User Guide

Chapter 8: Automatic Music Features
166
Soloing over Slash Chords
The Soloist analyzes slash chords (like C/Bb) to determine the best scale type to use (e.g.
Bb Lydian). There's nothing you need to do, this function happens automatically behind
the scenes.
Editing Soloists
If you'd like to create your own Soloists, or permanently
change the settings of existing Soloists, you can press the
[Edit] button to launch the Soloist Maker, which is described in detail elsewhere.
Tutorial: Using the Soloist Feature
- Generate a Soloist and practice the solo by looping it, slowing it down, or printing it
out, until you can perform a great solo on any chord changes!
- Generate a Soloist and attach a Harmony such as “Big Band Brass” to create
phenomenally quick and interesting Big Band Arrangements automatically.
Generate a standard MIDI file or print them out for you and your friends.
- Have the Soloist play a solo according to your accompaniment and arrangement.
- Trade 4's with the Soloist (you solo for 4 bars, BB solos for 4 bars, etc.).
- Concentrate separately on different aspects of your playing with assistance from the
“Wizard.” From soloing with proper phrasing and “feel” (and the best notes) to
accompanying a soloist with confidence and authority.
- Use the Soloist track to record another part in addition to the Melody and other parts
provided by Band-in-a-Box.
- Generate a Soloist on chords/keys that you would like to practice. For example, if
you want to work on your II-V7-I progressions, you can just type the chords you
want, and generate a solo to play over those changes. As the solo plays, you see the
notation, you can sight read along. Pressing the “Loop Screen” checkbox on the
notation will loop the notation the screen so you can master each 4 bar phrase (II-V-
I) and then move ahead to the next one!
A Few Technical Notes on the Soloist.
1. The Soloist has its own separate channel and settings. But when the Soloist uses a
Harmony, it becomes linked to the Thru Harmony channels and settings. Since we
are already using 12 of the available 16 MIDI channels in Band-in-a-Box, we didn't
want to use up another 2 channels on dedicated Soloist Harmony channels. So if
you want to hear a Soloist with harmony, use the THRU Harmony settings. In other
words, wherever a THRU harmony is selected, the Soloist part will use the THRU
Harmony settings.
2. We have designed the Soloist not to repeat any solo ideas so that the solos are
always fresh, with new ideas forming and playing all the time. As a result, we have
included a Refresh Soloist menu item under the Soloist menu that, when selected,
will allow the Soloist to “think about” all of its musical notions again. Choosing the
“Refresh Soloist“ option (Shift+F7) is like telling the soloist “It's OK, you can play
whatever you like, even if it's something that you played 5 minutes ago.”
3. The Soloist menu contains many options. It has all of the same editing options
found in the Melody menu, so you can treat the Soloist track as a 2nd melody track.
Even if you don't plan to use the Automatic Soloist feature, you can just use the
Soloist track as a 2nd track for counter melodies, overdubs etc. The result; two