< "my problem is I dont play an instrument." ... "I`m wondering if anyone could help me put some chords to a song I`ve written." > using BIAB?
I have a friend that's a songwriter and like you, he doesn't know music theory and can't play a note on any instrument. But he's written many songs, is a member of NSAI, Charlotte for many years and used a technique of hiring a professional demo company to perform his songs.
You can do the same using BIAB as your 'demo company' by learning the different ways BIAB can populate the Chord Chart and how to select a style that matches your song.
BIAB can play 3 different types of files:
MIDI Audio MIDI/Audio mixture
Chords can be entered by:
Manually writing in the chords Importing chords from a text file Opening a MIDI File Import an XML file Opening a BIAB SGU file that has the chords already entered Using a USB connected MIDI instrument Importing an audio file and using the Audio Chord Wizard to analyze the Chords from the audio
The first 5 in the list above are likely the most beneficial for you to focus on.
Chords can be sourced in dozens of ways. Songbooks, google, YouTube, Facebook, SGU files, MIDI Files, word of mouth, tutorials and so on.
Just for fun, let's write your first song today using BIAB and a popular chord progression you've learned here on the forum - the I,IV,V
Open a new blank project - BIAB defaults to this. It will have a default style that includes a key signature, tempo, feel, time signature and default instruments. All that's lacking is Chords and you have 3 chords in the I,IV,V progression. Millions of songs have been written for generations using this progression.
To write a song using the I,IV,V progression, you only need to hear the progression repeated over and over (like a loop playing) so let's do that using on the first 4 measures (those blocks on Chord Sheet).
Don't worry about chords - We'll let BIAB take care of that...
In the first box type the number 1 and enter In the second box type the number 4 and enter In the third box type the number 5 and enter
Use your mouse and click the fourth block and with the left button of mouse pushed, move the curser to the left until all four blocks are highlighted in black.
Hit the F10 button on your keyboard
BIAB wii begin playing those first four black bars and repeating them over and over.
Listening to that loop, you can write a song using the I,IV,V chord progression. you can speed it up, slow it down, play it in another key or another style. That I,IV,V chord progression is loaded and ready to go.
... and maybe then ... standard, basic, 12-bar blues:
1 1 1 1 4 4 1 1 5 4 1 1
Thousands of songs follow that chord progression.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful. Kawai MP6, Korg M50, Ui24R, Saffire Pro 40. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11; Win8.1: Scarletts BIAB2022 UltraPAK, Reaper, a bunch of stuff.
So much great help, and I will keep coming back to these posts and try to follow all the advice given, for the moment I`m trying to get to know BIAB, I`ve watched many videos and I`m just amazed at the amount of things it can do.
I said in a post I felt the backing track I was creating sounded a little sterile, I shouldn`t have used that word as it probably doesn`t discribe what I meant, I used 1 chord for each beat, as the song I`m working on is quite repetitive then so too is the backing track, would I be right in thinking, if I used a second chord in each beat it would give it more variation, maybe I`m trying to run before I can walk...
Probably. But there's nothing wrong with that as long as you stay motivated.
I've placed a screen shot of a different variation of the method I detailed above and if you copy the style and chords and setting like they appear on the screen shot, you'll have a song that has a lot more variation in the playback loop. It uses a BIAB MultiStyle that automatically changes the instruments that are playing and the drum styles creating a very different feel throughout the song.
If you don't happen to have the specific style displayed on the screenshot, open the StylePicker and in the search box near the top - enter a + and a list of the MultiStyles in your version of BIAB will display. Choose one and the MultiStyle will replicate the results of my Chord Chart.
There are some quite reasonable controller keyboards for just a few tens of dollars that would allow Dev to do as you suggest and would also allow all manner of playing around and, when ready, note entry into BiaB or whatever. A keyboard is a nicely logical layout.
Most 49-key controllers are fairly cheap and OK, so long as one doesn't expected weighted keys and/or hammer action. Touch Sensitive is a must, but most will be.
Someone else might comment if a guitar is a preferred option for playing, as it's quite different.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful. Kawai MP6, Korg M50, Ui24R, Saffire Pro 40. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11; Win8.1: Scarletts BIAB2022 UltraPAK, Reaper, a bunch of stuff.
Someone else might comment if a guitar is a preferred option for playing, as it's quite different.
I am a guitarist so this might surprise some people but I would start with a MIDI controller keyboard as Gordon and David suggested. Why? Well with a guitar one must build up calluses (this will take some time), coordinate the fretting hand with the pick holding hand, and somehow get the chords/leads into BiaB. With MIDI keyboard one can just presses a key(s) to hear a note(s) and to have it recorded into BiaB. If one gets a piano chord chart or book, google/bing piano chord chart and you will find a number of free charts like this
and one can play the chord using a MIDI controller keyboard and BiaB will recognize said chord, at least that is what I am lead to believe. If I am wrong please correct me ASAP.
I believe that using a MIDI keyboard controller would be must faster and easier than learning the guitar when getting chords and leads into BiaB
PS - I know there is a learning curve setting up a keyboard controller and using MIDI but that is still easier then getting a guitar part into BiaB IMHO, YMMV
Me, it's not about how many times you fail, it's about how many times you get back up. Cop, that's not how field sobriety tests work.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
One of the reasons a keyboard is so useful is that the notes of every scale are laid out neatly and logically over the entire keyboard, whether is a MIDI controller, synthesizer, piano, organ, piano accordion, church organ, harpsichord, whatever.
I spent a while a few years ago researching instruments "what's the easiest to play" and "what;s the hardest to play". One thing that stood out to me when doing that was the number of instruments that appeared on both lists. What I concluded from that is that generally the "easy" lists were about starting out and the "hard" lists were about becoming skillful.
Choose to play an instrument(s) that you love.
A MIDI keyboard is a superb device for understanding the notes and chords and structure, and also makes a good input device for BiaB etc.. Everyone who wants to create music should have one and learn their way around it, even if the instrument they actually play is something totally different.
Jazz relative beginner, starting at a much older age than was helpful. Kawai MP6, Korg M50, Ui24R, Saffire Pro 40. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11; Win8.1: Scarletts BIAB2022 UltraPAK, Reaper, a bunch of stuff.
One of the reasons a keyboard is so useful is that the notes of every scale are laid out neatly and logically over the entire keyboard, whether is a MIDI controller, synthesizer, piano, organ, piano accordion, church organ, harpsichord, whatever.
I spent a while a few years ago researching instruments "what's the easiest to play" and "what;s the hardest to play". One thing that stood out to me when doing that was the number of instruments that appeared on both lists. What I concluded from that is that generally the "easy" lists were about starting out and the "hard" lists were about becoming skillful.
Choose to play an instrument(s) that you love.
A MIDI keyboard is a superb device for understanding the notes and chords and structure, and also makes a good input device for BiaB etc.. Everyone who wants to create music should have one and learn their way around it, even if the instrument they actually play is something totally different.
Thanks Gordon I`ve just bought a Akai LPK25 as I`d like to use midi in my songwriting as well, I`ll need to look-out some tutorials on how to incorporate it into BIAB. I didn`t know you could, I`ll also be able to try out some of the other tips posted here...
One approach that has been used with success involves creating the constructing the chord structure first. A visit to the web site "chordie.com" links to thousands of chord and lyric combinations of most of your favorite songs. Note the structure of Band in a Box supports four bar lines. That's four bars of four beats per bar in 4/4 or three beats per line in 3/4. In addition, typically, verse lyrics are twelve bars to the verse, eight or twelve bars per chorus. First, build the frame. Then add the body -- the sides and the roof.
You might look into the concept of "chord progression" while getting started. Typically, the changes follow a 1-4-5 progression. In key of C, the one is C, four is F, five is G.
Typical eight bar verse, Amazing Grace, John Newton, 1620 Line One A (c) ma-zing (c) grace, how (f) sweet the (c) sound, That Line Two (c) saved a (c) wretch like (g) mee- (g) -ee.
One approach that has been used with success involves creating the constructing the chord structure first. A visit to the web site "chordie.com" links to thousands of chord and lyric combinations of most of your favorite songs. Note the structure of Band in a Box supports four bar lines. That's four bars of four beats per bar in 4/4 or three beats per line in 3/4. In addition, typically, verse lyrics are twelve bars to the verse, eight or twelve bars per chorus. First, build the frame. Then add the body -- the sides and the roof.
You might look into the concept of "chord progression" while getting started. Typically, the changes follow a 1-4-5 progression. In key of C, the one is C, four is F, five is G.
Typical eight bar verse, Amazing Grace, John Newton, 1620 Line One A (c) ma-zing (c) grace, how (f) sweet the (c) sound, That Line Two (c) saved a (c) wretch like (g) mee- (g) -ee.
Thanks edshaw, I can see how this can be very helpful when putting together a song, there really is a lot of help out there.
Just looking at the posts here, I cant help notice there are so many different ways to go about making a backing track, so its probably about finding the one that suits you best!!
Sure thing, dev. Hey, find a handful of your favorite songs on Chordie.com and chart them out in Band in a Box. I'd be willing to bet more than a few of the BB experts and innovators have done that. Experiment. The basic elements are chords and rhythm styles.
Sure thing, dev. Hey, find a handful of your favorite songs on Chordie.com and chart them out in Band in a Box. I'd be willing to bet more than a few of the BB experts and innovators have done that. Experiment. The basic elements are chords and rhythm styles.
And I thought I was the only one around here with sticky fingers. I keep telling myself, "There's really nothing new under the Sun." Seriously, though, dev posted:
"I said in a post I felt the backing track I was creating sounded a little sterile, I shouldn`t have used that word as it probably doesn`t discribe what I meant, I used 1 chord for each beat, as the song I`m working on is quite repetitive then so too is the backing track, would I be right in thinking, if I used a second chord in each beat it would give it more variation, maybe I`m trying to run before I can walk..."
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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