ambient

[quote name='Thunderbird' timestamp='1502470974' post='3351737'] Did you ever get this sorted [/quote] Yes, it got sorted out by the brilliant guy at the distributor. Fantastic service.

[quote name='neilp' timestamp='1504049785' post='3362406'] I find it hard to believe that, in the modern world, anyone gives any kind of public performance for reward without PL insurance. As has already been said, MU gives it for free along with £3k worth of instrument cover (I think its £3k but I could be wrong). I have even been asked for details of my PL insurance.... [/quote] I think it's £2k they give for gear, that includes accidental damage too, not just theft. A lot of venues insist on PL insurance, after all, who are any injured parties going to go after if the band who's gear caused an accident has disappeared? The MU is great too if you're a self-employed musician who needs a DBS certificate, you can't do it as an individual it has to be an organisation that requests the check, the MU will for £50 get it done for you.

I had a new one fitted in April after my 2012 MacBook was damaged. I got it done for £200, which included a full service etc. It's made a huge difference.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1504011561' post='3362097'] It's only stuff, after all. A hassle if nicked or damaged, but not life-threatening in any way. Insurance is just betting, really; so far, by luck and diligence, I've never had any occasion to win such a bet. It could happen, of course, but in the meantime I'm not concerned by looking for insurers, comparing rates, having to renew (and fork out, naturally...). I can safely say that I've never lost a bet in my life, so far, and for good reason; I never bet. [/quote] I had my MacBook knocked off a table at a gig in Bournemouth earlier this year. I wouldn't gamble again ever.

My bass alone would cost over £5k to replace, then there's my MacBook, loads of effects pedals and my combo. The sort of places I play at, and the people who come aren't likely to see trouble though. My gear is also insured through the MU. I can't believe people have gear that leaves the house and isn't insured.

How much are your cars worth though?

A couple of people have commented that they only play original music, so have no need to know how to read. One of the people I'm currently teaching is a singer songwriter. I've known him on and off for about 10 years or so. He contacted me at the beginning of the year. Knowing I was studying for my masters, he wanted to know if I knew of any, or could advertise at uni for music student string players who would play on an album he was working on, and also be filmed for a video. His budget was almost non/existent, which is why he wanted students . We got talking and I asked if he'd got their parts written out and arranged etc. Turned out he thought they'd just play off his guitar chords. Then followed a lengthy conversation about yes, they undoubtedly could come up with parts, that's not how to do it. It ended up with me recording the string parts for him using Logic Pro, and him watching the process and offering advice so we got the parts exactly as he wanted them At the end I printed off the scores from Logic Pro, and have them to him. I'm now teaching him theory and how to read and write music. He's realised after 20 years or so of totally eshewing any form of musical knowledge just how much he's missed out on. He's also pretty adamant that his whole songwriting has improved by using what he's learning. He wants to understand what the parts I presented to him mean, and how they work.

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1503750554' post='3360699'] Because of all the (blues and rock) gigs I've been offered, I have never once been asked if I can read or even seen anyone with a score. When I have been up for gigs that I would consider a step up from what I usually do, whether I could read or not has been a non issue, more can I commit to going away for a few weeks at a moments notice! I'm currently helping out with stage management with one of the biggest blues festivals in Europe. You see quite a lot of the same players turning up in 'name' artist's backing bands - all jobbing pros, many of whom I imagine can read. However, I very much doubt (to the point of absolute certainty) that when they were offered the gigs that they are getting paid for over the weekend that they were given any score to learn, or even asked if they could read. Certainly they there is no musical score backstage whatsoever...! [/quote] I think it's quite a genre specific thing tbh.

I've been friends with this guy for sometime via Facebook. His playing is amazing, remember also that he's transcribed/learned this, which is no mean feat. Not to a lot on here's taste I know, but this is for those of you that do like this kind of thing. The original is by one of my all time favourites, Michael Manning, from his album 'The book of flame'. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSEXkNAri6I[/media]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1503705746' post='3360497'] I don't think many people sight-read tab; I don't think many people sight-read dots, either. Experienced musicians, of course, but for most folks that can read music, it's a case of sitting down and deciphering, bar by bar, line by line. Reading a score is one thing, sight-reading in 'real time' whilst playing is an extension of that, but not that many attain that level, in my experience. It depends, of course, in which circles one gravitates, too.. [/quote] I can, that is to me at least what sight-reading is. If I'm doing a gig like I am this coming Sunday evening for example, the audience won't wait for me to sit down and decipher it. Anyway, each to their own .

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1503645617' post='3359854'] Another point. All you folk who are poo-pooing tab because it has no meter are living in the past. Tab can be written with tails on the numbers just the same as you can with dots. [/quote] So bearing in mind that reading rhythm is the hardest part of learning to sight-read, why not just go that little bit further and learn what the notes are on the stave? Or are you not 'sight-reading' the TAB? Do you just learn the song from it? It's a genuine question, I've never used TAB.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1503690795' post='3360387'] Because, apparently, to purists, TAB cannot be worthy of study, and would be binned. [/quote] It's apparently notation that isn't worthy of study, not TAB.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1503690475' post='3360381'] There are none so deaf as those who will not hear; so blind as those who will not see. The question was, is TAB really that evil..? Not 'Is there more than TAB to those wishing to develop further..? Whether anyone is prepared to go that 'extra mile' is up to them. Is the TAB presented above playable or not by guitarists and bass players, that's all. No, it won't be much use to a trombonist, but that's not its purpose. The second guitar would pose problems for a flautist, anyway, as a flute is not a polyphonic instrument. Spurious arguments, each and every time. It does what it does as well as it's been written, just like dots. A badly-written score is a badly-written score. Badly-written TAB is badly written TAB. Well-written stuff, of either ilk, has its place in many people's world. Not everyone's; fine, but many. What is so difficult to accept..? [/quote] My point is why spend considerable time learning to play the rhythm, and not the notes? Given that the rhythm his what people struggle with. A piece of notation would be able to be played by other instruments, because it conveys to anyone who can read music, what the note is, not just a fingering position.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1503688639' post='3360362'] Purists won't be able to figure it out, maybe (although they could learn..?), but some of you might appreciate it. Just sayin'. [/quote] Why wouldn't a 'purist' be able to figure it out?

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1503688639' post='3360362'] Just to show what the subject is, here's a BB King to play around with... [attachment=252123:TheThrillIsGone.pdf] (Download and change file name to 'TheThrillIsGone.pdf'...) It looks like this ... ... but complete, of course. Purists won't be able to figure it out, maybe (although they could learn..?), but some of you might appreciate it. Just sayin'. [/quote] The main thing that people struggle with in reading notation is the rhythm. That has rhythm, so why not go that teeny weeny little bit further and learn the notes too? Something that would take a few hours maximum to do. Also, the bass part to that would mean absolutely nothing to someone playing anything but bass guitar. Whereas if it was written in standard notation, it would be something that anyone else would understand, keyboards/piano for instance. So they would be able to play the part. Personally, I couldn't be less bothered what people use to be able to perform a part, I [b]can[/b] sight-read to a very good standard, i know that the chances of me turning up to play somewhere, and being given something like that are pretty much non-existent, but I can expect to turn up to a gig, and be given a notated part. So I'll get gigs that others won't . I also know from experience that there are plenty of people out there, who have spent years getting by in music, who then decide that they want to 'do it properly'. That's a term that they use, not me by the way. I've lost count of the number of people who've said that to me. Sight-reading is a skill, it needn't be hard to learn though. I've been teaching a guy who last week turned 80. In a little over a year, he knows all the notes on his fretboard, he can improvise from his real book, and can sight-read basic parts.

[quote name='Nicko' timestamp='1503661838' post='3360064'] Conversely, with standard notation there are techniques that I'm not sure how one would represent. How do you differentiate between a thumb slap, hammer on, pull off and picked note for instance. [/quote] I had to notate an album of experimental/solo bass music for a project. Each chart was maybe 30 A4 pages long. You can pretty much notate any technique. Thumb slaps tend to have a T above the note. I used a key that accompanied each chart.

[quote name='Dan Dare' timestamp='1503655028' post='3359959'] Apple's business model? Bleed the customer white... [/quote] How? My MacBook is now almost 6 years old. I got a great educational discount when I bought it, courtesy of Apple, not the shop I bought it from. I bought Logic Pro X a day after I bought the MacBook, again I got a discount for buying that. It's a fantastic bit of software that I use for several hours everyday, it has never ever crashed or frozen on me. I've updated it a couple of times whenever an update is released, these are always free.

I suspect he'd sound like Marcus Miller regardless of what he played through.

Don't upgrade, there's no need to. My old MacBook was a white plastic bodied one from 2009 I think. It was still running perfectly well on whatever OS it had on it, it had never been updated, and was quite happily running Logic 9. The only reason I sold it was because I wanted to use Logic X, which is what was being used at uni.

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1503565858' post='3359154'] But... Logic X is the current one. I use it & never got any email about it not being compatible with the OS update. [/quote] Yeah, I meant 'it' to mean whatever version of Logic he's using. My first coffee hadn't kicked in .

What version of Logic are you running? Logic X has been out for over 4 years, I guess they think that there are very few people still running older versions. It's the same when any operating system changes. I know people who use ProTools on PCs, they found they couldn't open it when they updated from whatever Windows system they use.

I've done jazz gigs with a drummer, sax, keys, and vocal with my double 4. How about a Markbass 121P combo. They're brilliant.

He's really very good .

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1503493414' post='3358676'] Why is your list more influential/inspiring than one comprised of Lemmy, Paul McCartney and Duff McKagan? [/quote] Haven't said they are, It's a hypothetical question, you've been asked to provide a list, that's my list. I have zero interest in any of the players you've quoted, I don't find them at all inspiring, I really dislike both Guns and roses and Motorhead, in fact I really dislike that whole rock thing. That's a beside the point though, because it's my list .