User Guide

Table Of Contents
Chapter 8: Automatic Music Features
153
The Melodist Jukebox will continuously generate new
songs, and play them in jukebox fashion. You can set
the range of Melodists to include in the jukebox
(using the From…To settings) or keep the Jukebox on
the same Melodist by de-selecting “Change
Melodists.” To Launch the Melodist Jukebox, press
[Juke Songs Now] (option+j).
Normally you'd want the Melodist to be written to the Melody track. If you'd prefer the Melody to be written to the
Soloist track (e.g. for a counter melody) then set the ‘Write to Track” setting to Soloist.
Normally you'd want the Melodist to be written to the Melody track. If you'd prefer the Melody
to be written to the Soloist track (e.g. for a counter melody) then set the ‘Write to Track” setting
to Soloist. The favorites button allows you to pick a Melodist that you've used recently.
Editing Melodists
If you'd like to create your own Melodists, or permanently change the settings of
existing Melodists, press the [Edit…] button to launch the Melodist Maker, which is
described in detail elsewhere.
Using the Melodist
Generating Complete Songs
Here are some ways that you can use the Melodist by generating complete songs.
- The most obvious use of the Melodist is that you can generate an entire song – complete with intro, chords,
melodies, full 5 part instrument arrangement, pedal bass figures, solo improvisations and even an automatic
title. You can customize the song to your liking, regenerate any of the elements (chords, melody etc.), or any
part of the song until you “get it right.” Either way, the end product is a complete song. What a great
compositional and educational tool!
- Sight Reading: You can put the Band-in-a-Box Melodist in Jukebox mode, so that it is continually generating
and playing new songs in succession. By displaying the Melody track in Notation, you can then sight-read
along with the Melody. Since the melodies are unique, this is the ideal type of sight-reading practice; playing
along to music that you haven't heard before.
- Ear Training: Play along with the Melodies and chords that the program is generating, without looking at the
music. Since Band-in-a-Box is always using intelligent chord progressions and melody phrasing that a
professional would actually use, you are learning to recognize chord progressions and melody phrases that you
will encounter in real playing situations.
- Guitarists can extend the 'Sight Reading' concept by just watching the on-screen guitar fretboard play the
melody notes. If a student were watching his teacher reading music, he would watch the guitar not the sheet
music. This is because guitar is a very visual instrument. Similarly, you may prefer to watch the on-screen
guitar instead of the notation.
Generate Less than a Complete Song
Here are ways that you can use the Melodist short of generating a full song:
- Auto-generate / regenerate / remove an intro for an existing song. You can learn from the intelligent chord
progressions that are generated to lead in to the first chord of the song.
- Auto generate pedal bass patterns over existing songs, to add tension/release effect to your Band-in-a-Box
arrangements.
- Generate chords only, and then compose your own melody by playing or singing along with the chord
progression. This can help composers to write new songs by starting them off with a chord progression that