AM + BIAB = BFF
So this is my new BFF: world, I’d like you to meet Band-In-A-Box. Band-In-A-Box, the world:
Band-In-A-Box, for the uninitiated, is a piece of music software. You simply enter the names of the chords as above, choose a tempo, a style and a key, click ‘Play’ et voila! Your computer plays a jazz trio version of ‘Old Devil Moon’. Or whatever.
I’ve used BIAB in the past, but generally for practice, and for finding the right key (you can transpose with a click of your mouse). ie. I’ve already had the song chart in front of me, in paper form, and then simply entered its chords and altered the style etc in the software.
But now, in pursuit of charts for jazz-ish favourites that are being requested here - like ‘That Old Devil Called Love’, ‘Moondance’ and ‘Perfidia’ - I’ve found that BIAB has come into its own.
Or rather: the BIAB community that exists online has come into its own.
Because on Yahoo! Groups, there are two groups whose sole purpose is to contain Zip files of songs - mostly jazz, but pop too - in BIAB format.
So you join the Group, click on ‘Files’, and therein lies a whole host of folders containing BIAB songs. You then download, say, the ‘M’ folder - open it, choose ‘Moondance’ (if you really must), and there it is, in the format pictured above. Ready to play and be tampered with for your singalong, transposing, and chord-taking delight.
And as you can see from my choice of song above (if you have eagle eyes, and/or play a musical instrument): I’m also using it for evil, as well as good.
**Update: I’ve just found a BIAB file for ‘Peg’ by Steely Dan! OMG. BIAB U R MY BFF.
March 7th, 2008 at 4.39pm
I think I need to get into BIAB.
A variation on an old joke would be what’s the difference between BIAB and a real band ? You only have to punch the information in once with BIAB.
As a tool for finding your right key and transposing the chords it must be really useful. Somebody I know charges £30 a go for doing that which could get expensive if you have a repertoire of more than a few songs.
Protracks looks like it could be good as well. It’s supposed to be able to work out the chords from an MP3 file or CD once you identify what the tempo and barlines are.
March 7th, 2008 at 5.31pm
love the joke (and can relate to it very much right now!)
yes it’s great for those things - and as I say, since discovering these Groups, also a great tool for finding the chords to lots of songs.
Protracks sounds amazing…!
March 7th, 2008 at 5.43pm
The Musical Transposition Machine. Surely that’s another name for TARDIS?
March 7th, 2008 at 7.01pm
What have you got against Moondance? It’s Jazz isn’t it?
May 2nd, 2010 at 3.14am
Wow dass ich letztendlich doch noch etwas zu dem Thema finde, hab ich fast nicht mehr geglaubt. Danke sehr!
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