Band in a Box addicts warning (BIAB)

[Nuff Said]

Dear "Band in a Box addicts",

A word of warning, I've been using BIAB for nearly 10 years and have found myself addicted to staring at the chord symbols as the song is played.

This has led to less listening to the chords and relying on seeing the chord symbol as it is displayed by BIAB.

I got professional help for the problem and hopefully I will be cured soon.

The advice suggest, which might be of use to other fellow BIAB addicts, is to minimise the BIAB application so the chords symbols can't be seen. This has helped a great deal.

Yours faithfully
Nuff

[JakeAcci]

Hah.

For any of you addicted to Band in a Box, I'd offer the following unsolicited advice:

If you ever feel compelled to "practice" with band in a box, instead, spend that time doing any of the following:

-networking and trying to make contacts so that you have human musicians to do regular sessions with

-trying to internalize the changes so you don't have to use a backing track for practice, but instead can hear the changes in your head as you play without accompaniment

-practice with a metronome that gives you less and less information so you are forced to keep time on your own

-make your own backing tracks that are just solo guitar...great for rhythm guitar practice.

[jmstritt]

To be honest, I used BIAB quite a bit, but I have since stopped and just use a metronome. I had a few problems with BIAB. And I know it works for some folks, these are just my personal opinions as it relates to my own playing.

1. Looking at the chord symbols.
2. Not swinging as hard.
3. With a full accompianment I tended to play more key center and weaker lines.

Now that I am playing without backup I have to construct stronger melodic lines in order to really imply the chord changes.

Like I said, these are just my opinions and if BIAB helps you, by all means use it!

[Helgo]

Hi Jake.


Thanks for your "unsolicited advice"

Originally Posted by JakeAcci

Hah.

-trying to internalize the changes so you don't have to use a backing track for practice, but instead can hear the changes in your head as you play without accompaniment

I never even imagined doing that because I guess I am so afraid of losing the form.

I will give it a try right now and see how it goes.

Usually I use the irealb*, a great software (similar to BIAB, only available for MacOS, iOS and Android). I practice with either only a Walking Bass (no drums) or a Metronome plus the bass playing the Root on the "1" of each measure....

Cheers,
H.


* iReal b

[Helgo]

Hi Jake and everybody, once again.

I will give it a try right now and see how it goes.

I just did that.
I used "Softly, as in a morning sunrise" and "Solar", since I am currently working on/with these tunes anyways.

Wow, what a humbling experience...

I don´t really know if this way of practicing will effect my development in a positive way...after this first try I feel a little like this stuff might be only for players who are already further developed than I am right now.

We will see.

I think I´m gonna add this exercise to my daily routine for the next 4 weeks or so and see where it leads me.
If anybody is interested I can keep you posted on how things go.
If I come to any interesting findings I will probably start a thread about this way of practicing.

That is, of course, if I find the courage and discipline to really follow this approach

Cheers,
H.

[andrewhome]

If you're looking for an inexpensive alt to BIAB try iReal - it's an apple app that has most jazz songs, is versatile, sounds ok for practice and is very flexible - plus it only costs $20 - i love it, and no, this isn't an ad...

[JakeAcci]

Hey Helgo thanks for trying my suggestion, haha! I was being a little tongue in cheek, but I think time you spend trying to hear the changes in your head is time well spent. Also is good to, even if out of time, try to make lines that make the chord changes clear even with no accompaniment.

I don't actually think play-alongs are the devil, but I think they should be used sparingly. There was another thread about it a while ago, I had some criticisms of BIAB re: time feel: http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/getti...tml#post172346

But there are harmonic issues too...

[Helgo]

Hi Jake.

What you wrote reminded me of what a former guitar teacher of mine used to say: "If you play with a backing track the backing track does everything for you - but you should learn to do it yourself." And also "If you can´t figure out how to sound good on your own then how do you want to be abled to sound good with others?"

- What you wrote made those things kinda echo in my mind and I thought that today would probably be a good day to start doing what I avoided to do for long enough now.

Wish me luck and discipline

Cheers,
H.