Dad3353

6 hours ago, Paolo85 said:

I bought it, I would say it's probably good if you are already a good player and do it on the side of other stuff. It is very old school. I think most teachers or courses nowdays would take a standard, learn stuff through that and build knowledge through songs. The Micky Baker's book is more "now spend a month working on these hand-crushing chords" (for which by the way it does not suggest finger positions). For me, a beginner, it was a bit frustrating and boring so I gave up.

Also, people more in the knowledge than me say a lot of the theory is not explained.

I bought my first copy from the fusty-dusty music shop (Bell Music, Hounslow...) at the same time as my first guitar, a Russian-built classical guitar, strung with cheese wire steel strings. A wide, flat neck, a bolt through the neck heel to hold it in place; in fairness I knew no better back then (mid '60s...). I spent a year or so on the first chord chart page, changing from G to GMaj7, to GMaj6, then GMin7, GMin6, chromatically up and down the telegraph pole neck, then the chord substitution examples, and built-in melodies. It stood me in good stead for the decades since; I've added much theory from other sources, and have a pile of jazz methods and chord dictionaries of all sorts. I might not recommend Mickey Baker as one's sole source of knowledge, but what's in there is quite definitely valuable stuff, and well worth the effort, even as a complete novice. It inspired me, for instance, to acquire my first Hofner arch-top (President Thin Florentine cut, tobacco burst E2, that I was a fool to not keep; I've been looking for another ever since...). After the Russian guitar, all talk of 'playability' and 'neck width', on guitar or bass, bring out a wry smile from me. It's like the bloke who always bought size 8 shoes, when his feet were size 9. When asked why, he would reply 'It's such a great feeling when I take them off'. 

6 hours ago, bass_dinger said:

I am intrigued, so I did a search,  and found  "Mickey Baker's Complete Course in Jazz Guitar".

 

Would you recommend it to someone who wants to understand and play jazz guitar?

A thousand times 'Yes', without reserve. A gold mine, and at a ridiculously low price. A no-brainer. I've worn out several copies, and always buy it again; I still consult it often. Did I mention 'Yes'..? 

1 hour ago, paul_c2 said:

Or it could be played when you see B11 (and other rootless voicings are possible too).

 I'd probably never 'see' a B11, as I play (read 'noodle'...) my own stuff, based around what I've retained from my Mickey Baker books from the '60s. Maj7, m7, Maj6, m6, a few other odds and sods for 'turnarounds' and that's about it. I can spin this little amount out for hours; my sons and friends usually take the guitar away from me after a while. 

(Oh, yes, some 7th chords sprinkled in there, too  ...)

2 hours ago, paul_c2 said:

... A "bar" on the top 4 strings would be the notes (let's say the bar is at fret 2): E A C# F#, which is A6 (but the root isn't at the bottom of the chord, so you could describe it as A6/E if you wanted to....but with guitars, I bet someone else is playing the root.....)...

To me, that's F#m7; I'd be playing the root note on the bottom 'E' string, second fret, if there's no bass or keys playing, and mute (or just don't play...) the 'A' string. I'd drop the 'D' string down a semitone for the m6. I use these chords, along with Maj7 and Maj6 a lot. Just sayin'. 

54 minutes ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

 

Somebody should probably let the harp players know they're wasting their time. 

 

 

Is that a problem with Eternity to fill..? 

1 hour ago, PaulThePlug said:

Miffed with Alesis...

Got my Son a Second Hand Alesis Nitro Mesh eDrum Kit

 

After a few months of enthusiastic playing the Snare failed... Broken wire on the Piezo... Real fragile, brittle almost glass like wire and insulation.

Re-soldered several times until both wire failed...

 

Contacted Alesis about getting a replacement Piezo, or the Spec.

 

Nope... Can't help and recommend i replace the whole Snare 'Pad' at £57 + vat + £6 p&p...

 

Needless to say, at £75ish he has no snare at the mo...

Try these, maybe..? 

Amazon, UK ... Wired piezo pads...

23 minutes ago, StickyDBRmf said:

Find an art major at University, give them a try.

Hmm... That might work... 

10 minutes ago, MacDaddy said:

Why? He had a life and career before The Beatles, and has done plenty since.

Only 5' 7" 

There's nothing in the passages indicated referring to music at all, still less 'abomination'. There's no sense to it. 

Try Psalm 95 : 1-2..?

18 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

...If you can't see the issue Douglas, I suspect you're not looking very closely.

I'll willingly admit that that's true. (An excellent BBC short biopic series on the life of Beethoven, very recently, was very good indeed...).

BBC iPlayer : Being Beethoven ...

So, no 'biopics' about Mozart, or Beethoven, or ... Bowie, or Zappa, or ... Ravi Shankar, or Bob Dylan either..? Why is 'more' not just 'more' (as long as viewing is not mandatory; I don't see the issue...)..? 

37 minutes ago, DDR said:

...Would love to hear your opinion on the matter...

There's a matter..? 

6 minutes ago, tauzero said:

A full-time musician.

When I'm not washing the dishes, maybe. 

...

15 minutes ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

Then ask yourself, would anyone not making a living from washing dishes consider themself a dishwasher?

 

That tells you something, doesn't it?

It tells me that you've not understood the contradiction. Someone not making a living from dishwashing, but for whom dish-washing is the most important thing in their life (as is your case, with music...) could well describe themselves as 'dish-washers'. Some folk do gardening as a hobby, and are very enthusiastic about it. They could see themselves as 'gardeners', whatever their source of income. Some could be 'athletes'; there are many that see themselves as 'housewives', others 'collectors'. How one sees oneself is more a matter of one's primary interest (most important thing ...) than their employment, in many case, including your own. Nothing special there; move along, or you'll block up the pavement. 

1 hour ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

Musician is what I am, no matter if I can make a living of it or not, music is the most important thing in my life.

 

Can the same be said for what most people do to earn a living, and why is it less acceptable to identify as a musician, than say a dishwasher?

 

I don't get it.

 

Why would anyone think of themself as a dishwasher?

 

I see a contradiction in your question. If we exchange 'dishwasher' for musician' in your first sentence, one could very easily imagine that person thinking of themselves as being a 'dishwasher' (substitute any occupation; coal-miner, engine driver, check-out person, ditch-digger...). If it is indeed the 'most important thing' in their life, as music is to you, what's the problem..?
That's not the same when describing what one does for a living, as per your own statement; you are a musician, living from it or not. A person doing dishwashing for his/her livelihood, may well not think of themselves as being solely a 'dishwasher', but maybe a musician unable to earn a living from music (substitute any other occupation that doesn't pay the bills for 'dishwasher'...).
Anyway, I'm retired; what should I claim to be..? 

One may read, write and speak with no formal knowledge of grammar and punctuation, but it's much better with at least a working knowledge of the basics of these. Communication with other musicians (including your tutor...) will be much improved with these basics. It's only hard for the first forty years or so, after which things sometimes tend to get slightly better. 

1 hour ago, lozkerr said:

Indeed, but lighting software isn't cheap...

I used Sunlite, which is free (but powerful...) software, driving a Dmx interface. The base interface model, which will do everything you'd ever want for a group, costs just under £200. I still have mine, from a couple of decades ago, and it works just fine, coupled to a laptop USB-C port, or with a stand-alone mode. Here's the gen on these...

Sunlite Lighting Control ...

I prepared my scenes at home, using the 3D modelling built-in, and 'tweaked' as required for the venues. You can download the software and try it out, without the interface, for free. Worth a look..?

34 minutes ago, lozkerr said:

...  use a separate controller with a chase controlled by a footswitch. The latter might be a better option as it keeps the moving heads in a separate DMX universe...

There's plenty enough Dmx channels with such a set-up without the need for a separate Universe, but some controllers are better suited to static fixtures, others made for dynamics, so it can make sense to have dedicated controllers for each. It's less of an issue when using lighting software with simply a Dmx interface, though. 

25 minutes ago, TimR said:

Moving head lights for a pub band aren't the kind of moving heads you have in a theatre. 

So, Tim, we meet again..! There is shirley some subtle difference I have overlooked in my dotage; pray tell..? 

4 minutes ago, lozkerr said:

Very much so. They also make the lighting bridge sway when all six of them are moving together. I'm thinking about putting them in two groups of three and mounting them on top of the speakers. That should at least keep the light off the dancefloor if they're programmed correctly.

I did the lighting for several years for a touring band (Kiemsa...); moving heads can be a pain in the wotsit unless you're playing very similar venue dispositions, or can programme them very swiftly on site. I used a laptop and lighting software (Sunlite...); one has to compensate for fixtures being suspended upside-down, or being at different places/heights around the stage. Having programmed effects such as having  all fixtures moving in to spotlight the singer, solo, then moving out to pinpoint other players and such imply having a pretty well fixed stage disposition. For touring theatre-type venues, this can happen (we supplied a lighting rig sheet with the tech spec and riders...), but there was always programming to be done whilst setting up, and sometimes while the opening numbers were being played..! I wouldn't recommend moving-heads unless there's a lighting person, or a very simple set-up indeed. Excellent once it's all nicely set-up, but so many pitfalls. Just sayin... 

42 minutes ago, solo4652 said:

... Would that work?

All that's needed is a single monitor feed to however many cabs you need for each of you to hear everything clearly. Typically, for line-up you've described, two floor monitors, for those in front, and maybe another one or two for those towards the back. These need not be enormous floor wedges; they could be smaller units, on stands, maybe, or as 'side-fill'. None of this will work, however, if you are all creating too much volume individually. Ideally, one should have the same set-up on stage as when rehearsing, play at rehearsal volume and have the PA project that out to the venue. The modern alternative is to use no back-line at all, and all use IEM, with mic's for the drums or an e-kit, but this is expensive, and has its own issues. If it's all such a problem hearing yourselves on stage : turn it all down. 

I'm a drummer; I've been playing acoustic kits for well over half a century, at all sorts of venues. If a drummer can't hear what's going on, there is quite certainly far too much volume being generated on stage. If things are worsened by using ear protection, doubly so. The first course of action is to have stage volumes at a level whereby all of the instruments, including the drums, can be heard clearly by everyone. For vocals, including BV, some sort of monitoring (foldback...) is reasonable, with either cabs or earphones. There should be no downside to this, in any configuration, except for those that insist that 'their' sound can only be obtained with everything at '11' (this includes some tree-felling drummers...). Without the stage sound being mastered, there is no easy, inexpensive, simple solution; the best way forward, in every case, is to master the stage volume first. Hope this helps. 

Bass plugged directly into a Hiwatt 200w PA head, controls set to 12 o'clock, with a choice of Ampeg 4x10 or Fender 2x12 cabs. Clean, always, whatever the song (pop/rock covers, SOAD, REM, Floyd, Radiohead, Bowie, Noir Désir, Bashung and more...). Just simple plug'n'play.