User Guide

Chapter 6: Band-in-a-Box PowerGuide
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substyle. This is great for Jazz songs, allowing you to play swing throughout the middle
(soloing) choruses and revert to the “a” substyle for the last chorus.
Note: If you want to keep the same substyle in the middle choruses, you would need
to uncheck the “Vary Style in Middle Choruses” option in the Additional Song Settings
option on the Song menu.
Adding More Substyles
…
You can add more substyles to an
individual song with a right-click on any
bar number. This opens the Substyle
Change Menu where you can define up
to 24 substyles, from “a” to “x.”
MultiStyles
Band-in-a-Box MultiStyles have four substyles, “a” through “d.”
There is a MultiStyles category in the StylePicker that opens a list of available
MultiStyles.
Standard Pop song form with 4 substyle MultiStyle
As a general rule for styles with 4 substyles:
- “a” substyle is for the verse.
- “b” substyle is for the chorus.
- “c” substyle is for the intro (or first verse).
- “d” substyle is for the break (or interlude).
Placing Drum Fills.
A one bar drum fill will play in the bar preceding (leading into) a part marker, just as a
live drummer will play a fill to accent the transition between sections of a song. If you
want a drum fill to play in bar 7 of a song, insert a part marker at bar 8. You can either
retain the current substyle or change the substyle (“a” or “b”) when you place the part
marker.
Edit Bar Settings
Bar settings let you change meter, tempo, styles, key, volume levels, patches, and
harmonies at any bar. They are a powerful tool for adding variety and dynamics to create
a highly professional finished arrangement in Band-in-a-Box.
After you have selected a bar, press the F5 function key or the keystrokes Option+B, or
select Bar Settings from the Edit menu, to open the Edit bar settings dialog. Settings
such as number of beats per bar, tempo changes, style changes, patch changes, and
harmony changes can be made in this dialog.
Tip: If the F5 key (or F8 key) does not perform the expected function in Band-in-a-Box you
will need to go to the Apple System Preferences and uncheck the system setting in the
Keyboard Shortcuts list.