Long time, but casual, BIAB user here. I'm a chord based musician, not a note based one. I'd like to be able to print out a simple chord chart with just big fat letters (no clef lines or guitar fingering). However , I found it's not possible with BIAB, even with all its bells and whistles. Searched the forum and I see it's been a long time gripe. So, any suggestions for a low cost program that would take the output of a BIAB song (not audio) and print this type of chord chart?
Note: I’m not interested in work-arounds like screen shots.
Note2: I found this online, free site that will do this, but I don’t want to hand enter the chords again. www.chordsheet.com
Ralph, a feature to export chord sheets was added to BIAB. I haven't used it and I'm not at a computer now, but someone will give you the instructions. Whether the format of the export will meet your needs, you can decide, but BIAB does have this. I think one way involves Edit, Copy Special to Text and unselecting the meta information. Or maybe it's File, Save Special, Text.
It has also been possible for several years to Print a PDF of just the chords, if that helps.
BIAB 2024 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 6.5 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6; Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus Studio 192, Presonus Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors
If I click on the "Notation" button, then the "Print" button and select "OK - Print Chords Only", I get a printed sheet that looks very similar to your example.
Matt: Thanks for the quick reply. I see that File-Save Special-ABC Notation has a format that maybe I can find an external program to print chords from. As far as printing with PDF and getting what I want, I haven't come across that yet. I’ll have to explore more, but since I don't want to ruin New Year's day I'll wait till tomorrow.
Martin: I like big fat chords like you see on the Control-T screen in BIAB. See attached PDF.
Lloyd: That was Martin's example. See my comment above to Martin.
Thanks to all for the help. Make some good music in 2021.
I too would like simple chord chart displays, but can't get what I'm after without extra space or text. My particular example has Section Layers (i.e. V1B, Bridge) in the chord chart. Even if I turn those off in the chord display, they still show up when printing "Chords only". So in this example:
1. There's a huge amount of wasted space between the lines.
2. The Section layer text is under the previous line, rather than right above the line where it belongs. The red arrows indicate where that text should be to stay associated with the measure where it belongs.
I'd be happy just getting rid of the section text as a compromise, and also would love to shrink the space between lines so most charts could fit on one page.
Any suggestions??
Chuck Wiggins
BIAB 2023 Win UltraPak, Cakewalk, Windows 10 Pro Custom AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-Core, Focusrite Scarlett 4x4 interface
That looks nicer, but I'm using the section text layer on the chord sheet to help organize the arrangement. So I'd need a way to keep these around but not display them on the printout, and I haven't found a way to do that yet. Would be a two step or duplication process to get what I'm after even if I could hide the section text layer on the printout. I'm confused why there needs to be so much separation of the layer text from the measure its associated with. Not a good design IMHO.
Chuck Wiggins
BIAB 2023 Win UltraPak, Cakewalk, Windows 10 Pro Custom AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-Core, Focusrite Scarlett 4x4 interface
Interesting feature, but I'd have to massage it to make a decent printed chord chart. Perhaps it can be read into some other programs. I have exported the file as MusicXML and read it into MuseScore, but still requires a good bit of work to put my section labels back in and a few other things.
So I'm gathering that there's no way to get the staffs closer together???? That would solve a big part of my problem. I have "unfolded" arrangements of 170 measures or so, and don't want to have a 3 or 4 page chart with a lot of wasted space.
Chuck Wiggins
BIAB 2023 Win UltraPak, Cakewalk, Windows 10 Pro Custom AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-Core, Focusrite Scarlett 4x4 interface
I started with something simple just to illustrate the issue more clearly - loaded demo song for a style. First image is the view in the Notation Window Lead Sheet mode. Second image is just after hitting Print and choosing "Print Chords Only" or Preview/Graphics or Print to PDF.
Chuck Wiggins
BIAB 2023 Win UltraPak, Cakewalk, Windows 10 Pro Custom AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-Core, Focusrite Scarlett 4x4 interface
MusicStudent: Thanks for this. Now I can create something closer to what I want by pasting into Word and changing font and size! Don't have to mess around with the complicated BIAB menus.
I'm fine with the bar lines, and they line up better if I check "Fake Sheet Mode" in the lead sheet window. The thing I want to have more control over is the large amount of white space between staffs in the second image. The lead sheet window gets about 50% more measures per page than the print version given the same settings.
I might be able to get close to what I want by just screen capturing the Lead Sheet Window, navigating through the song to get the next page displayed (there's not a "page down" in that mode). Ideally I want these to be PDF charts, but I could live with Jpgs or even stitch them into PDFs if needed. I just like the "native" PDF rasterization capabilities versus bitmaps.
Chuck Wiggins
BIAB 2023 Win UltraPak, Cakewalk, Windows 10 Pro Custom AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-Core, Focusrite Scarlett 4x4 interface
MarioD, that helps a LOT in terms of real estate, so probably gives me something functional enough. Thanks much. The best display for my purposes requires showing notes and staff lines, which seems to squish things together enough on the vertical plane to make the section text layer at least not appear as likely to be associated with the line above. I'll probably highlight them just because they are partly obscured by the chords (see yellow highlights...). I do a lot of arranging and playing around with chord progressions in BiaB, so I need something I can then take over to the keyboard and at least know where I am in the arrangement, or give it to someone else to play along.
Chuck Wiggins
BIAB 2023 Win UltraPak, Cakewalk, Windows 10 Pro Custom AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-Core, Focusrite Scarlett 4x4 interface
I suppose you know that there's a setting to move the chords closer to the staff. Not sure if it will change the position of the section text. Good luck! LLOYD S
Thanks - I had set that at a couple of points, but something (me or a "reset" or template) must have set it back. Looks like that lowers it enough to not obscure the section text. That gets me where I want to be - thanks!!
Chuck Wiggins
BIAB 2023 Win UltraPak, Cakewalk, Windows 10 Pro Custom AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-Core, Focusrite Scarlett 4x4 interface
User Video: Next-Level AI Music Editing with ACE Studio and Band-in-a-Box®
The Bob Doyle Media YouTube channel is known for demonstrating how you can creatively incorporate AI into your projects - from your song projects to avatar building to face swapping, and more!
His latest video, Next-Level AI Music Editing with ACE Studio and Band-in-a-Box, he explains in detail how you can use the Melodist feature in Band-in-a-Box with ACE Studio. Follow along as he goes from "nothing" to "something" with his Band-in-a-Box MIDI Melodist track, using ACE Studio to turn it into a vocal track (or tracks, you'll see) by adding lyrics for those notes that will trigger some amazing AI vocals!
Wir waren fleißig und haben über 50 neue Funktionen und eine erstaunliche Sammlung neuer Inhalte hinzugefügt, darunter 222 RealTracks, neue RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, "Songs with Vocals" Artist Performance Sets, abspielbare RealTracks Set 3, abspielbare RealDrums Set 2, zwei neue Sets von "RealDrums Stems", XPro Styles PAK 6, Xtra Styles PAK 17 und mehr!
Add updated printing options, enhanced tracks settings, smoother use of MGU and SGU (BB files) within PowerTracks, and more with the latest PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 update!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!
For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.
Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.
Already purchased your e-delivery version, and now you wish you had a backup copy? It's not too late! If your purchase was for the current version of Band-in-a-Box®, you can still reach out to our team directly to place your backup copy order!
Note: the Band-in-a-Box® keychain is only included with flash drive backup copies, and cannot be purchased separately.
Handy flash drive tip: Always try plugging in a USB device the wrong way first? If your flash drive (or other USB plug) doesn't have a symbol to indicate which way is up, look for the side with a seam on the metal connector (it only has a line across one side) - that's the side that either faces down or to the left, depending on your port placement.
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows® Today!
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!
With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!
A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."
"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."
"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."
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