|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 621
Journeyman
|
Journeyman
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 621 |
You're using a rather loose definition of the word "music."
Byron Dickens BIAB. CbB. Mixbus 32C 8 HP Envy. Intel core i7. 16GB RAM W10. Focusrite Scarlett 18i 20. Various instruments played with varying degrees of proficiency. https://soundcloud.com/athanorsoundlabs
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 13
Newbie
|
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 13 |
[/quote]Can you name a song that has a similar feel? If so type it in the song filter.[/quote]
Yes indeed, more good advice!!
I tried to learn the guitar way back in the day but gave up, I think it may be too late for me now, but I feel BIAB will be a big boon once I get the hang of it...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,922
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,922 |
Can you name a song that has a similar feel? If so type it in the song filter.[/quote] Yes indeed, more good advice!! I tried to learn the guitar way back in the day but gave up, I think it may be too late for me now, but I feel BIAB will be a big boon once I get the hang of it... [/quote] You are never to old to learn an instrument. I was around 71 when I started to learn my wind controller.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
Most songs have 3 basic chords... which are the 1 the 4 and the 5... And this is exactly where the divide begins, Herb. Let me play "newbie" for a minute. "The 1 the 4 and the 5 of what?" Your answer would correctly be "The 1, 4 and 5 of the scale." "What's a scale?" I have discovered that trying to explain theory to people with no music background is similar to having some little green alien drop to the earth from Mars and try to teach him about football or baseball. There is SO MUCH implied knowledge involved. You and I and whoever else is in this thread KNOW 1-4-5. (We even know about 6 minor!) My best male pal Andy has like 6 guitars and all he can play is the intro to Smoke On The Water. He asked me to try to teach him. I said "I can't. I can't teach you anything about guitar until you know enough about music to know what a half step is. And a 3rd. And a 5th. I can't teach you about the guitar neck until you can relate that one fret equals a half step, and know what steps are." And so forth. I sat him down with a guitar on his shoulder and had him put a finger on any fret he wanted. I then played that note on the keyboard and told him to move down one fret and showed him the correlation of that fret to the keyboard. I spent an hour with him. For the whole hour I saw the same the same look on his face that you'd see when if you tried to explain long division to your dog. Now, I am a horrible teacher under any conditions, but for someone with absolutely no ear to know when music moves up or down, major being "happy" and minor being "sad"... I can't do it. The is as frustrating to me as I imagine it would be to try and explain to someone who can't see what "red" is. When I try to teach music I find myself saying things like "How can you not know that??" I don't know the OP here or their level of musical knowledge. If 1-4-5 is beyond the scope, advising them is going to be difficult.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
Kanye West would big to differ. He bought half of Wyoming learning how to play music on a computer.  Music? 8 bar Garage Band loops with the vulgar, racist, sexist lyrics spoken over them? If Life Is Hard, Music Is Hard too....
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,677
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,677 |
I have discovered that trying to explain theory to people with no music background is similar to having some little green alien drop to the earth from Mars and try to teach him about football or baseball. There is SO MUCH implied knowledge involved. You and I and whoever else is in this thread KNOW 1-4-5. (We even know about 6 minor!)
I think this is very important. As someone who, at 60, started learning to play piano I often struggled to make sense of things, partly because there is so much that's not just new and unfamiliar; quite a bit does sound alien. It's one of the givens in music education, that the educators already know this stuff and even simplifying some to the very basic indeed can still go over the head. I remember watching videos where something simple like 1-4-5 was being shown, but I didn't know where to look, so I'd miss it. Rewind, try again, miss it again. It's better with a keyboard graphic, but even then, in the early stages, recognising what was the note would be hard. But this is really easy stuff and I'm far from dumb. If I can struggle, then so can almost anyone. I know there are people who can just hear a tune and they can play it, but very often those people grew in childhood with musicians around them. They learned music theory like they learned to speak. Some of us never had that early stimulus. Music is another language and it's unlike any other language I know.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2026 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,922
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,922 |
................
My best male pal Andy has like 6 guitars and all he can play is the intro to Smoke On The Water. He asked me to try to teach him. ..................... I chuckled when I read those lines. I had a friend that had some very expensive top of the line Fenders and Martens and he couldn't play the into to Smoke On The Water! I tried to teach him but he just didn't get it. He had a great ear for music and in fact could point out spots in our music that only he heard and he was right most all of the time. But when it came to playing forget about it.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 7,310
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 7,310 |
C'mon folks, get back to helping the OP.
He's tried playing & it didn't work out. BIAB is made for just such a case isn't it?
As to what is & isn't music that's a matter of taste, culture, experience, history and training/programming.
Most folk still don't accept atonalism as "music" and I'm sure Schoenberg wouldn't have been keen on New Country, (is anyone?).
The ear versus the fingers - remember that BIAB is also a GREAT tool for those with problems processing physical movement...Stephen Hawkins couldn't type but he could certainly write.
My old man has a good ear but by the time he bought a guitar, (he was 56), he wasn't agile/subtle enough with his hands to make it happen. He can hear what is right n wrong according to his musical background/listening though.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 621
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 621 |
And this is exactly where the divide begins, Herb. Let me play "newbie" for a minute.
"The 1 the 4 and the 5 of what?"
Your answer would correctly be "The 1, 4 and 5 of the scale."
"What's a scale?"
I have discovered that trying to explain theory to people with no music background is similar to having some little green alien drop to the earth from Mars and try to teach him about football or baseball. There is SO MUCH implied knowledge involved. You and I and whoever else is in this thread KNOW 1-4-5. (We even know about 6 minor!)
My best male pal Andy has like 6 guitars and all he can play is the intro to Smoke On The Water. He asked me to try to teach him. I said "I can't. I can't teach you anything about guitar until you know enough about music to know what a half step is. And a 3rd. And a 5th. I can't teach you about the guitar neck until you can relate that one fret equals a half step, and know what steps are." And so forth. I sat him down with a guitar on his shoulder and had him put a finger on any fret he wanted. I then played that note on the keyboard and told him to move down one fret and showed him the correlation of that fret to the keyboard. I spent an hour with him. For the whole hour I saw the same the same look on his face that you'd see when if you tried to explain long division to your dog.
No offense, but I think you went about this exactly backwards. What your friend needed to know was not intervals and all that. What he needed to know was how to play the rest of the song. He asked you what time it was and you tried to tell him how to build a clock
Last edited by Byron Dickens; 07/21/22 02:28 PM.
Byron Dickens BIAB. CbB. Mixbus 32C 8 HP Envy. Intel core i7. 16GB RAM W10. Focusrite Scarlett 18i 20. Various instruments played with varying degrees of proficiency. https://soundcloud.com/athanorsoundlabs
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 2,744
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 2,744 |
Hi Dev
I don't know a lot about Band In A Box. I do have some understanding of music and can play guitar a little.
Here is some simple stuff you can do. Each one of those little rectangles you see in BIAB represents one measure.
Confine your first experiences to only four measures. Type in C,G,F,C in those first four little rectangles. It really does not matter if you understand why I would ask you to use those chords or even what a chord is. The fact that it is a 1,4,5 does not matter. The fact that it is in the key of C does not matter.
Play that little what we call a "chord progression" out with different styles and go figure out how to loop it so you can really listen to it play over and over. Figure out how to change the speed, which we call tempo.
Those are very easy to learn things to do in BIAB. This will teach you a couple of things. One, how to do some simple stuff with BIAB and what different styles actually sound like, and two what one of the most common "chord progressions" in music really sounds like. It will train both your mind and your ear.
After you do that for a bit I would be glad to help you get to the next step in figuring out a little more about how to build a simple song in BIAB.
It is best to confine your style choice to the sort of music you like to listen to in the beginning.
You can make songs using only a computer and BIAB software. It is done every day. That may in the future lead you to other adventures in music like learning to play something.
Best of luck with your learning and be assured there are a lot of nice folks here who will be glad to help you on your way.
One of the issues you will run into is that there are a zillion choices of things to do with BIAB. Best to limit things in the very beginning.
Billy
EDIT: I went back and read all your posts again. You may or may not ever find the exact "feel" in BIAB you hear in your head. At least you have some better ideas on how to look for it. It is very unlikely anyone using only BIAB can write a song and have BIAB play out exactly what they hear in their head. It is much less frustrating in the beginning to make your ideas conform to BIAB that trying to force BIAB to conform to your ideas.
You can without too much effort generate music with BIAB. Like any tool it has limitations. It also takes time to learn to use.
Last edited by Planobilly; 07/21/22 05:19 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 13
Newbie
|
|
OP
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2022
Posts: 13 |
Hi Dev
I don't know a lot about Band In A Box. I do have some understanding of music and can play guitar a little.
Here is some simple stuff you can do. Each one of those little rectangles you see in BIAB represents one measure.
Confine your first experiences to only four measures. Type in C,G,F,C in those first four little rectangles. It really does not matter if you understand why I would ask you to use those chords or even what a chord is. The fact that it is a 1,4,5 does not matter. The fact that it is in the key of C does not matter.
Play that little what we call a "chord progression" out with different styles and go figure out how to loop it so you can really listen to it play over and over. Figure out how to change the speed, which we call tempo.
Those are very easy to learn things to do in BIAB. This will teach you a couple of things. One, how to do some simple stuff with BIAB and what different styles actually sound like, and two what one of the most common "chord progressions" in music really sounds like. It will train both your mind and your ear.
After you do that for a bit I would be glad to help you get to the next step in figuring out a little more about how to build a simple song in BIAB.
It is best to confine your style choice to the sort of music you like to listen to in the beginning.
You can make songs using only a computer and BIAB software. It is done every day. That may in the future lead you to other adventures in music like learning to play something.
Best of luck with your learning and be assured there are a lot of nice folks here who will be glad to help you on your way.
One of the issues you will run into is that there are a zillion choices of things to do with BIAB. Best to limit things in the very beginning.
Billy
EDIT: I went back and read all your posts again. You may or may not ever find the exact "feel" in BIAB you hear in your head. At least you have some better ideas on how to look for it. It is very unlikely anyone using only BIAB can write a song and have BIAB play out exactly what they hear in their head. It is much less frustrating in the beginning to make your ideas conform to BIAB that trying to force BIAB to conform to your ideas.
You can without too much effort generate music with BIAB. Like any tool it has limitations. It also takes time to learn to use. First off, I have to say I`m so impressed with, and grateful for the amount of help I`ve received here, this support really helps with learning as much as possible about BIAB, sticking with it and trying out all the good advice I`ve been given. I`m finding the more I "play around" with it the more I`m beginning to understand, not just about BIAB but about music, though I have to say I need a little more time to get my head round 1,4,5, but again, theres so many good videos around these days. I`ve listened to a lot of songs posted here, and they all have that really professional sound, they all sound "interesting", whereas, for now anyway, mine sound contrived and sterile. Its a learning curve, but its a fun learning curve...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 2,744
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 2,744 |
I will try to take the mystery out of the 1,4,5 concept for you. Here is a graphic of a piano keyboard. I am using the piano because it is visual and easy to understand.  The note shown in the middle is called "middle C. Notice there are both white keys and black. For the moment, disregard the black keys. Starting with the C note, using only white keys, we can form something called a C scale. The letters in a C scale are C,D,E,F,G,A,B, and then it starts over. We can also number those letters. C=1,D=2,E=3,F=4,G=5,A=6,B=7. So notice that C is 1, F is 4, and G is 5. So that is where the 1,4,5 comes from. We call that a one, four, five progression. It is the most common progression in music and thousands of songs have been constructed using that progression. There are three ways to put that in writing. One, Four, Five or 1,4,5 or I, IV, V. The last being the way you would normally see it written in musical terms. There is a function in BIAB that lets you change the key. If you type a 1,4,5 into BIAB and tell it to change the key it will show you the letter names of any 1,4,5 in whatever key you choose. This is one of the most basic and fundamental concepts of music theory. This idea of letters and their corresponding numbers is how we define progressions, chords, and many other things for example. There is no absolute need to understand any of this. At the end of the day, music is about sound. If it sounds good to you, that is all that really matters. Music theory is just a way that has been developed to be able to communicate musical ideas in a somewhat standard way. Any chord progression can be used but not all chord progressions will sound good to you. So...here are some definitions of things being discussed. Musical scale...any graduated sequence of notes, tones, or intervals. An example is the C scale. Chord...A chord is the layering of several tones played simultaneously. Tones are sounds produced by depressing the keys on a piano for example. An example is a C chord comprised of the first, third, and fifth notes of a C scale. Chord Progression...In a musical composition, a chord progression is a succession of chords. An example is a one, four, five. Key...in music theory, the key of a piece is the group of pitches, or scale, that forms the basis of a musical composition. An example is the key of C. The deifications I have given you are the most simplistic I could come up with and there is more to learn. I hope I have described all this in a way you can easily understand. Billy
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,677
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,677 |
I'll just add a little to PianoBilly's excellent explanation.
In a major key, which is what the C scale is in the explanation, there happens to be three major chords, three minor chords, and one other chord(*).
It also happens that the three major chords are that 1, 4 and 5; I, IV and V.
The three minor chords are 2, 3 and 6 and in the Roman numerals notation, they're usually written lower case: ii, iii and vi. Usually, but not always. So the 'sixth' that's been mentioned elsewhere in this thread is a minor chord.
(*) The last chord is "diminished" and slightly different. Something for later if you don't already know that. It's normally written as vii followed by a 'degree' symbol.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2026 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,922
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,922 |
Dev, a lot of information has been given but maybe you are not at this part of the music theory learning curve yet. I would suggest you get the Music Theory for Dummies book: https://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-Dummies-Career-Education-dp-1119575524/dp/1119575524/ref=dp_ob_title_bkIt will start you out at square in put things into an organized order. I have used Dummies books (I do not like that Dummies name, beginners would be a better thing for a title) a number of times and I have found them to be very good.
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 621
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 621 |
There is no absolute need to understand any of this. At the end of the day, music is about sound. If it sounds good to you, that is all that really matters. Music theory is just a way that has been developed to be able to communicate musical ideas in a somewhat standard way. Any chord progression can be used but not all chord progressions will sound good to you.
Bingo. Music theory is a description, not a prescription. It is not a set of "rules" that one must "obey" in order to write "proper" music. It is a way do explain how the composer put together a piece of music. Rather than jumping in to theory right away, it is a much better idea to pick up an instrument and start learning to play some music. Learn a few easy songs. Once you learn a few songs and start making the connection between your hands and your ears, then you can start learning the theory. Music theory is useless without a context. Many, many rock and folk songs, for instance, are built on a bVI - bVII - i progression, but that is absolutely meaningless until you have that sound in your ears. Once you learn several of those tunes and are familiar with that sound, when someone explains what bVI - bVII - i means the light bulb comes on!
Byron Dickens BIAB. CbB. Mixbus 32C 8 HP Envy. Intel core i7. 16GB RAM W10. Focusrite Scarlett 18i 20. Various instruments played with varying degrees of proficiency. https://soundcloud.com/athanorsoundlabs
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,677
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,677 |
Music theory ... It is not a set of "rules" that one must "obey" in order to write "proper" music. It is a way do explain how the composer put together a piece of music. ... and it is one of the primary ways we guide BiaB to do what we want.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful.
AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11
BIAB2026 Audiophile, a bunch of other software.
Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts
.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,173
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,173 |
Just this week I decided to sign up for Guy Michelmore’s (ThinkSpaceEducation) “how to write music course”. (I like the way Guy does things). He mentions (somewhere) the need to really understand music theory and/or have the ability to read music is not really required but can offer some advantages.
His main thing seems to be start with a simple “motif”, just 4 or 5 notes then build up from there. Do your stuff in a quiet secluded area and not be discouraged. You can find many of Guy’s videos on YouTube where he demonstrates the process. He also has a free taster course.
Guy seems to do stuff very quickly but he does tear up as many lines as he keeps. Sure a lot of what he does applies to orchestration but it is very easy to apply the same skills to playing live or BIAB or whatever.
ThinkSpaceEducation.com offer several “free” mini courses on composing and music theory. These are well worth looking at.
My thoughts
Tony
Last edited by Teunis; 07/22/22 12:30 PM.
HP i7-4770 16GB 1TB SSD, Win 10 Home,
Focusrite 2i2 3rd Gen, Launchkey 61, Maton CW80, Telecaster, Ovation Elite TX, Yamaha Pacifica 612
BB 2022(912) RB 2022(2), CakeWalk, Reaper 6, Audacity, Melodyne 5 Editor, Izotope Music Production Suite 4.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
|
eddie1261
Unregistered
|
Not really, Byron. Every time music comes up in conversation he says "I really want to learn how to play." I have never and will never teach somebody "songs". I am happy to try and teach them "music", but if you want to learn from me you learn about the WHY rather than just the result. He can play that intro, but when it hits the verse he has no idea what to do, because he doesn't know notes, which make up chords, which make up intervals, usually around the circle of 5ths.
Nothing is ever gained through shortcuts and "you do it for me" mentality. Trying to teach him about 3rds, 5ths... That's intervals, no?
If you walk up to a stranger who knows nothing about music and tell him that a major chord is 1-3-5, he won't know what a chord even is, what "major" means, and think 1-3-5 are just the first 3 prime numbers. It is impossible to teach with implied knowledge like knowing what 1-3-5 means unless somebody knows about scales. I am not saying yo need to know Dorian from Phrygian from Aeolian mode, but geeze, if you are going to bother learning about a subject, ANY subject, then learn it.
Last edited by eddie1261; 07/22/22 12:52 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 621
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 621 |
Not really, Byron. Every time music comes up in conversation he says "I really want to learn how to play." I have never and will never teach somebody "songs". I am happy to try and teach them "music", but if you want to learn from me you learn about the WHY rather than just the result. He can play that intro, but when it hits the verse he has no idea what to do, because he doesn't know notes, which make up chords, which make up intervals, usually around the circle of 5ths.
Nothing is ever gained through shortcuts and "you do it for me" mentality. Trying to teach him about 3rds, 5ths... That's intervals, no?
If you walk up to a stranger who knows nothing about music and tell him that a major chord is 1-3-5, he won't know what a chord even is, what "major" means, and think 1-3-5 are just the first 3 prime numbers. It is impossible to teach with implied knowledge like knowing what 1-3-5 means unless somebody knows about scales. I am not saying yo need to know Dorian from Phrygian from Aeolian mode, but geeze, if you are going to bother learning about a subject, ANY subject, then learn it. Bull. How does he know how to play the intro? Isn't it made up of notes & (partial) chords? Jimi Hendrix didn't know all that either.
Last edited by Byron Dickens; 07/22/22 02:40 PM.
Byron Dickens BIAB. CbB. Mixbus 32C 8 HP Envy. Intel core i7. 16GB RAM W10. Focusrite Scarlett 18i 20. Various instruments played with varying degrees of proficiency. https://soundcloud.com/athanorsoundlabs
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,520
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,520 |
Dev, Stare at a keyboard in a music store. It does not have to be expensive. Most any keyboard will do. Put your left hand pinky on the C below middle C and play these notes up in a row, playing all white keys and skipping none. When you run out of fingers on your left hand, pick up with your right thumb. C D E F G A B C. Also known as Root (1), 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, Root Now with your left hand pinky on that lower C, add in the E with your middle finger (that is the third, C is the 1). Also add your thumb to the G, the 5th. That is the C major chord triad. Play it several times. Listen to the beauty. Play this chord with your left hand. Later you will learn to add melody notes with your right hand, but that is for another day. Now take that SAME SHAPE and move the whole thing up by one key. That is D minor. The second chord. (Minor second.) D F A Move up one more key. That is E minor. The minor third. (In chord theory.) E G B Move up one more. That is F. The fourth. F A C Move again. That is G. The fifth. G B D Move again. A minor. The minor 6th. A C E Move again, playing B, D, F. That is B diminished. (The triad.) Move one more. You are back at C. C E G. Stare at your hands while you play these chords. All of music is in there, it's just key changes and accidentals from there...but most songwriters use little more than that. Try it. You will fall in love. I promise.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
Holiday Weekend Hours
It's Victoria Day Long Weekend in Canada. Our Customer Service hours are:
Saturday, May 16: Closed
Sunday, May 17: Closed
Monday, May 18: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Regular hours resume Tuesday, May 19th!
Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
Order before 11:59pm PDT today (May 15, 2026) to save up to 50% off your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® upgrade and receive a FREE Bonus PAK loaded with great new Add-ons to use with this new version!
Don't wait - order today!
Check out all the new features in the redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® today for as little as $49! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all available purchase options.
Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
If you have any questions about which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We're here to help!
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.
Check out all the 202 new RealTracks (in sets 468-488)!
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!
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac 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)
- iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
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 PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,456
Posts805,321
Members40,125
| |
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