Bilbo

I think it is important to remember that composition is like any form of musical learning. You start small and get better by practising. We all know we have to spend 10,000 hours learning to play. What is less well known is that you also need ANOTHER 10,000 hours to learn how to compose

Parker Fly bass.

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1399544436' post='2445142'] Not as user friendly as Sibelius, it must be awful to use then. [/quote] It works for me. I have no problems with it at all. I guess it is about expectations!!

[quote name='jwbassman' timestamp='1337860367' post='1666489'] Had my first rehearsal on it with the quintet last night and it was very well received - so much so they want me to use it on the gig on Sunday [/quote] It makes me laugh when electric bass players convert to upright. They take the new double bass to rehearsal and everyone is 'yeah, use it on the gig tomorrow'. They SO want the aesthetic of the bass that they forget that learning to play a double bass after an electric is like trying drive an articulated lorry after learning to ride a pizza delivery moped!!

Contact Ben Bastin (http://benbastin.co.uk/wooden-end-pins)

ANother Sibelius/Transcribe user here. I guess it is a question of what you want any software to do. If you only want to write out parts for yourself and possibly a small group, then something like Sibelius First (£80) or Sibelius Academic (£200) will be more than adequate. The full Sibelius package is nearer £400 nowadays but would be brilliant if you want to write full scores for orchestras, big bands etc. Finale is another one but that seems to be just as expensive as the Sibelius options (£240). It never used to be able to play stuff back to you but I think it can now (which is probably why it is more expensive than it used to be). Musescore is a free download which may easily meet your needs but I have to say it drove me nuts and was not as user-friendly as Sibelius so I deleted my copy. As it is free, it it probably worth a try as you have nothing to lose. For the record, I am using Sibelius 2 and they are now on version 7.5 but I have never found I could not do what I wanted to on the version I have so the bells and whistles are clearly not that essential.

Paul produced a 12-inch single I did with NWOBHM band No Quarter (it was called Survivors/Racing For Home (it is on youtube) - he even plays uncredited keyboards on RFH). Lovely guy.

Julian Siegel Live At The Vortex - monster sax/bass/drums trio cd

Jazz musicians have started to use ipads/ireal books/mobile apps for gigs for a whole variety of reasons. I co-run a Jazz club which features higher profile musicians with local rhythm section player (wwww.jazzeast.vpweb.co.uk) and we use a selection of methods to get the end product together. Some are tunes everyone knows, some provide charts with arrangements of tunes we all know the substance of, some are chord charts of originals, some provide detailed charts that require concentration and application of advanced reading skills (unison parts, key changes, odd bar lengths etc) and so one. The ipads etc are another tool in the arsenal of options for making it possible to do gigs 'cold' with and with minimal rehearsal. The main advantage of an ipad over a hard copy chart is the ability to change key (in the past, I have had to read charts and transpose them in real time). It is perfectly possible to listen to other musicians, follow cues, maintain satisfactory eye-contact etc whilst reading charts. No-one who reads well (charts or dots) is as welded to the page as many seem to think. As for music stands/ipads on stage. I think this is one of those issues that is part of the chosen dynamic of the end product. If an artist wants to create the impression of polish that music stands undermine, they are likely to be better rehearsed and work regularly enough to warrant the necessay time investment by the musicians. When John McLaughlin tours, he rehearses his bands for nine hours a day for a couple of weeks in advance. When Miles inducted a new musician, he did so on stage without ANY rehearsal. You get what you prepare for. If you want to have the flexibility to perform a vast array of material at the drop of a hat, an ipad (or, more specifically, the chosen software) is a massive boon. As for the Titanic band, 150 songs is no big deal. Pianist Mark Ballamy, saxophonist Iain's dad, knew 1,000 tunes. I know 3; So What, Impressions and Lush Life. And I am lying about one of them.

Not sure if this helps but, on my Zoom (H1), there is a switch that allows you to choose to save recordings as a WAV file or MP3. The WAV files take up much more memory than the mp3s and, if I use the wrong one (WAV), you cannot record a whole gig whereas, on the MP3 setting, I can record for hours and hours without any problems. Not sure if that is your problem but thought it worth a mention.

Melodic minor arpeggios. CDEbFGABC. That one changed not makes a massive difference!

No, mate. The guy I gave it to is busy at the moment with a new baby so I can't push him. May need to think again. Fortunately, it is not urgent.

Was at the Oxford gig. No complaints at all. It was a Yes gig. Have seen them 3x. Each gig had a different singer (Anderson, Horn and Davison). All different, all credible. I only heard JD struggle with one note and, on a repeat, he nailed it. What I did notice was the virtuosity I applauded as a kid was illusory. The magic of Yes is the composition, arranging and vocal harmonies not the playing.

It is not in sync with the video but may be a starting point for finding your way through.

Come on, Skol!! Where is the May picture?!! PS congratulations! (mutter, mutter) ;}

[quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1398974507' post='2439678'] I never do any good at this! [/quote] We just have to accept that our works are a minority interest sub-genre.

Me at The Bull in Colchester recently, doing a Charlie Haden Tribute band.

Our band calender

I am beating the Sausage.... [size=4] [/size] Errrm. I think I better rephrase that [size=4] [/size] [size=4] [/size]

Definately 3/4. There are three giants in the world who have a full size bass and they play orchestral music. [size=4] [/size][size=4] [/size][size=4]Us little folk need a smaller bass to get around on it fast enough to play Jazz/Folk/Rockabilly etc. [/size]

http://chordify.net/chords/oscar-brown-jr-mr-kicks-attila-keri

I would but my wife wouldn't have let me (really). And she would have been right.

These kinds of details are pretty unimportant. Know the scales and learn to play them musically. That is all that matters. The finger you use is your concern not mine, Billy Sheehan's or anyone elses!! The chances are this will matter only when doing the Sheehan exercises, noever when you are playing a tune!!

You need a phase switch like the one on the Fishman. They also have them on Acoustic Image mics. I have no real idea how they work but they stop the problem you are describing, which is actually very common. You can usually pick up a Fishman for less than £100.

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1398491874' post='2434600'] After approaching several bald men, I found my chap, who had a Hawaiian shirt and an eye patch :-D [/quote]