User Guide

Chapter 4: The Main Screen
36
Chordsheet Area
Chord Entry
The basic way of entering a song in Band-in-a-Box is by typing in the chords to the song
using the computer keyboard. Chords are typed in using standard chord symbols (like C
or Fm7 or Bb7 or Bb13#9/E).
Chords can be cut, pasted, and copied from one location to another.
Another way of entering chords is through MIDI chord recognition. Play any chord on
your MIDI keyboard; and Band-in-a-Box will recognize it instantly and insert it onto the
chordsheet. This allows you to enter an entire song without having to type in any of the
chords!
To use this feature, select the Insert current MIDI chord from the M menu.
(Ctrl+Return is the keystroke combination for this function.)
The chord you choose will be automatically inserted into your song (chordsheet or
notation view) at the current cursor location. Then, Band-in-a-Box is ready for the next
chord. You can insert up to two chords per bar in this fashion.
Chord Display Modes
In addition to the Standard Notation window, you can also enter or display chords in
Roman Numeral notation, Nashville notation, Solfeggio notation, or Fixed Do notation.
For example, the chord Gm7 in the key of F would be displayed as II
m7
(in Roman
Numeral Notation), 2
m7
(in Nashville Notation), and Re
m7
in Solfeggio. In Italy and other
parts of Europe, chords like C7 are always referred to by the Solfeggio name (“Do 7” for
C7) regardless of the key signature.
These systems are very useful for learning or analyzing tunes, because they are
independent of the key signature.
This setting is made in the “Chord Display
Type” list box in the Preferences dialog.
When a new notation mode is selected, a
message will report the change on the main
screen. Click anywhere in the message box
to close it.
Part Markers