User Guide

Chapter 4: The Main Screen

Main Screen Overview

Band-in-a-Box supports Windows themes. It will use the current theme that you have selected in the Windows

Control Panel to use for windows and dialogs.

The main screen gives direct access to the major features and program settings of Band-in-a-Box for ease and

convenience during a session.

There are five different areas on the main screen.

1 →

2 →

3 →

4 →

5 →

The main screen of Band-in-a-Box with a new, blank song.

1. The Status Bar is used to show program running status messages and path names of the currently loaded song.

2. The Synth Window is the area between the Menu Bar and the Piano Keyboard where Instruments patches are

set and levels are adjusted. It also includes buttons for adding harmonies to the Melody, Thru, or Soloist parts.

3. The Tool Bar area under the Piano Keyboard has buttons for direct access to important program features and

menus. Hold the mouse cursor on any button to see a pop-up hint that describes its function.

4. The Title Window shares the Tool Bar area. In addition to the song title, it includes all the other settings for

the song such as its Key Signature, Tempo, and Chorus settings. To the right of the Title Window are two

floating, dockable toolbars that can be configured by the user.

5. The Chordsheet Area occupies the lower part of the screen. Chord changes for the song are typed into the

numbered bars (cells) in the sheet. Part markers (a, b, through x) are entered here to switch between up to 24

Band-in-a-Box substyles. Double lines are drawn on the chordsheet at the bar before a part marker. Repeats

and endings are also shown.

The Band-in-a-Box window is sizable.

When the window size changes the Chordsheet, Notation, and other windows redraw in proportion to the new size.

This allows you to have Band-in-a-Box open as a small window on screen with other programs, and you still see a

full chordsheet. The screen size is remembered between sessions.

To resize the Window, first un-maximize it.

Then use the sizing control at the bottom right. The various Band-in-a-Box windows will scale as

you do this. Band-in-a-Box will remember the position and size of the window between sessions.