did not think of tying the AB together and just doing a repeat from there. I suppose I can set the repeat to 2. That would cover the bulk of the composition. Being I never strayed beyond the scope of the repeat sign at the end of the composition, this is the foreign part for me. So what you are saying is that I can continue in the grey measures by imputting the C & B parts. How do I get rid of the "ending" measure that always sits at the end of the repeat to insert the additional measures?
Go into Song Settings (Ctrl N). You define tags and endings there.
I suggested a linear format for your song because it took me quite a while to figure out the endings, repeats, D.C. ... stuff. It can be frustrating. Once you get the song right, putting in the repeats and stuff can be learned as you go. I use the repeats etc in my lead sheets only. The songs that I use in performance are 'Unfolded' into that linear form I described. And if you use RealBand in the future, it unfolds BIAB songs.
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Hi Jford,
It must be me. I followed your instructions because they made sense to me. However, it is not working. I did discover something a little annoying however. As I was trying to set up the repeats the screen size would jump to twice the font size. The problem with it is that it disoriented where my place was because the font size caused all the measures to shift around. Is this a known bug?
The biggest challenge I am having is dealing with the "end chorus" number. It always takes the repeat and jumps it to the end of the chorus where I do not want it because that is where I am in the "C/B" part of the song. I want the repeat to be where you directed at the end of the "AAB". I have been playing with tags for the first time. And because I am not getting the result I want, that exercise has become frustrating.
Although the option of writing the whole composition without repeats is tempting and where I want to go, I believe I am not using the features that come with this product to its fullest potential.
If you, or anyone, can help explain how to set the chorus bar number so that it does not default the repeat to that bar I think I can work it through.
Thanks,
RickeG
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Like everything that is good to learn there is a curve. What you are trying to do is easy enough done, but I'm not at that computer and really don't normally sort out other people's problems, I've enough of my own.
Not that I haven't figured out the basics but I bought an AKAI EWI6000s and wow, a new learning curve. I keep making stupid mistakes, blaming the gear, when it's just me. I couldn't change patches for 5 hours, turned out I had a finger on a button. The it wouldn't transpose to C. Then I made fingering errors that I should have caught but took 3 hours to sort out. The I can't get the concept of open closed and making trumpet fingering work, and then tried to learn woodwind fingering, gave up after 2 days and am back at learning modified trumpet fingering. Problem is I know trumpet fingering and this is just wrong past C when it's right but not.
So in the end if you get really stuck simplify your question in a new post, and perhaps someone will jump in. Then there is live help. Or the 1 800 troll free number. For me the best thing is to learn it myself, figure out a work around, and then grow from there. Or sleep on it, the last 2 biggies were eureaka moments at 3 a.m.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Quote:
It must be me. I followed your instructions because they made sense to me.
I'm at work and can't try it out, but if I remember, I'll try to post an example this evening for you to look at. Or find that I was answering a different question than you asked. Either way, I'll let you know.
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)
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RickeG, I read John (Ford)'s instructions and they seemed fine to me, too. I agree with Rachael that the easier way is to do one long song (using copy/paste where you can), save it, and then decide if you want to put in repeats. To be safe, save that song under a different name before experimenting with repeats and tags.
Perhaps you could let us know exactly the steps you took, what it did, and why that is not what you expected.
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.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
I suggested a linear format for your song because it took me quite a while to figure out the endings, repeats, D.C. ... stuff. It can be frustrating.
Well, I'm glad at least it's not just me.
And if Rachael says this, then there must be something wrong.
Why should repeats be so confusing?
There's gotta be a programming way to make this easier and logical.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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John, I am right there in agreement with you. I first toil over this mountainous curve myself. But, then, after hawl if I don't find the solution, I then post. And the posts can often sound confusing because it is usually written in that state that I am in at the time.
So far, I have tried several different ways to get this to work. I thought it would be an easy structure in that it is pretty common to run a verse or two then into the chorus, repeat that, then take a detour for a few measures and close out with the chorus again. When penning it, I would use a D.S. al Coda at the end of loop #2 where it would then flow into the “C” phrase of the song instead of going back to the head again. It is in that transition that I have not been successful using the repeats in BIAB.
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Hi Matt, Of course it would be easier to list the entire composition. But, I have two methods to my madness. One, I want to end up with a fake book style notation. Next, I want to conquer how to use the repeats within BIAB in order that I do not need to draw this long composition out everytime I go to write something. Or, worse yet, I will need to modify the compositions to simple loops of the same thing being repeated again and again.
When I go to record my live tracks I cannot have a 20 page song chart in front of me. I need a clean, single page in front of me.
Thanks to you all for allowing me to kick the tires on this product; and for your patience in helping me. I hope this can be a blessing to others out there as they come on board and learn.
Thanks,
RickeG
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That makes sense, thanks. Perhaps your primary goal then is the sheet music, more than entering the song. And also, as you say, to continue to learn.
I do transcriptions for pay, and it's always fun to figure out how to get everything onto two pages where I would rather use four. On an outdoor gig, I won't write a chart more than three pages. Too hard to put the clothes pins 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.
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Quote:
...it's always fun to figure out how to get everything onto two pages
For more fun, get it down to one page.
R
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Quote:
Quote:
...it's always fun to figure out how to get everything onto two pages
For more fun, get it down to one page.
R
Ouch!
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.
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RickeG - This will hopefully illustrate what I was talking about. The BIAB file has each section with 4 bars (all marked as sections A, B, or C - but you have to look at notation view to see the markers). The song plays A-A-B, then repeats A-A-B, then goes to the tag ending and plays C-B and then ends. Here is the BIAB fileHere is a PDF printout of itHope that helps.
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)
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