I am really struggling to pull off this song form in BIAB. Can it even be done?
The picture is attached with the overall lead sheet. I'll try to explain the idea here:
Song starts with a 4-bar intro, then it's a standard AABA form, 32 bars. After the head is played, 2 choruses of solo follow, on the AABA, 32-bar form. In the last repeat, before the last bar of the last solo, there is a DS al Capo situation, where it will go back to the Segno (first bar of B section) to go back to the original theme from that point, which goes on until the Coda which is on the same place as the DS al Coda instruction, in whic moment it will cut to the Coda further below, which is effectively the ending/outro for the overall song.
So it goes -> INTRO -> 32-bar THEME -> 3x solos on 32-bar form -> THEME FROM B SECTION ONWARDS -> OUTRO
Scratching my head here. Is this even possible in BIAB?
Yes - if you unfold the song and have one long song not several choruses and repeats. as long as you don't have more than 256 bars that is and it looks like you might - although i'm doing my addition in my head which is't the most reliable calculator
Forum experts may say i'm wrong but I don't think RealBand has a 256 bar limit. so get as far as you can in BIAB, open the file in RB and as long as you've got all the sequences and sections you need created in BIAB (but maybe not enough repeats of them) you can cut and paste as many repeats and sections as you like in RB.
BB's limit is 2,000 bars, so that could be (for example) a 64 bar form repeated 30 times (which would take over an hour to play), but for a single form that doesnt repeat the limit is 256 bars (about 9 minutes at tempo 120)
Another way to achieve it would be to create the overall song with the bars 1...4 as an intro, bars 5...12 repeated with the two different endings,then the rest of the bars to the 32 for the chorus, then use the Edit->song form->Settings for this song to "Start the ending two bars early" (lower left corner), to jump out of the final chorus into a copied B+Outro.
If the song form is completely fixed, that may be more work than just one big chorus, but it does offer the option of changing the number of times through the chorus. The method above is the one I use for practice, because I can set a dozen or more times through if I 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 .
Yes, and we have "tag settings" in the Song Settings to accomplish that. So for example, on a 1-32 bar form, 4 choruses, you can have the last chorus jump to the tag 4 bars early (after bar 28) and jump to another bar like bar 36 where you can write a tag to be as long as you need it (up to bar 255). That works well for jazz standards where the chorus is repeated. A lot of pop tunes have variations in the chord, even on repeated sections, and if that is the case, then one big form without repeats is the best approach.
Yes, and we have "tag settings" in the Song Settings to accomplish that.
I presume you're refering to Edit->Song Form->Settings for This Song->Ending Options->Tag Exists. Yes, I should explicitly have mentioned that as I think it's the only way to get a longer Tag.
A caveat ... certainly until 2024, setting the song at any time to a single chorus causes that to make a mess of any melody. I think it's OK provided there are at least two choruses.
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 .
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