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The other option is to simply purchase entire midi songs with the drums included. Picking one here and there would be both cost effective from a money AND time perspective. You can almost instantly see what is happening, and with the ability to hear them! ................ HeartoLearn beat me to the punch, pun intended. I will add that I would start with free MIDI files. Yes some a crap but many are very good. Plus the drum tracks in the free files maybe identical or very close to the purchased files. I have used the drum tracks from the free MIDI files. Plus your drums are lined up with GM drums. If your method was just a learning technique then just ignore this message.
Whenever I get something stuck in the back of my throat, I dislodge it by drinking a beer.
It's called the Heineken Maneuver.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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I will add that I would start with free MIDI files. Yes some a crap but many are very good. Plus the drum tracks in the free files maybe identical or very close to the purchased files. I have used the drum tracks from the free MIDI files.
Thanks for saying this! I was going to mention that as well and spaced it. There are a number of decent free midi sources.
If your method was just a learning technique then just ignore this message.
BIG +1!!! Lining up the drums to the correct line can get annoying.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
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eddie1261
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eddie1261
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"I was only saying to the queen the other day how I hate name dropping."
-Douglas Fairbanks
This came up when Ringo called me last weekend...
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For me, this is continuing education. Some of the new AI software I have been learning has pushed me further in the direction of sight-reading music. Standard notation is one of the significant ways musicians communicate.
Secondly, learning to play/program drums has been a serious issue I have avoided all my life. My new next-door neighbor is a drummer, so I can access a kit whenever needed.
As far as what is easy, that is simple in theory. Just hire a highly skilled professional drummer. Finding one is anything but simple other than paying the LA professional studio drummer price. Even then, nothing is guaranteed.
For me, drums and bass define the song. The more I critically listen to music, the more I find that unless the drums and bass are solid, I will not be attracted to the song.
If you don't have a bottom, you don't have a band. I just woke up...lol Crack of noon thing...lol
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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I started out on drums.
It wasn't my choice. I moved to a town that at the time was small. All the instruments available for the school band were already rented. I really wanted to play the Euphonium, because I thought it had a beautiful voice.
All the new guys or gals got a practice pad and a pair of drumsticks. I practiced intensely, learned the rudiments that were presented to me (rudiments are the drummer's equivalent to scales, arpeggios, and ornaments), and quickly progressed.
Then the tenor sax player moved, and the band director asked who would like to try the sax. At that time, anything with a melody was good, so I guess I said "I do, I do!" more enthusiastically than the others.
It was one of the luckiest things that ever happened to me. Euphonium players don't get work, and the Euphonium isn't a chick magnet.
I rose through the ranks, became first sax in the all-state band every year, and also section leader, which goes to the first alto by default.
>>Fast forward>> I got in a road band. The drummer was a good singer, so I could play the drums while he got up front to sing.
Since every songwriter doesn't have the good judgement to add a sax part to every song, I learned how to get around on bass, rhythm guitar (barre chords) and keyboards. Switching instruments is good show-biz.
OK, here is my point of all this babbling.
I think every musician in a pop/rock/folk/country band should learn how to play drums. You don't have to learn enough to be proficient, but enough to understand them. At least the first dozen or so rudiments, and how to play simple backing rhythms on the drum set.
To me, this is as important as learning to get around on the piano keyboard.
It gives you a good understanding of what the drummer does, and when you are playing your preferred instrument, that helps you play with the drummer instead of playing at the same time the drummer is playing.
It will make you a better all-around musician.
Insights and incites by Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton  Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Well, I could not agree more with what Bob said. Perhaps the best good fortune Bob had was being more or less forced to learn how to play drums.
There are many good reasons for band members to play several instruments. Drums and being able to play "with" a drummer is critical. It matters little how well or how many notes a nanosecond you can play if you can not play in time. Knowing how to play "out of time" is a very valuable skill. Playing "behind the beat," for example. To do that, you have to understand exactly what the drummer is doing.
There is a reason horns are not in most songs. Besides the obvious, the reason is money. Over my lifetime, we have gone from the Big Band era to DJs.
Having a horn section was always a treat for me. So was having a real B3. Not always possible, but very cool when it happens.
Money
It's a crime
Share it fairly, but don't take a slice of my pie
Money
So they say
Is the root of all evil today
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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Great way to end that post Planobilly, with a verse from a 7/4 song .. perfect
/* I see what you did there */
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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I learned drum rudiments in 4th grade summer music camp. I consider myself lucky to have had that.
As far as music notation, I studied with the director of the Albany Symphony Orchestra and learned a couple of things.
But what I've done most is write horn parts for records made by other artists. I love a three-horn section, but I've played flutes or vibes just as often. I've written and played for everything from an Elvis tribute band to folk, country, soul, jazz septet, jazz big band, and up to symphony orchestra. Always fun to write for horns, though.
If you are interested in the best jazz horn writing, two words: Jerry Hey
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; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
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<...snip...>
There are many good reasons for band members to play several instruments. <...>
Billy Most definitely. You don't really understand an instrument, until you learn how to play it. Once you do, you know that instrument's place (or its job, if you will) and how it should fit with the rest of the band. That also lets you know how best to interact with it while playing your preferred instrument. My primary instrument is saxophone/wind synthesizer, my secondary is vocals. I can double on flute, drums, guitar, bass, and some keyboards, but I wouldn't audition for a gig playing these as my primary. However, I did play bass as my main for a while, when nobody was hiring sax players, including a gig for Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon. I find that my time on drums, guitar, bass, and keyboards immensely helps my sax/windsynth playing. The opposite is also true, knowing how play sax/windsynth helps me play the other instruments better. Many musicians have no idea of what the drummer is doing. They don't know the difference between a single stroke roll or a double stroke roll or the difference between a flam, paradiddle, ratamacue or any of the others. In addition, The drummer also sets the groove. He/she is king of the recording section, and all other instruments need to fall into the groove and either sync with it or complement it. For that reason, when I make backing tracks for my duo, or styles for Band-in-a-Box, I start by recording a drum part. It might be just the basic beat, and I might add the rolls, fills and other parts later, but without the groove, the band isn't tight. It's also the reason I don't like to substitute 'real drums' with my MIDI styles. My bass and drum parts are synced together to the microsecond. No two grooves are exactly the same. So subbing another drum part with a different groove just makes for a sloppy, non-cohesive sounding rhythm section. Knowing multiple instruments also enhances my listening to music experience. You probably know how when you listen to a great player playing something really cool on your primary instrument, it gives you a little thrill. "Man! That was great!" Since I know how to play drums, I can hear someone like Bernard Purdie or Ginger Baker do something cool and really appreciate it. Same for the bass playing of John Paul Jones, James Jamerson or Paul McCartney. Or the guitar playing of Jeff Beck or Jim Hall. Or the vocals of Mark Murphy or Aretha Franklin. And so on. There is so much wonderful music, both old and young out there, that there is more than a lifetime of thrills. Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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I thought about you, Bob last night. Usually, the only way to get me into a bar is to pay me...lol
Being new here in Sebring and wanting to get out of the house with my wife, we took a short drive downtown. I saw a bar made from an old gas station and a duo called "He Said She Said". We stopped for a few and drank a beer. I don't remember the last time I drank a beer...lol
The guy could play guitar well, and both could sing well. Everything was sequenced and well enough put together but pretty simplistic. It was too loud for the place, and the high end of the mix was not good. I guess things never get mixed very well without a sound person.
They had a nice-looking class-A motor home with a trailer behind them for the stage gear. It was apparent they had been doing this for a good while.
I did not speak to them so I don't know what their story is. They looked like they were trying hard to do the best job that they could. I got the idea that this is how live gigging musicians survive in today's world.
Well...no sax and no B3, not even recorded horn stabs. Nothing in a bar that would support that I guess.
Hope you and your wife are doing well.
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
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eddie1261
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eddie1261
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a flam, paradiddle, ratamacue or any of the others. I had to comment here because it's a funny story. Back in he Motown band years we were learning some song or other, and the drummer said "It isn't this way on the recording but let me start it like this." And he played a ratamacue. We all said "That's cool. Do that." After which he told us "That's called a ratamacue." Months later we were on to something else and I said "Hey can you start this one like that other one? With a razzmatazz?" And from that moment on, that fill became known as a razzmatazz. That drummer, who was as steady as a jogger's heartbeat, ended up as a midwest area blues band on call drummer for those ALMOST good enough bands when they toured the Great Lakes area. We had dubbed him "Showtime" because he would incessantly ask us "What is showtime at this place?" (never just "When do we start?"), and he hired himself out as "Johnny Showtime." Haven't seen him for around 20 years now but I'm sure he still plays in perfect time.
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<...snip...>
Hope you and your wife are doing well.
Billy Thanks Billy, we are doing great. We had 20 gigs in March, and as the winter tourist season starts to wind down, only 16 in April. We've got +600 songs in our 'book', and I've done all the backing tracks myself. Sometimes from scratch, sometimes with BiaB help, depending on the song. All my tracks are mixed well, although sometimes it takes a few tries to get them just right. Something about mixing at home and then playing them live in a bigger room. Moe often than not, the first try nails it. I have an identical mixer and powered speakers at home. We have two regular gigs, and the rest are private parties. The owner of both regular gigs have assured us that even when the summer business gets slack, we still have the gigs. We make them a ton of money during the season, and they don't want to lose us. We are happy, and healthy, and having a great time. How are you doing in your new location? I'll bet you were cold this winter after leaving Miami. Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com
100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: VST3 Plugin Support
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® now includes support for VST3 plugins, alongside VST and AU. Use them with MIDI or audio tracks for even more creative possibilities in your music production.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Macs®: VST3 Plugin Support
Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®: Using VST3 Plugins
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From overviews of new features and walkthroughs of the 202 new RealTracks, to highlights of XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAKs 18, the 2025 49-PAK, and in-depth tutorials — you’ll find everything you need to explore what’s new in Band-in-a-Box® 2025.
Reference this forum post for One-Stop Shopping of our Band-in-a-Box® 2025 Mac Videos — we’ll be adding more videos as they’re released!
Band-in-a-Box 2025 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac is here, packed with major new features and an incredible collection of available new content! This includes 202 RealTracks (in Sets 449-467), plus 20 bonus Unreleased RealTracks in the 2025 49-PAK. There are new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 4, two new sets of “RealDrums Stems,” XPro Styles PAK 8, Xtra Styles PAK 19, and more!
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Band-in-a-Box 2025 Italian Version is Here!
Cari amici
È stata aggerate la versione in Italiano del programma più amato dagli appassionati di musica, il nostro Band-in-a-Box.
Questo è il link alla nuova versione 2025.
Di seguito i link per scaricare il pacchetti di lingua italiana aggiornati per Band-in-a-Box e RealBand, anche per chi avesse già comprato la nuova versione in inglese.
Band-in-a-Box 2025 - Italiano
RealBand 2025 - Italiano
Band-in-a-Box 2025 French Version is Here!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2025 pour Windows est disponible en Français.
Le téléchargement se fait à partir du site PG Music
Pour ceux qui auraient déjà acheté la version 2025 de Band-in-a-Box (et qui donc ont une version anglaise), il est possible de "franciser" cette version avec les patchs suivants:
BIAB 2025 - francisation
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