Subject: Hello Mickey !!!
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2004 07:10:34 +0200
My name is Nisse and i`m sitting i Sweden trying to print out your Tenor
Banjo Lessons
but the margins does not fit the paper, the last beats in the scales is
outside the paper.
So my question to you is, do you got this in a book and do you ship to
Sweden ????
Or you can send me the lessons in PDF to my e-mail ????
Best Regards.
Nisse
Greetings Nisse,
Wow! All the way to Sweden...it's nice to hear that our site is so far-reaching...
We're working on converting our lessons to book format...Please stay tuned on our website...Mickey
I had the same question posed earlier today...by Joy...see below.
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2004 18:53:34 -0600
Seal-Send-Time: Sun, 5 Sep 2004 18:53:34 -0600
Thanks Mickey! Tried Landscape mode, but it didn't print the whole song. So
I tried saving it as a photo and put it into a photo file and it worked!!
Kind of a hassle though....it'll be much easier when you adapt your lessons
to print format. I'm teaching both of my daughters to play fiddle (I played
classical violin for 8 years in my youth) and I like your fiddle lesson
format. I've played banjo for two years and am at the intermediate
level...love it! And I've got a custom Deering "Blue Roan" Calico on order
with you and am soooo excited! I'm impressed with Folk of the Wood and Tradd
has been so patient with all my questions and helpful to me.
Thanks again,
Joy Ledingham
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2004 16:34:04 -0600
Subject: Re: Fwd: free website lessons
Hi, I'm having a problem reading the music for your banjo lessons. The image is
too large to read and play the banjo music. I've tried printing and everything I can think of
to reduce the image on your site but I can't. I can't play from your site because I have to
stop and move the slider bars to see all the notes. Help!
Joy Ledingham (have purchased two instruments from you)
Greetings Joy,
Glad to assist:
You might try the following:
1. Try increasing the resolution on your monitor,,,this will reduce the overall size of graphics and type...
2. For printing, you might try first downloading the music to an art program such as photoshop...then resize the image to 6-7 inches wide...instead of the 12 inches it is now...
3. Another approach to printing the sheet music, that seems to work for others, would be to try the landscape mode on your printer options.
4. Please stay tuned on our website for the online lesson releases...we're adapting all online lessons to print format...
Hope something here helps...we appreciate your staying in tune with us...Mickey
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 15:01:00 -0500
When I print the music sheets in the free lessons for the dobro the printer
truncates (cuts off) the last bar on the line on "portrait" and on
"landscape it cuts off the bottom beyond the bottom half of bar 9. Have
you had anyone else experiencing this problem? Do you have a solution?
My husband tried at his workplace too with the same problem.
??????????????
Yes, there have been many issues with printing our online sheet music...they were designed for high visibility on the net and computer monitor...
We've had a few that were successful...you might check our FAQ's (below) on the very same page as the lessons are presented...I believe that the best way to print these would be to save them to your drive by downloading them as an image...then exporting them to an art program such as Photoshop...where they can be scaled for proper size to 8 inches in width instead of 12.5 inches.
Due to many requests, we're working on putting all of our online lessons in printed book format...so, please stay tuned at our website for updates...Mickey
Date: Wed, 07 Jul 2004 17:27:02 -0500
Subject: Re: Fwd: Printing
I checked the Q & A, No help. However this info may be of a partiall help to some of those inquiring. Usine Windows XP, Home edition: click "File' then "Page Setup" and choose "Landscape" , this will give a horizontal printing. But only of the first eight (8) measures. ( two scores)I highlighted and "saved as" but still cannot find out how to copy the rest of the scores.
Thanks.
Thanks for the input...we'll post it for others to learn from...we're also in the process of printing out books encompassing our entire lesson section...
Thanks for staying tuned...Mickey
Subject: lesson printing problems
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 14:04:03 -0500
There have been comments from folks having problems with the page being too wide to print. Have they tried printing the pages in 'landscape' mode rather then 'portrait'?
denis in Minneapolis
Subject: Wildwood Flower for 5-String Banjo
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 21:38:04 +0100
Mickey
I don't understand the fretting instructions on this page.
The first line indicates that the chord should be G, so I have four fingers
on the strings.
But most of the notes are indicated as played open; what is the point of
using that G and not the 'tuned' G ( completely open ) ?
The same thing essentially happens with the D7 chord - again more than half
the notes are to be played open.
Could you please explain this.
Thanks,
Jack
Greetings Jack,
The chord symbols above the piece are for strictly back-up purposes...these chord symbols are placed so that you can learn to play the back-up while someone else may be singing or playing lead...or, if you have another banjo player playing lead, you can use these back-up chords to support the lead banjo. Therefore, the chord symbols above the piece are separate from the arrangement itself and really only establish the rhythm section. I had considered placing guitar chord symbols above the piece, which is the norm in sheet music, however, it made more sense to use the same instrument portrayed in the tab itself in case the student wanted to learn the back-up to the piece separate from the lead....
I hope this is on track with your questions posed...
Keep on Pickin', Mickey
Subject: fiddle lesson
Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2004 10:05:07 -0400
I see the beginning fiddle lessons are on line. Are these available in book form? Also, what about the intermediate and advanced lessons that are mentioned? Will they be available soon? You have done a great job with these lessons, both wording and photo's. Your reply will be greatly appreciated.
-Gary Pope
Greetings Gary,
We've considered putting some books together based on all of our online lessons...only, time is of the essence...for there are still many other lessons to write...such as the advanced fiddle lessons...hopefully, we should have more advanced lessons being posted this summer...so please stay tuned...
Let me know how else I might assist you through the learning process...
Mickey
Subject: beginning guitar and violin lessons
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 19:17:48 -0600
Do you offer the lessons you have on your web site, in a book?
Carl Griggs
Greetings Carl,
I'll take that as a compliment...to date, we only have the continuation of the Crosspicking Guitar lessons in the "Guitar Crosspicking Technique" book published by Mel Bay...
For violin, we only have the "intro to Violin and Fiddle" video...which does elaborate further on priming the bow and setting up your violin...and, also includes many more exercises and studies for pursuing both violin and fiddle...
Since we've extended our online lessons, we may publish a book or two which reinforces these lessons...so please stay tuned...Mickey
Subject: Banjo Lessons
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 11:42:11 -0600
Hi,
I just received your Banjo Tape "Introduction to the 5-String Banjo" and was trying to print out some banjo lessons on your website. Some of the lesson pages will print correctly. I find that the last part of the page (showing staffs) is left off. Is this intentional or am I doing something wrong. I usually don't have a problem.
Thanks,
Bob
Greetings Bob,
The online banjo lessons are created for high visibility on the monitor and were not created for printing purposes...even so, there are ways to adapt these manuscripts to printing:
1. if your printer has a fit to page feature, you may be able to print out the music staffs to fit the printed page...
2. you can always save the music as a graphic element...onto your desktop and reopen it in another art program...of which it can then be resized for printing...
On the upside, we're now in the process of printing a series of instruction books under the Wisdom of the Wood publishing name, that will include all of the online lessons and more...
Since you have our "Intro to the 5-string Banjo" video, you might be interested in knowing that we will soon be transcribing most of the exercises and studies to be posted in our 5-string online lessons section...so please stay tuned...
Keep on Pickin', Mickey
Subject: On Line Lessons
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2004 09:19:12 -0800
Thanks for the on line lessons - they really complement my private lessons I am taking. I have difficulty keeping the beat while warming up with Mickey's practice sheets, and trying to scroll down on the PC at the same time. Are his lessons available in print format, 8.5 x 11, or in one (or more) of the Mandolin books you offer?
Thanks.Walter Stanley
Greetings Walter,
You're welcome to print directly from the site...only make sure that your printer allows you a "fit to page" setting...if not, each manuscript, on our Free Lessons section can be saved and downloaded as an image...once you've done this, you can then take it to another art program by importing...and then size it to print...
And, yes, many of the lessons can be found in the Videos offered by Wisdom of the Wood...along with the Mel Bay publication: "Mandolin Crosspicking Technique"...there are many exercises and studies that go beyond crosspicking technique itself...
Hope something here helps...and study hard...Keep on Pickin', Mickey
Subject: Prinitng Free Lessons
Date: Mon, 8 Mar 2004 22:04:06 -0000
Mickey,
Greetings Richard,
Yes, we've been asked this many times...and, as you're aware, this is an entirely different medium: when portraying a piece of sheet music online or in print media...we made the online manuscripts large for the reason that it would be easier to view...by reducing the size, so that it prints directly off the web, it becomes quite small to view...albeit, it's still viewable only it's not as nice as when the notes and tab are extra large...
There is a way to still print out our online manuscripts...and others have been successful in doing this...here's a sample letter of someone who recently accomplished this...try some of the suggestions below and let me know how they work out:
Mickey, I have successfully downloaded and made a notebook of all the mandolin lessons on the web site. Thanks for the tips and practice sessions. They make a world of difference when I combine them with my private lessons.
My instructor asked me to work on my timing/beat. I have a metronome and find it useful for practice. By combining this with your finger exercises and crosspicking exercises I'm getting more comfortable with the practice. My question is what is the recommended beats per minute for each exercise, at the beginner level, and then later as I progress to a more advanced level?
Walter...that's great to hear that you were successful in printing out our Mandolin Lessons section...many have not been able to accomplish this...due to the fact that I set up the online lessons to have more visibility when viewed on a computer screen...and, of course, with this effort, the notation/tablature becomes too wide for a printout...fortunately, you were able to follow my instructions about downloading each manuscript as a jpeg image and moving it to a program where you can size it for a legible printout...or, you may have been able to use the printer command: "fit to page" directly from the site...
As far as a metronome setting, I'd start out extremely slow at about 50 beats per minute which is less than a second per beat...this can then be increased accordingly as you become more familiar with the exercise...your teacher is correct in making sure that you're completely focused on an even tempo...I also suggest tapping your foot for each downbeat to ensure an even tempo...
Please stay in touch and let me know how things are going...and, be sure to stay tuned on our Mando lessons section for further updates...I'm not working on chord charts, studies and rhythm manuscripts...
Mickey
I have been playing"at" the dobro for a number of years and have taught
myself to play at a very low level of difficulty. I have been looking for
some way to pick up scales, basic rolls and techniques to help me move
along. I was pleased when I found the free lessons on the FOTW site. I'd
been there in the past to get an Acoustic Feather as a pick up for the
Dobro.
My problem with the free lessions is that I can't seem to print them out and
have to down load them and practice in front of the computer. What happens
is that I can't print the entire page when there is music and tab on it and
I loose a portion of the right side of the music and the instructional text.
Do you have any thoughts or helpful hints?
Richard
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 10:55:04 -0500
Subject: Re: Dobro Resonator Resophonic Guitar Lessons Roll Pattern Exercises
Thanks Shawn, actually what occured is more of my compouter ineptness. Yesterday I printed out all the Folk Of The Wood Lessons- everything about the Dobro. Then I made a page of six, I guess you call them musical staffs, each four measures long so that I could physically write in the tab in a size that I could read and use. I just finished copying the "Lesson 2 Finger Picking Exercises" - copied from the scrunched up bit at the end of the mini chapter. Guess what- the schrunched up six stanzas of finger picking practice are the same as the good second page of the mini chapter. Same thing for 2b and so on with the other chapters. The scrunched together part at the end of each mini chapter is the same as the good copy in front of each schrunched bit that I had from printing out the whole thing.
Now it is a very good thing that I have these blank six stanza music pages, cause I am so totally a visual learner that this may be part of the root of my lifelong musical ineptness. Now I can take the time to write out each exercise or song and learn it better that way.
BTW, the folks at Folk Of The Wood are fantastic. The author of these lessons, Mickey Cochran, wrote me back very promptly and tried to help me un-schrunch (is that a new word for like stretching out an accordion?) and even sent the problem to an associate who he asked to work out a good usable copy of the lessons. As I said they are very helpful. Use them.
I am going to tell Juliet who is trying to learn the mandolin and everybody I know about them. Tho I have bought three video lessons on the dobro (Jerry Douglas, Rob Ickes, and Mel Bay's) all are great to watch but quickly go over my head (as I am the worst case inept beginner). I am going to buy Mickey's video lessons.
ps BTW- I did several of Mickey's exercises. They were just what the doctor ordered to get me more used to the feel of my Maybelle (that's what I call my Gibson Hound Dog). And, from my first lesson last week and on my second practice I played a fairly respectable (at least somewhat recognizable) 'Wildwood Flower'.
So thanks for your help and check out folkofthewoods.com
Rod Trail
