Wheatenheimer Posted March 21, 2008 Posted March 21, 2008 gonefishin, thank you so much for the encouragement! I have tried to learn a few scales and some chords (for some reason I have a hard time with chords that require more than 2 fingers) but I am so slow at everything I do. I listen to Bill Monroe, Ricky Skaggs, Sam Bush and Marty Stuart and it just blows my mind! How do these guys make this thing sound like that? I don't ever expect to be able to play as well as those legends, but I would like to be able to hold my own on a local scene. Once again, thanks again! I think I'll grab the mando' and pick out Soldier's Joy once again! Kevin
jscheetz Posted March 28, 2008 Posted March 28, 2008 Hey - I never look at the other forums so had to be poked to get me to see this - guess I should chime in -sorry it's so late But - yep - I play, it's what I do for a living so if anyone needs any help/advice etc etc I will do my best to answer. You can see what I do here - www.jeffscheetz.com Glad to help out fellow fishing/picking hybrids - Good to see so many people here with more than one expensive hobby!!!! JS "We are living in the midst of a Creation that is mostly mysterious - that even when visible, is never fully imaginable". -Wendell Berry-
Members Jeremy Reese Posted March 28, 2008 Members Posted March 28, 2008 I have played the Banjo for a couple of years.
Wheatenheimer Posted March 29, 2008 Posted March 29, 2008 Hey - I never look at the other forums so had to be poked to get me to see this - guess I should chime in -sorry it's so late But - yep - I play, it's what I do for a living so if anyone needs any help/advice etc etc I will do my best to answer. You can see what I do here - www.jeffscheetz.com Glad to help out fellow fishing/picking hybrids - Good to see so many people here with more than one expensive hobby!!!! JS Holy Scheetz!!!!! You make that axe wail!!!! (Sorry for the terrible pun, my last name is Wheat, so I've lived with those sort of things all my life!) Seriously, I checked out your website and all the youtube stuff and man, you are awesome!!!! I am very impressed! That one song that you are doing everything with just your left hand with the hammer-on's took me back to the old Genesis days of Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett. What an impressive feat! A quick question for ya, Jeff. What advice can you give an aspiring songwriter on copywriting? The whole Library of Congress thing I find a bit confusing. Is there a quick and easy way that I am just overlooking? Do I need to go through BMI or ASCAP, or is it easy enough for a silly hippie like myself to figure out if I just focus long enough? Really enjoy your music, brother! Would love to see ya live sometime! Kevin
jscheetz Posted March 30, 2008 Posted March 30, 2008 Hey Kevin - thanks! Glad you like the stuff! Copyright's can be confusing (and expensive) - The reality is that by law as soon as you "create" a song - and then record it (either by making a tape, cd or some kind of physical recording of it - or by writing it out in standard notation) it is copyrighted. So you don't have to register it for it to be protected by the copyright laws. However, if it is registered at the Library of Congress then if someone steals it you have a better chance of proving your case that you wrote it prior to that. Sometimes guys will mail a copy of their songs to themselves and not open it - then it has the postmark on it etc etc - this seems a bit dubious and has limited protection according to most legal experts. I think it is $45 to register a song - maybe $35 if you do it online. So that can get expensive - - - but here is the way around that, and what you need to look up. If you have several songs - you can register them all together with one fee if you register them as a "collection of works". So I would take 20 songs say, and register them as "Jeff's songs volume 7" or whatever. This works as long as the songs were all written by the same writers. The only time you would have to deal with this is if you were to sell the copyright for a song (bad idea anyway) that is in the collection - then I believe you have to go and re-submit the collection without that song and register that song by itself??? Not for sure how that works - have never done it - but have registered collections of works many times. Anyhow - hope that helps - go to the Library of Congress website and search a bit - I think you need form PA for songs or collections. As for BMI or ASCAP - you really only need to register songs with them if they are going to be published. For example if you put out a CD and try to sell it. BMI and ASCAP are the ones that make sure that if one of your songs gets played on the radio, or used in a movie that you get paid royalties for that. Most of the time you won't know it - until you get a check. I just got a check for $175 for a song from a CD I put out 10 years ago being used on a tv show in Sweden last month for example. No idea what the show was or how they got ahold of this song that was 10 years old - but the point is if I wouldn't have had it registered with BMI I wouldn't have gotten paid. So even if you put out 100 CDs to sell to friends - you should join BMI or ASCAP - but until then, the copyright office is really all you need to worry about. JS "We are living in the midst of a Creation that is mostly mysterious - that even when visible, is never fully imaginable". -Wendell Berry-
Wheatenheimer Posted March 30, 2008 Posted March 30, 2008 Hey Jeff! Thank you so much for the insight and advice! I'm not too worried about someone stealing one of my songs (I feel as though that would be a bit pretentious to believe that they are good enough to be stolen, I don't think they are.......But then again, Karma Chameleon was a number one hit!) My concern is with the Demo's that I pass out to places that I on occasion try to sucker into giving me a gig. You just never know. It would be a huge thrill and honor for me to hear one of my songs played by someone with real talent. Although, it is a slim chance of that ever happening, but should I be lucky enough, I want to have my bases covered. Sounds like I have some work to do! Once again, I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my question so thoroughly. Excellent information! You are a true proffesional! My opolgies to all the Culture Club fans out there....... Kevin
gonefishin Posted April 2, 2008 Posted April 2, 2008 'cheetz does alright on that guitar for sure. I wouldnt say he is a Cody Kilby but he is good. I would rather be fishin'. "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin, 1759
Members swellcat Posted May 5, 2008 Members Posted May 5, 2008 Pedal steel guitar . . . if that counts in this thread. Twenty strings, but many of you probably make more music with six.
back2roots Posted May 6, 2008 Posted May 6, 2008 The pedal steel has GOT to be one of the hardest instruments to play!!!! It sure isn't bottle-necking an open "E" chord for sure. Hats off to you! Bill If you liked the sound....Thank the engineer!
Ealy Posted August 16, 2008 Posted August 16, 2008 I've played for about 9 years. I've got an awesome Alvarez from the 70's, A newer Alvarez elec. acoustic, and a cream colored mexican strat. Love playin' Zeppelin, Floyd, Skynard, Dead, etc...
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