Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Page 2 of 2 1 2
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 7,293
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 7,293
Quote:



4. practice, practice, practice. If you have a chance to play a gig, do it. There is no better practice than playing four hours on a stage.






This is the best advice of the thread. Remember that playing 3 sets in some little dive is NOT Carnegie Hall, and even if YOU think you sucked, the crowd who doesn't play at all will not know any better. All you can do it play the best you can play.


I smashed the hell out of my car today. When the cops came I told him "Officer, that guy was BOTH texting and drinking a beer." The cop said "Sir, he has every right to do that. I mean, it's HIS living room..."
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

None of that happens anymore. Kids take lessons and learn songs, not music. That is sad.




As usual, blanket statements are usually inaccurate -- and this one is inaccurate.




Not totally.

....

Fortunately for me about 95% of the kids I teach have parents who understand the importance of learning to read music. The other 5% don’t stay around long because my teaching philosophy is my way or the highway.




Ha, ha -- I think you supported my thesis.

Kevin

P.S. Pssst ... here's a secret ... Music is about songs. Music is NOT theory. Theory is a useful tool to describe why music works, but it is not the master of the music. Music is the master.


Now at bandcamp: Crows Say Vee-Eh @ bandcamp or soundcloud: Kevin @ soundcloud
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,687
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,687
Quote:

P.S. Pssst ... here's a secret ... Music is about songs. Music is NOT theory. Theory is a useful tool to describe why music works, but it is not the master of the music. Music is the master.




What? Music is not theory? Of course it is, every piece of music out there is based on very solid classical theory concepts.
There are certainly lots of well known star players that don't read or know theory but they're in the minority. When you read the bio's of some of the biggest names in the music biz you'll find a lot of them have music degrees or had parents who made their kid take private lessons from age 5 through high school including the ones who may be known for really basic 2 and 3 chord folk or country stuff. I remember one heavily tattooed 22 year old big star who talked about how he formed his band in the garage but went on to say his mother was a gradute of Julliard, used to do classical concerts, she has a 7 foot Steinway in the living room and he was raised in music since he was a toddler. Yet this kid is doing heavy metal grunge stuff. Everybody knows who Keith Emerson is now but back in 1973 I was in a group that got booked as a warm up act for an ELP show. During set up in the afternoon I hear this fantastic classical piano going out through the sound system. It was him warming up on a 9 foot concert grand.

People need to learn the theory. In general you're not going to get too far without it.

Bob


Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,815
Quote:

Quote:

P.S. Pssst ... here's a secret ... Music is about songs. Music is NOT theory. Theory is a useful tool to describe why music works, but it is not the master of the music. Music is the master.




What? Music is not theory? Of course it is, every piece of music out there is based on very solid classical theory concepts.
...
Bob




Of course it is not. Yes .. every piece of music out there can be explained by very solid classical theory concepts. But theory didn't come first -- music did. I am not anti-theory, in fact I believe the more the merrier. It is just that when I hear about a 4-year old child strapped to a chair, with their eyelids taped open, forced to watch endless videos on music theory (wait ... that was clockwork orange) -- I just gotta say: That is no way to teach music.

Kevin


Now at bandcamp: Crows Say Vee-Eh @ bandcamp or soundcloud: Kevin @ soundcloud
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,739
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,739
Bob this thread contains much good advice except dont get the idea that you can ignore theory this, as I have said above would be to severely handicap yourself. You need ears too, but ears alone makes for confused mental mapping. Theory will allow you to categorise your learning, tell you what will apply elsewhere, make your understanding clear and transparent, speed up your muscle memory, impress your friends, enable you to communicate with other musicians, help you read, and with hard work, let you bend and break any rule (eventually, only) Learn your triads, your scales (bluies scale too) and their modes, then other chords too.

Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 12
B
Bob Z Offline OP
Newbie
OP Offline
Newbie
B
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 12
Summary so far ... with my thoughts....

BiaB is an excellent tool for a 1 year player to get to the next level. Sound purchase.

You don't need the Audiophile edition. The difference at home between the two versions is indistinguishable.

Once you have BiaB you will find applications for it that you didn't even think about...

Get and utilize a local instructor in concert with using Biab. Extra points if the instructor uses BiaB in their teachings.

Learn how to develop your ear. Learn via the Jazz method .. harmonic theory.

Have a clear plan as to what you expect BiaB to do and how you are going to utilize it to get to "what" goal. Have clearly defined goals and milestones as progress checks.

Think of learning not as sequential steps but more as ... there are boxes in front of you and each one needs the same attention... Rhythm, Scales and Modes, Chord Vocabulary, Develop your ear, fretboard layout, be able to analyze chord progressions. know the major scales cold in addition to the pentatonics.

Theory is just as important as the playing as that is the language used among players to express their creative ideas.

****

It all sounds great... I just need to digest this guitar purchase for a bit and then get the Biab.

Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 117
Apprentice
Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 117
Bob Z,
I think you are making some very wise decisions. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders and a good attitude towards life in general. With an open mind you will surely go far. I've been playing, studying, learning, performing, practicing music for 40 years of my life and I really think that had I discovered BiaB sooner it could have had potentially life-changing effects. (It still will, only a lot of options are no longer open to me b/c of family and career commitments)

But all things aside, as a lesson plan, and as a learning tool, I don't see myself ever exhausting everything that is in here.

It's the one thing I'd have to have if I was stranded on a desert island (with a computer and several instruments to play with, that is )

Let the debates rage on. Over in the guitar forums a lot of guys are still hung up on tube vs. solid state, rosewood vs. maple necks, round wound vs flat wound strings, scale lengths, neck radii, body finish....it goes on and on and on. Stay off that train and just find what gives you joy.

The mind is like a parachute...it only works when it's open.


BiaB/RB 2014 OmniPak
Juno-Gi Mobile Synth
Roland GR-20+GK-3 Guitar Synthesizer System
Godin Nylon String Synth Access Guitar
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 7,293
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 7,293
Dan, your post made me smile as I thought back to the day when one of my guitar snob friends was going on and on about those "preference" items you mentioned. He was at my house one day and we got into the debate and I set him up with a blindfold test. He SWORE he could tell DiMarzio pickups just by sound. I blindfolded him, handed him my Les Paul with stock pickups and had him play 32 bars. Then I told him "Okay, now play the other one." And I took the strap off that Les Paul, put it right back on the same Les Paul, and handed it to him. And he went on and on about how THESE pickups had "more bite" than the first guitar.

Way too many people are like that. They spout the party line and go on and on about things they really don't know about. Have you known people in your life like I have that change guitar and/or amp every month because they are looking for "the sound" and the fact is that THEY suck? (see: "jam night")

I had to explain to someone once, and it really hurt her feelings, that there is a difference between "someone who knows how to play an instrument" and "a musician". "Someone who plays an instrument" is who you see at jam night playing the 2 songs they know, hanging around the music store a lot and talking a lot of smack about this amp and that guitar and these strings and those picks... but nobody actually ever sees them play. "Musicians" actually understand why "Yesterday" was a great piece or writing, with the verses being 7 segment phrasing rather than the standard 8, or why certain chords belong to the same family and others aren't. I have had my fill of guitar players who think Van Halen invented the right hand on the neck technique when it came from flamenco players (most notably Django Reinhart) who died before Van Halen was even born. Not everybody has the time to invest in formal training, especially as we get older and have lives. I started young, again not everybody had that option, and you can't turn time back. By the time I started college to begin studying toward my BA in Music, I had already been playing 18 years. That's just me.

I will never forget the day some kid told me, after seeing Gary Busey in the Buddy Holly movie, that Buddy Holly did a lot of Linda Ronstadt songs.... oy.

The point of this post, and my original, is that if you are going to do music, do it 100%, not just well enough to impress yourself and your drunken friends by ripping the one 64 bar solo you know. Dazzling the crowd is the easy part, especially playing cover music. When the crowd likes your originals, you have arrived. (PS. They don't like mine. LOL!!! I will keep working.)

Bottom line, do what works for YOU because your situation is unique to you. If you DO have the time and finances to study formally, I endorse it highly. It depends on where you want music to take you. If you want to make it your career, that is one set of circumstances. If you just want to toss a band together to play 40 songs in a bar twice a month, that is another set of circumstances that will take you down a different path. If you would like to someday try writing jingles for TV and such, theory training will help you immensely. It is harder than you think to write something to get your thought across in 28 seconds. That market is dying though as companies now use public domain pop music. (Think John Lennon knew he was writing Revolution for a Nike commercial? At least Todd Rundgren gets paid for his work when Lambeau Field plays Bang on the Drum after a touchdown.)

Be well, and good luck. I am now done with this thread.


I smashed the hell out of my car today. When the cops came I told him "Officer, that guy was BOTH texting and drinking a beer." The cop said "Sir, he has every right to do that. I mean, it's HIS living room..."
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Local music store.

100 E-lectrical guitars on a wall, very impressive.

Right in the middle is an index card on which is typed...

NO STAIRWAY


I LMAO. Guy in the store said it was from some movie.

2 guys play at the cancer clinic. They have machines A to N numbered that do radiation. I was in F, 35 times. In the huge hall on the main floor is an atrium. On the 2nd floor are 5 doctor clinics with 5 docs each, and the big chemo room with about 100 people in there.

2 guys come in, one with an upright bass the other with an electric guitar. Both are almost 80. The electric guitar looks like he's had it since they were invented all beat up. They have a small amp. American songbook stuff, 1 verse with melody somewhere, the other 2 or 3 or how many they decide by a nod. Bass Solos. Every guitar move known to man in a classy style. You could listen all day.

I talked to them. They knew Oliver Gannon, and the bassist told me Neil Swainson was playing a gig in Toronto. They play on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 2 hours each day. 3 floor atrium makes for a great reverb, but it's laid back.

You don't get cash just get to play. I played on Mondays, but now I go every 6 weeks and I ask for Tuesday appointments at 2 o'clock so they are there. I feel better then.


John Conley
Musica est vita
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 12
B
Bob Z Offline OP
Newbie
OP Offline
Newbie
B
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 12
"Let the debates rage on. Over in the guitar forums a lot of guys are still hung up on tube vs. solid state, rosewood vs. maple necks, round wound vs flat wound strings, scale lengths, neck radii, body finish....it goes on and on and on. Stay off that train and just find what gives you joy."

This is funny. I spent the better part of last year on these same forums... to where my head was spinning... I must have spent 3 weeks of my life learning about tone woods... Brazilian rosewood (dalbergia), Cocoloba, Honduran Mahogany... Paul's Private Stock, tightness of the grain... There was one guy that said that 2 guitars being exactly the same with the same strings and pickups could tell the difference between them on whether the top was flamed maple or quilted maple.... something about flamed maple was more linear and the quilted maple gave a more open airy sound... !!

It was the same thing with amps and effects...

So I went down that whole road and thankfully came out pretty unscathed... I ended up getting something that I liked and so far its working out well...

I do believe that with the internet a lot more information is readily available to Joe consumer (obviously) which is a good thing... it helps the consumer make an educated decision on purchases... One just needs to be able to cut through the BS of which there is a lot.. and stay focused...

Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 7,293
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 7,293
Reminds me of the time I saw a video on youtube of a rather prominent national level guitar player explaining what effects he uses to get "the clean sound". I watched about 4 minutes of him stepping on stuff and turning knobs. I then went to his web site and found a "mail to" link for him. I emailed him and asked him a simple question.

"Doesn't clean, by definition, mean 'using no effects'? If you want clean, why don't you just turn all that ^%#@ off? You can't get cleaner than guitar through amp with no pedals, right?"

And 6 days later I had a reply that said "Well, yeah, I guess that would work too....."

That was one of the best laughs I ever had.

And the bottom line of that story is "What works for you is the right way."


I smashed the hell out of my car today. When the cops came I told him "Officer, that guy was BOTH texting and drinking a beer." The cop said "Sir, he has every right to do that. I mean, it's HIS living room..."
Band-in-a-Box for Windows
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 20,638
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 20,638
Quote:

Dan, your post made me smile as I thought back to the day when one of my guitar snob friends was going on and on about those "preference" items you mentioned. He was at my house one day and we got into the debate and I set him up with a blindfold test. He SWORE he could tell DiMarzio pickups just by sound. I blindfolded him, handed him my Les Paul with stock pickups and had him play 32 bars. Then I told him "Okay, now play the other one." And I took the strap off that Les Paul, put it right back on the same Les Paul, and handed it to him. And he went on and on about how THESE pickups had "more bite" than the first guitar.





Your post made me smile. Awhile ago we had two singers. One insisted that analog reverb was the only way to go while the other said digital was the only way to go. Each had brought their reverb units with them. So I did the same thing as you. I did a blind test but kept the analog unit plugged in. Both singers sang then they left the room so I could theologically change reverb units. Both said they could hear the difference between the two takes even though the analog unit was plugged in during both tests. Don’t you just love it!


Me, it's not about how many times you fail, it's about how many times you get back up.
Cop, that's not how field sobriety tests work.

64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To
Page 2 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.

ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.

PG Music News
Convenient Ways to Listen to Band-in-a-Box® Songs Created by Program Users!

The User Showcase Forum is an excellent place to share your Band-in-a-Box® songs and listen to songs other program users are creating!

There are other places you can listen to these songs too! Visit our User Showcase page to sort by genre, artist (forum name), song title, and date - each listing will direct you to the forum post for that song.

If you'd rather listen to these songs in one place, head to our Band-in-a-Box® Radio, where you'll have the option to select the genre playlist for your listening pleasure. This page has SoundCloud built in, so it won't redirect you. We've also added the link to the Artists SoundCloud page here, and a link to their forum post.

We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!

Congratulations to the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!

We've just announced the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!

There are 45 winners, each receiving a Band-in-a-Box 2024 UltraPAK! Read the official announcement to see if you've won.

Our User Showcase Forum receives more than 50 posts per day, with people sharing their Band-in-a-Box songs and providing feedback for other songs posted.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed!

Video: Volume Automation in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows®

We've created a video to help you learn more about the Volume Automation options in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows.

Band-in-a-Box® 2024: Volume Automation

www.pgmusic.com/manuals/bbw2024full/chapter11.htm#volume-automation

Video: Audio Input Monitoring with Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows®

We've created this short video to explain Audio Input Monitoring within Band-in-a-Box® 2024, and included some tips & troubleshooting details too!

Band-in-a-Box® 2024: Audio Input Monitoring

3:17: Tips
5:10: Troubleshooting

www.pgmusic.com/manuals/bbw2024full/chapter11.htm#audio-input-monitoring

Video: Enhanced Melodists in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows®!

We've enhanced the Melodists feature included in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows!

Access the Melodist feature by pressing F7 in the program to open the new MultiPicker Library and locate the [Melodist] tab.

You can now generate a melody on any track in the program - very handy! Plus, you select how much of the melody you want generated - specify a range, or apply it to the whole track.

See the Melodist in action with our video, Band-in-a-Box® 2024: The Melodist Window.

Learn even more about the enhancements to the Melodist feature in Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows at www.pgmusic.com/manuals/bbw2024upgrade/chapter3.htm#enhanced-melodist

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 DAW Plugin Version 6: New Features Specifically for Reaper®

New with the DAW Plugin Version 6.0, released with Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows: the Reaper® Panel!

This new panel offers built-in specific support for the Reaper® DAW API allowing direct transfer of Band-in-a-Box® files to/from Reaper® tracks!

When you run the Plugin from Reaper®, there is a panel to set the following options:
-BB Track(s) to send: This allows you to select the Plugin tracks that will be sent Reaper.
-Destination Reaper Track: This lets you select the destination Reaper track to receive media content from the Plugin.
-At Bar: You can select a bar in Reaper where the Plugin tracks should be placed.
-Start Below Selected Track: This allows you to place the Plugin tracks below the destination Reaper track.
-Overwrite Reaper Track: You can overwrite previous content on the destination Reaper track.
-Move to Project Folder: With this option, you can move the Plugin tracks to the Reaper project folder.
-Send Reaper Instructions Enable this option to send the Reaper Instructions instead of rendering audio tracks, which is faster.
-Render Audio & Instructions: Enable this option to generate audio files and the Reaper instructions.
-Send Tracks After Generating: This allows the Plugin to automatically send tracks to Reaper after generating.
-Send Audio for MIDI Track: Enable this option to send rendered audio for MIDI tracks.
-Send RealCharts with Audio: If this option is enabled, Enable this option to send RealCharts with audio.

Check out this video highlighting the new Reaper®-specific features: Band-in-a-Box® DAW Plugin Version 6: New Features Specifically for Reaper®

Band-in-a-Box® 2024 DAW Plugin Version 6: New Features Video

The new Band-in-a-Box VST DAW Plugin Verion 6 adds over 20 new features!

Watch the new features video to learn more: Video: Band-in-a-Box® 2024 - DAW Plugin Version 6 New Features

We also list these new features at www.pgmusic.com/bbwin.plugin.htm.

Forum Statistics
Forums66
Topics81,391
Posts732,462
Members38,439
Most Online2,537
Jan 19th, 2020
Newest Members
MIX-I-MUSIX 2.0, Ernest J, ingridguerci94, Izzy, BenChaz
38,441 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 195
Al-David 124
DC Ron 113
dcuny 87
rsdean 83
Today's Birthdays
CeeDee, SethMould
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5