Hello Musgiq and welcome to the forum. Can you provide more detail on what you're looking for? Song writing is a vast subject.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2025 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
or you could go to his main channel and also listen to some of the songs he's made with BiaB. A lot of the song he does are 'covers', so may not be quite what you want, but should help to understand how to use BiaB.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11 BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software. Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts .
The best way to learn how to write songs is to ...
Start writing songs.
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.
I often tell people that writing a parody of some other song is educational and great practice.
If you analyze the original song well enough that you can match the structure, rhymes, accents, and even syllables you will have insight into how that song was written. Then you can pick a different song and do it again. Repeat as necessary.
If your problem is composing music, this won't help. But for lyrics and song structure, it's a useful tool.
I often tell people that writing a parody of some other song is educational and great practice.
If you analyze the original song well enough that you can match the structure, rhymes, accents, and even syllables you will have insight into how that song was written. Then you can pick a different song and do it again. Repeat as necessary.
If your problem is composing music, this won't help. But for lyrics and song structure, it's a useful tool.
Excellent advice. I couldn't agree more.
BIAB 2025 Audiophile Mac 24Core/60CoreGPU M2 MacStudioUltra/8TB/192GB Sequoia, M1 MBAir, 2012 MBP Digital Performer11, LogicPro, Finale27/Dorico/Encore/SmartScorePro64/Notion6 /Overture5
If you want to be caught in the trap of musical form/structure, comfortable progressions, conventional melodies & harmonies then start copying/changing what has come before. Alternately you could start but opening BIAB by picking a style you like the sound of, changing some components of it to suit your taste and then bang in chords until you're like the sound of them together. Far, far too many people are trapped by "the rules" of Western Musical tradition which is really only based on a couple of centuries of music that was controlled by the very rich and very powerful or you could, I suppose heed those who say learn the rules to break them, but it's a trap. Ignore the rules and mix things you like to make the stew you want. UNLESS you want to work in an established style, with all of it's attendant requirements.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Hey guys am an artist from uganda.I need help please on how to write a song. Your help is worth it.
This is a very general question. It's like asking for help painting a picture, but not specifying what should be in the picture, what style, what technique (oil, pencil, airbrush, etc.).
If you want to be caught in the trap of musical form/structure, comfortable progressions, conventional melodies & harmonies then start copying/changing what has come before. Alternately you could start but opening BIAB by picking a style you like the sound of, changing some components of it to suit your taste and then bang in chords until you're like the sound of them together. Far, far too many people are trapped by "the rules" of Western Musical tradition which is really only based on a couple of centuries of music that was controlled by the very rich and very powerful or you could, I suppose heed those who say learn the rules to break them, but it's a trap. Ignore the rules and mix things you like to make the stew you want. UNLESS you want to work in an established style, with all of it's attendant requirements.
You are demonstrating here a breathtaking - I don't know if it is ignorance or misrepresentation - of what music theory even is and of it's purpose.
Last edited by Byron Dickens; 11/14/2205:52 AM.
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.
OP has 2 posts. Claims to be from Uganda. Asks the most generic question ever. Never comes back to the post.
Yet folks still try to help which is very nice. Does give me a chuckle though that you guys think this is a real question.
+1 John, Even though it appears I was the first to be bamboozled, this continuation gives me a chuckle too. But in my defense I tried to ask for details which places some of his "skin in the game". No details, no help.
Is there a term for such a fellow? Is it troll?
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2025 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
OP has 2 posts. Claims to be from Uganda. Asks the most generic question ever. Never comes back to the post.
Yet folks still try to help which is very nice. Does give me a chuckle though that you guys think this is a real question.
+1 John, Even though it appears I was the first to be bamboozled, this continuation gives me a chuckle too. But in my defense I tried to ask for details which places some of his "skin in the game". No details, no help.
Is there a term for such a fellow? Is it troll?
Most of us will give the benefit of the doubt. I certainly did, though, wonder if I his lawyer wanted to transfer millions of dollars into my account. If (s)he comes back and gives sensible answers I'd still try to help, but I'm not holding my breath.
FWIW, I believe we've started using the word 'troll' and 'trolling' wrongly, though it may well be correct in this case. I believe it originally referred to the fishing method of trailing some bait in the water behind a slow-moving boat to see of you can get a bit or few.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11 BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software. Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts .
Most of us will give the benefit of the doubt. I certainly did, though, wonder if I his lawyer wanted to transfer millions of dollars into my account
What? You wonder if being his lawyer you want to transfer millions into your account? I don't get this.
https://soundcloud.com/user-646279677 BiaB 2025 Windows For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11 BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software. Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts .
If you want to be caught in the trap of musical form/structure, comfortable progressions, conventional melodies & harmonies then start copying/changing what has come before. Alternately you could start but opening BIAB by picking a style you like the sound of, changing some components of it to suit your taste and then bang in chords until you're like the sound of them together. Far, far too many people are trapped by "the rules" of Western Musical tradition which is really only based on a couple of centuries of music that was controlled by the very rich and very powerful or you could, I suppose heed those who say learn the rules to break them, but it's a trap. Ignore the rules and mix things you like to make the stew you want. UNLESS you want to work in an established style, with all of it's attendant requirements.
You are demonstrating here a breathtaking - I don't know if it is ignorance or misrepresentation - of what music theory even is and of it's purpose.
And you, dear Dickens, demonstrate a breathtaking ignorance of the value of ignorance. So much so that I 1st thought "What the Dickens!"
Children open software and start - fearless and buoyed by the knowledge that almost everything digital is easily replaced if a stuff up, crash or delete happens or if they're not pleased with the result of their endeavours. They do similar with almost everything they start, unless closely supervised and directed, explore in ignorance and discover in delight.
Most could sing before they could talk, could draw before they could write, could dance before they could march. All of these things are moved to the background when adults perceive the need for a child to replace the creative with more easily understood/measurable/quantifiable communication. You sir are an oppressor at heart.
If the OP wants to work in an established style and meet established expectations I invited them to respond accordingly.
Last edited by rayc; 11/17/2210:38 AM.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
And you, dear Dickens, demonstrate a breathtaking ignorance of the value of ignorance. So much so that I 1st thought "What the Dickens!"
Wow.
I'm "an oppressor at heart." That's rich, buddy. I must have really struck a nerve telling you how off base you are. What's the matter? Still trying to recover from the trauma of some nun whacking your knuckles with a ruler because you weren't paying attention during choir practice?
Suggesting that wilful ignorance is a virtue and that knowledge is undesirable is absolutely ludicrous. Ignorance is Strength. How very Orwellian of you.
First of all, music theory is a description, not a prescription.
Music theory is not a set of "rules" that one must "obey" in order to write "proper" music. Music theory is a a description of how the composer did what he did and how a piece of music works.
Music theory is much like grammar. Despite the impression that ruler-wielding nuns may have left upon you, the language comes first. The grammar comes later and it's proper role is to describe how that language is used in actual practice.
Music is a language and just like a spoken language the fact is that one has to use it similar to the way others do if one wishes to be comprehensible.
Furthermore, your statement about the "western musical tradition" being "really only based on a couple of centuries of music that was controlled by the very rich and very powerful" is pure Bovine Excrement.
The formal study of music theory in the Western world started at least as far back as Pythagoras and has continued through 12-tone serialism, Giant Steps and beyond.
And that is to say nothing of the music of other cultures.
Finally, knowledge is power. Knowledge engenders freedom, not "oppression."
One can not create music (or anything else, for that matter) in a vacuum, without reference to anything else.
Let's say I want to write a Jazz tune. First off, I have to know what Jazz even sounds like. Now, I could stab around blindly in the dark until I hopefully stumble upon something. But it will really help if I know that much of Jazz is based on a ii-V-I progression. However, for that to even make sense I kinda have to know what a ii, a V and a I even are.
Knowing how to get the sound I want is a lot less oppressive than wilful ignorance.
But let's say I want to create something new. Well, nothing can be created ex nihilo. It has to reference something, somehow and use materials that already exist. That's just the way the universe works. At least for mortals like me.
If I want it to be comprehensible in any way, it has to be familiar enough for someone else to understand it while still being unique enough to be novel. If it is too unique, however, comprehensibility goes out the window.
More knowledge about how music works can only help in that endeavor. Making one's burden lighter is freeing, not oppressing.
If you think that knowing music theory is a " trap," that's your fault, not Music Theory's.
Last edited by Byron Dickens; 11/18/2208:53 AM.
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.
Nicely done Bryon Dickens. You make my point for me. You seem "wilfully" ignorant of the contents of my posts. Much of your new post is about working within a system and it's "rules". Again, you make my point for me. I suggested that someone might begin to create without reference to a set of rules. "...one has to use it similar to the way others do if one wishes to be comprehensible." Again you make my point for me. I didn't restrict musical history to a couple of centuries. I was writing of the rules, and that'd be the rules of harmony specifically, that are in fact based on a particular period of western musical history. Oral communication isn't as restricted as you seem to make out: communication can be informal utterances as well as crafted sentences or expressive noise. You don't see your self as an oppressor but by maintaining a myopic frame of reference it is what you, and many of us if we can't accommodate alternatives to a language, a culture or an history, become. If the O.P. hears microtonality in his mind and wants to express it...ace! If the O.P. hears big band swing and wants to make it...ace! If the O.Pressor wants to limit expression to their concept of communication or language or expression...if their criteria for success is that they understand what is being communicated then blah! If you lack the self awareness then it's not my part to lead you to the mirror. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJHaDMMqdJA
Last edited by rayc; 11/18/2208:20 PM.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
And here I was under the impression that Australia is an English speaking country....
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.
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We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
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Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 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.
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