Songbuilder Concepts

Songbuilder is a web app that allows users to easily create high-quality backing tracks and jam tracks with just a few clicks. The following main concepts are covered in the Songbuilder documentation: songs, chord progressions, patterns, and mixes. These concepts are used to create and structure musical compositions in Songbuilder. Further details on each of these concepts will be provided throughout the manual.

Songs

A Songbuilder song is made up of one or more sections, such as verses, choruses, and bridges, which can be edited, moved, or deleted. Mix changes and endings can be added as events to further customize the song.

Chord Progressions

A Songbuilder chord progression is a sequence of chords that can be used to create a Songbuilder song. Users can customize their chord progression by defining length and inversion per chord, as well as naming the progression and setting the measure base. Saved chord progression presets can be reused in other songs.

Patterns

A Songbuilder pattern is a repeating sequence of musical events that can be used to define drum rhythms or chord shapes in a musical arrangement. There are two types of patterns available: drum patterns and instrument patterns. Drum patterns allow the user to create a drum machine by specifying which sounds from a predefined drum kit should be used at specific points in the pattern. Instrument patterns define how chords are played using a particular instrument. Users can save their patterns as presets for reuse in different songs and mixes.

Mixes

A mix in Songbuilder is a combination of patterns that can be used to create a musical arrangement. A mix consists of one or more tracks, each of which is a combination of a pattern and an instrument. In the mix editor tool, the user can choose from existing patterns or create new ones, and can assign a particular instrument to each track. The user can also specify properties such as relative volume and octave for each track, as well as the length and measure base of the mix as a whole. Mixes can be saved as presets for reuse in different songs.