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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OP
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Any guitarists here find a work-around for playing with a capo? For example, there is an old Irish song that my voice sound best with in the key of Eb.
As you guitarist know, that is not a guitar friendly key. It actually sounds best with the 'C' chord shapes, so so I am placing the capo at the third fret.
Problem is BIAB is still showing 'Eb' chord shapes. It won't be a problem for long of course as try to play without lead sheets, but while I'm learning a song life would be eaiser if I didn't have to transpose the chords in my head while playing.
Any advice?
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
Any guitarists here find a work-around for playing with a capo? For example, there is an old Irish song that my voice sound best with in the key of Eb.
As you guitarist know, that is not a guitar friendly key. It actually sounds best with the 'C' chord shapes, so so I am placing the capo at the third fret.
Problem is BIAB is still showing 'Eb' chord shapes. It won't be a problem for long of course as try to play without lead sheets, but while I'm learning a song life would be eaiser if I didn't have to transpose the chords in my head while playing.
Any advice?
Transpose BIAB to C - Print out the chords, then take BIAB back to Eb - hit play and read from the printed sheet. Thats how I do it  . But there may be a better way to have BIAB play one key and display another. 
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Nov 2010
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Journeyman
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OP
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That would work. Guess I could write the transposed chords into the lyric sheet too. I was hoping the program had a way of handling this. Another program I use to learn tunes - GuitarPro - displays the capo'd chords whle playing the resultant sound. No biggie.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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this is a good idea for the wish list: the ability to change the displayed chords without changing the functional chords used to generate the song
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Journeyman
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OP
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Ahh... Just tried this! If you are working with all RT styles and no MIDI soloists or melody, you can simply right-click the combo and select "freeze all tracks". Then transpose your song to the capo'd key! BIAB will display the capo'd chords while playing the music in the correct key.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
Ahh... Just tried this! If you are working with all RT styles and no MIDI soloists or melody, you can simply right-click the combo and select "freeze all tracks". Then transpose your song to the capo'd key! BIAB will display the capo'd chords while playing the music in the correct key.
Excellent idea Robb! I've been struggling with the same problem, but I've been trying to transpose in my head in real time (not well enough to inspire the confidence to do it in front of people)
Your solution...
1) keeps your chords intact with the project so you don't have to manage a bunch of paper
2) and the ability to do it already exists in BIAB!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
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Quote:
Any guitarists here find a work-around for playing with a capo? For example, there is an old Irish song that my voice sound best with in the key of Eb.
As you guitarist know, that is not a guitar friendly key. It actually sounds best with the 'C' chord shapes, so so I am placing the capo at the third fret.
Problem is BIAB is still showing 'Eb' chord shapes. It won't be a problem for long of course as try to play without lead sheets, but while I'm learning a song life would be eaiser if I didn't have to transpose the chords in my head while playing.
Any advice?
First of all, there is absolutely nothing at all wrong with using the Capo.
Matter of fact, there are certain times when the use of the Capo opens your sound up to a change that your audience will appreciate, despite the fact that they are very likely to not be able to put a finger on the reason for that. Well, it happens because there will be a *change* in sound for that song, something the brain and ears notice as something "new" or different from what they've been hearing in the previous songs.
One can quite effectively use the Capo to take advantage of that kind of "Ear Candy".
For example, placing the Capo at the 3rd fret and then using the common key of C open chords would put you in Eb Major.
This opens up that Eb song to all the same devices that you enjoy when in the key of C -- the "downward cascade" where the bass notes are C, B, A, G, etc. -- if it fits the song, of course.
There are other ways to overcome this problem as well.
Learning some new chord shapes can be of great advantage, especially for the situation where changing to the Capo takes too much time, or where the desired guitar sound is different, such as in a Swing Tune accompaniment. The "Inside" chords, named such because they typically take advantage of the inside four strings, but not always, are something I notice that very few guitarists take advantage of anymore, a pity and to their -- and their audience's -- detriment.
Finally, there's the old trick of tuning the Guitar down one half step on each string. This makes the key of E shapes into Eb, the key of A shapes into Ab, etc. A cool trick when playing with horn bands, which are likely to be putting all songs into the so-called, "horn keys". Works great with singing voice as well. So great that it might be a good idea to have TWO guitars onstage, one tuned down that half-step and one tuned to the normal tuning.
Myself, I've always deemed it more important that the song fit the vocalist.
Therefore, if I have to use a Capo to get what is needed, I use the Capo.
Etc.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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OP
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Quote:
First of all, there is absolutely nothing at all wrong with using the Capo.
Mac, no one was debating the usefulness of a capo. It is an indispenseable tool! Just trying to figure out how to use one with BIAB while learning songs.
Thanks for the advice though!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Expert
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Expert
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I thought there was some form of display (only) transpose? Or how do Horn players in Bb and Eb cope? I tgook a look in the manuial and found nothing - but I am not the best with BIAB.
Win 11 64, Asus Rog Strix z390 mobo, 64 gig RAM, 8700k
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
Quote:
First of all, there is absolutely nothing at all wrong with using the Capo.
Mac, no one was debating the usefulness of a capo. It is an indispenseable tool! Just trying to figure out how to use one with BIAB while learning songs.
Thanks for the advice though!
Cool.
Capo placement on the Fretboard View would be a great enhancement IMO.
Head thee to the Wishlist Forum...
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
I thought there was some form of display (only) transpose? Or how do Horn players in Bb and Eb cope? I tgook a look in the manuial and found nothing - but I am not the best with BIAB.
I agree, I believe this is indeed possible in this manner. Just no time right now to verify. I assume someone will step in and then we both can say "we told you so"  BIAB is the swiss army knife of music apps.
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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PG Music Staff
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PG Music Staff
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Quote:
I thought there was some form of display (only) transpose? Or how do Horn players in Bb and Eb cope? I tgook a look in the manuial and found nothing - but I am not the best with BIAB.
If you either go to Opt - Preferences - Notation, or hit the Opt button in the Notation screen, that gets you Notation Options.
Pretty much dead center, you'll find the Transpose Options. They only affect the notation and chord sheet, music still plays in concert key (or whatever key your song is in).
Does that help?
Kent
PG Music
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
If you either go to Opt - Preferences - Notation, or hit the Opt button in the Notation screen, that gets you Notation Options.
Pretty much dead center, you'll find the Transpose Options. They only affect the notation and chord sheet, music still plays in concert key (or whatever key your song is in).
Does that help?
Kent
PG Music
yes, it does help! Thanks Kent!
this is such a feature-rich program, there are always easter eggs to find...
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Journeyman
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Quote:
The "Inside" chords, named such because they typically take advantage of the inside four strings, but not always, are something I notice that very few guitarists take advantage of anymore, a pity and to their -- and their audience's -- detriment.
--Mac
Hi Mac,
If the OP doesn't mind ... could you tell us what you mean by these inside chords?
Maybe there's a web site with them?
I thought I had read the term "inside chords" an they were referring to chords other than 1,4,5
in a given key. Do you just mean voicing that lands on the inner four strings?
Finally, I have found a cool signature with sufficiently dry humor.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Pat, this is hardly an Easter Egg, since those of us who play transposing instruments (trumpet, sax etc.) need this feature to play along with the music without changing the pitch of what is being played. The catch is that you need to remember this transposition setting is in effect, or you can get very confused when loading a new song.
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:
Pat, this is hardly an Easter Egg, since those of us who play transposing instruments (trumpet, sax etc.) need this feature to play along with the music without changing the pitch of what is being played. The catch is that you need to remember this transposition setting is in effect, or you can get very confused when loading a new song.
You're right, the term "easter egg" has a specific meaning in terms of software that is different than what I meant. I called it an easter egg because the practice of searching for good things until they are found reminds me of an easter egg hunt.
There are so many features just like that in this program. It seems logical that it must exist, but it isn't always obvious (to my mind, at least) how to find and activate them.
In this case, even with the explanation, it took some thinking to understand why I was looking at OPT/PREFERENCES/NOTATION/TRANSPOSE instead of OPT/PREFERENCES/TRANSPOSE
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Right. An Easter Egg to me means that a programmer added a snippet of code so that, when you press some arcane combination of keys, something unusual and generally meaningless happens. But I agree, I thought you were referring to the fact that there are so many features. That's a nice problem to have, although over the years, we have seen many posts from people who were confused about the differences between the options you cite.
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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I have the same problem because I tune my Acoustic down to D from E.
That's why I had to print a few chord charts out and then transpose in BIAB. It's hard for me to not look at the screen. I'm so confused!
I'm glad I don't tune my electric different.
Wayne,
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Apprentice
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Robb,
An alternative to using a capo would be using a Guitar Method system known as the CAGED system. Look this up on the Internet. For example, suppose you want to play an A chord using a G open form from the CAGED system. You would Barr at the third fret and use the last three fingers on your left hand, assuming you are right handed, to make the G chord. Same barr, make the C chord with the last three fingers and you have a D chord, and etc. You still get the clean open sound by using this method. Hope this helps. It opens up a whole new set of chords for you to learn. Of course, you may already know this..
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