< "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. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11 BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software. Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts .
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. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11 BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software. Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts .
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
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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. AVL:MXE Linux; Windows 11 BIAB2025 Audiophile, a bunch of other software. Kawai MP6, Ui24R, Focusrite Saffire Pro40 and Scarletts .
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..."
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