I would like to have N.C. as an actual chord that when inserted has BIAB play nothing until the next chord is inserted.

Yes, another very old request.

It is supposed to be there now; it just doesn't work. See /bb/pgshortc.txt for an explanation.

Isansoul,

Silly question but are you asking for a visual indication of a rest?

If so, yes indeed that would be nice! +1

Jim, that's how I took it to mean also.

Look at that file and you'll see NC is supposed to produce C. as the chord, but supposedly display as NC (I think).

I prefer N.C. but I'd be fine with just NC

I know I've asked for this in the past. I would still love to see this as well. +1

And I agree. The general convention (at least from the sampling of sheet music I have) is that N.C. (with the periods) is what is generally used. And it clearly tells you that there is no chord there.

+1.

Another +1

This is a part of the annual request I make to update that pgshortc.txt file.

Yes, another vote. This should have been a function for a long time now.
+1

I like Matt's solution where you enter either NC or N.C. and either introduces a rest. The chord sheet score could print N.C.

+1 for this old request

No, Jim, I'm not really asking for a visual indication of a rest, rather a program function that tells BIAB that whenever there is an N.C. inserted in a measure, no chord will be played until a chord is played. In my case, I use a lot of leadsheets to get the chords for songs I want to play the melodies from, and sometimes they may have a N.C. on measure one. If I was to just leave that measure blank it would just insert the tonic of that key.

Actually, I think both are important. A visual indication to show there is "No Chord" at that point in the chart (it's not always on measure 1) and to rest the underlying instrument tracks (minus melody and soloist, of course).

It's not mine - it's PG Music's and it's in that file. It just isn't implemented.

I'm certain you know this, but I'm just checking: You know that by putting a single period after a chord name, and no other letters following, it causes all instruments to rest. So BIAB has the 'program function'. What you want is for that function to be triggered in another way, by using the special chord symbol NC. Agreed. PG Music apparently intended for that to work, also.

But your last post ("no chord will be played until a chord is played") made me think maybe you are looking for a way to start a song on command, by playing a chord and then BIAB comes in with the lead-in bar, using only the chord you played. Is that correct?

Islansoul,

Here's the graphic that I said, I'd post in my Shoutbox post.

If you want BIAB not to play a chord for a bar or part of a bar, simply use a period when entering a chord. In the example below, BIAB will play C in bar 1 and C in bar 3 but nothing will be heard in bar 2.



From what you've written in the Shoutbox, it sounds like this is what you are after.

Regards,
Noel

Stopping the chord being played works, but it is still presented as a 'played chord' on the chart:

I hope Islansoul will respond to continue to clarify his request. Having said that, Islansoul's clarification is pretty specific.

Noel, I believe the issue with your solution is BiaB does not honor a rest on beat 1 of the first bar.

I'm not conseried with seeing the lead chart. I would rather jutst have the N.C. tell Band in a Box to not play a chord. However, I do relize I can just have "X." and have a chord not play at any point. What I also wonder is if N.C. does get introduced in BIAB, if N.C. could only apply to instruments that are polyphonic, such as piano, guitar, organ, banjo ect. but allow for the possiblite of letting monophonic instrumetns alone. For example, if I wanted to have bar 1 act as a intro where only the bass and drums would play until I but in a chord. I realized that that would be imposible, and I coul just do "X.bd" until I inserted a chord without a dot.

I guess overall the idea of N.C. seems kind of pointless to me.

That's OK. It's helpful you brought this up again for those of us who do need this.

Thanks