It's been a stupidly frantic week.
Between answering the floods of email....putting up the various bits of 'Classical Gas' ready for YouTubing. Notifying (Classical Gas) competition winners (not the guitar giveaway...not yet), and developing and launching a new software product and giving customer support for it AND....playing the guitar a bit....I almost got time to sleep a bit too.
I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining cos I'm definitely not.
The Youtube 'Classical Gas' phenomena has taken quite a bit of my time but with your help we managed to get part one of that guitar video to N02 and Part 2 to No 3 (hope that pattern doesn't continue with part 3;0)
I will eventually release the whole thing but it will have to be in my time. Thjis is no bad thing as it forces you to just keep going on the bit you know. Guess what'll happen if we keep doing it this way?........yep....you'll learn ALL OF IT.
'SloMoDirector' has been an astounding success. It's a bit scary when you sink a pile of cash into a ptoject and there is nothing else like it in the market place cos that may be because there is no market for it. I had a hunch that there qould be demand for it.....but I've had hunches about things before.
Of course most people will have no idea what SloMoDirector is all about as I haven't released details to anyone other than my premier mambers. Hopefully the video will tell you enough so that the power of it is self evident. It's in its infancy at the moment but I have plans for it.
SloMoDirector Video Manipulation Tool
Thanks to all who have already bought it and given me feedback.
I've put up a link to all my other Guitar Videos products. It seemed like a good Idea as I am totally lost these days and forget where I put things...
Mikes Guitar Videos n stuff
Oh...doorbell...............................
Thanks Steve...I just got your envelope with the cash in..........download is on the way now.
Ooops sorry folks......
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
The Beatles as a musical influence for my guitar videos?
I was 10 years old.
The TV was on but I wasn't watching it. Suddenly I heard this sound and it was 'them'. They were playing 'Love me do' and I have never heard anything like it in my life.
I couldn't afford to buy the records but I could listen on the radio, and on TV and I had an older next door neighbour who could buy the 'New Musical Express' and 'they' were all over the front page of every issue. I remember cutting out every picture I ever saw of the Fab Four.
But it was the music. I guess I was fortunate being at such an impressionable age when the Beatles hit the scene. A gang of us used to get cardboard boxes for drums and the handles off my sisters skipping rope for microphones, tennis raquets for guitars and with a dang-a-danga-dang we were there . . . . . 'living it' along with the lads from Liverpool.
It was natural then, for me when I started producing my guitar videos, that the Beatles would figure heavily in my product list.
I now have 5 guitar videos of the Beatles music. Some are clearer than others I'll admit but I thought it was time I put them out as a single purchase.
Have a look...if nothing else at least it may bring back a few memories
Mikes' Beatles Guitar Videos
The TV was on but I wasn't watching it. Suddenly I heard this sound and it was 'them'. They were playing 'Love me do' and I have never heard anything like it in my life.
I couldn't afford to buy the records but I could listen on the radio, and on TV and I had an older next door neighbour who could buy the 'New Musical Express' and 'they' were all over the front page of every issue. I remember cutting out every picture I ever saw of the Fab Four.
But it was the music. I guess I was fortunate being at such an impressionable age when the Beatles hit the scene. A gang of us used to get cardboard boxes for drums and the handles off my sisters skipping rope for microphones, tennis raquets for guitars and with a dang-a-danga-dang we were there . . . . . 'living it' along with the lads from Liverpool.
It was natural then, for me when I started producing my guitar videos, that the Beatles would figure heavily in my product list.
I now have 5 guitar videos of the Beatles music. Some are clearer than others I'll admit but I thought it was time I put them out as a single purchase.
Have a look...if nothing else at least it may bring back a few memories
Mikes' Beatles Guitar Videos
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
How to make Your Own Guitar Tuition Video
Firstly decide on a song to teach.
It has to have wide appeal and it can't be too advanced. Advanced guitarists wouldn't need a video would they? Also it has to be something that you enjoy playing yourself.
Go through the song and figure out which bits might cause a beginner to stumble.
There's no point in producing a video that has a few easy bits and a really difficult bit that you can never learn and therefore not be able to play the piece all the way through. Eliminate the difficult bits by using my years of playing experience to know what I can get away with and what is absolutely essential.
If there is a big barre chord then I must replace it with just the bare bones. If there is a big stretch then figure a way round it.
Now I have to learn the piece thoroughly myself.
I mean learn it so well that it is second nature and can be played very fluently. I have to be able to play it whilst thinking about teaching you to play it and talking at the same time.
Now make the tabs
Once I've decided on a final version I now have to tab the piece. I know there are loads of tab sites out there on the internet but honestly...an awful lot of them as so innacurate that they are unusable. I don't know what the music publishers get so wound up about since the stuff is so 'off the mark' that it probably wouldn't be recognisable by the person who wrote it.
I use a registered version of Tabledit to make the tabs. It is not the most advanced tabbing software out there but it has all the features I need and it is much more useable than some of the more advanced ones.
On a recent tele-conference I had with some of my long term subscribers I asked about who was using the tefview program that I send out with videos and was suprised that more people don't make use of this great facility. You can speed up, slow down, change key, change instrument and all sorts of other possibilities with this sotware. I use it all the time, especially for learning new material. When the tab is done I then need to save it as a .jpg and also as a .pdf and make these downloadable.
Ah...so now I can think about making the actual video
OK so once the tabs are finished I can think about making the video. I have my lighting and camera positioning pretty well sorted out these days but it has taken a vast amount of trial and error to get to this point. I now shoot the video. I use two of my DV digital video cameras and three halogen lamps. The lamps need to be pointed away from the guitar and sheilded and reflected from the walls to get the best shots. People ask do I get out takes....do I? Oh yes..lots of out takes.
Let's get it all onto the computer
Once the guitar video is 'in the can' (sounds good that doesn't it?) then I need to get in onto a hard drive and useable by my video editing software. The raw video files with a length of 10 to 15 minutes are about 6 GB each and remember there are two of them (sometimes three) for each song. This means that I go through an awful lot of hard drive space. Just as an aside you need hard drives that spin at 7200 rpm minimum otherwise the video capture is too quick for the drive and frames get dropped ( my local computer store manager likes to see me drive into the car park)
Find a good editing package
Now the files need to be edited to produce a smoothly flowing lesson. I try these days to give a rendition of the entire song as a performance so that buyers know exactly 'how it goes'. When I'm happy with the playing part I need to add titles and transitions between the edits. When the whole project is finished I am ready to render the video files.
I will in all probability need to render the file in several different formats. If I'm producing a DVD for example then it's usually best to save the finished video file in its highest quality format (usually .avi). This format is also need if I am creating some streaming video for promotional purposes (more of that later.) The commonest file I creat is a .WMV (Windows Media Video) I tey to save in the highest quality I can without allowing the file size to get too big. The only problem with huge files is that they can take a long time to upload and download.
Let's get it out into Cyberspace
Once the downloadable version is saved I can then upload it to whichever webspace I'm going to use. For this I use a standard .ftp (File Transfer Protocal) program.
Now all I have to do is...
Upload the tabs and .tef files, html pages, video files...
Creat a sales/promotion page in html. (and upload it)
Create a purchase link/button to add to the sales page.
Arrange for purchasers to be added to an autoresponder list
so that they can access their video download after payment.
Create a small streaming sample of the video to go on the purchase page (and upload it)
Creat a download page for the buyer in html. (and upload it)
Add a buyers link to my main website page. (and upload it)
Now all I have to do is tell every one on my subscribers list that I have made a new video and then go and have a cup of tea and a sit down 'cos I'm knackered.
All I can say is 'It's a good job I like messing around with Guitars and Computers'
If you haven't been to my site before and you want some of my FREE Guitar Videos, Just go to Guitar Videos
It has to have wide appeal and it can't be too advanced. Advanced guitarists wouldn't need a video would they? Also it has to be something that you enjoy playing yourself.
Go through the song and figure out which bits might cause a beginner to stumble.
There's no point in producing a video that has a few easy bits and a really difficult bit that you can never learn and therefore not be able to play the piece all the way through. Eliminate the difficult bits by using my years of playing experience to know what I can get away with and what is absolutely essential.
If there is a big barre chord then I must replace it with just the bare bones. If there is a big stretch then figure a way round it.
Now I have to learn the piece thoroughly myself.
I mean learn it so well that it is second nature and can be played very fluently. I have to be able to play it whilst thinking about teaching you to play it and talking at the same time.
Now make the tabs
Once I've decided on a final version I now have to tab the piece. I know there are loads of tab sites out there on the internet but honestly...an awful lot of them as so innacurate that they are unusable. I don't know what the music publishers get so wound up about since the stuff is so 'off the mark' that it probably wouldn't be recognisable by the person who wrote it.
I use a registered version of Tabledit to make the tabs. It is not the most advanced tabbing software out there but it has all the features I need and it is much more useable than some of the more advanced ones.
On a recent tele-conference I had with some of my long term subscribers I asked about who was using the tefview program that I send out with videos and was suprised that more people don't make use of this great facility. You can speed up, slow down, change key, change instrument and all sorts of other possibilities with this sotware. I use it all the time, especially for learning new material. When the tab is done I then need to save it as a .jpg and also as a .pdf and make these downloadable.
Ah...so now I can think about making the actual video
OK so once the tabs are finished I can think about making the video. I have my lighting and camera positioning pretty well sorted out these days but it has taken a vast amount of trial and error to get to this point. I now shoot the video. I use two of my DV digital video cameras and three halogen lamps. The lamps need to be pointed away from the guitar and sheilded and reflected from the walls to get the best shots. People ask do I get out takes....do I? Oh yes..lots of out takes.
Let's get it all onto the computer
Once the guitar video is 'in the can' (sounds good that doesn't it?) then I need to get in onto a hard drive and useable by my video editing software. The raw video files with a length of 10 to 15 minutes are about 6 GB each and remember there are two of them (sometimes three) for each song. This means that I go through an awful lot of hard drive space. Just as an aside you need hard drives that spin at 7200 rpm minimum otherwise the video capture is too quick for the drive and frames get dropped ( my local computer store manager likes to see me drive into the car park)
Find a good editing package
Now the files need to be edited to produce a smoothly flowing lesson. I try these days to give a rendition of the entire song as a performance so that buyers know exactly 'how it goes'. When I'm happy with the playing part I need to add titles and transitions between the edits. When the whole project is finished I am ready to render the video files.
I will in all probability need to render the file in several different formats. If I'm producing a DVD for example then it's usually best to save the finished video file in its highest quality format (usually .avi). This format is also need if I am creating some streaming video for promotional purposes (more of that later.) The commonest file I creat is a .WMV (Windows Media Video) I tey to save in the highest quality I can without allowing the file size to get too big. The only problem with huge files is that they can take a long time to upload and download.
Let's get it out into Cyberspace
Once the downloadable version is saved I can then upload it to whichever webspace I'm going to use. For this I use a standard .ftp (File Transfer Protocal) program.
Now all I have to do is...
Upload the tabs and .tef files, html pages, video files...
Creat a sales/promotion page in html. (and upload it)
Create a purchase link/button to add to the sales page.
Arrange for purchasers to be added to an autoresponder list
so that they can access their video download after payment.
Create a small streaming sample of the video to go on the purchase page (and upload it)
Creat a download page for the buyer in html. (and upload it)
Add a buyers link to my main website page. (and upload it)
Now all I have to do is tell every one on my subscribers list that I have made a new video and then go and have a cup of tea and a sit down 'cos I'm knackered.
All I can say is 'It's a good job I like messing around with Guitars and Computers'
If you haven't been to my site before and you want some of my FREE Guitar Videos, Just go to Guitar Videos
Monday, February 19, 2007
Learning Guitar if you're Left Handed
Just a quick note this.
I get about 3 or 4 emails a week from left handed beginner guitarists along the lines of..
I'd love to learn from your over-the -shoulder videos but find it impossible because everything is reversed.
It never occured to me that a conventional guitar tuition video showing a 'face on' shot is actually of more use to a left hander than a right hander...since they (left handers) are watching a mirror image whereas a right hander has to mentally reverse the images.
When I came up with the over-the-shoulder shot I immediately made life more difficult for the left handed player so.....
After a bit of head scratching I have a solution. Promise not to laugh, because this REALLY WORKS.
Get a big mirror and stand it to one side of your monitor at 90 degrees to the screen. Now watch my videos in the mirror....hey presto....instant solution.
Let me know how you get on with this.
Mike.
P.S. Has anyone else noticed that eerie feeling when you've learned a piece from the over-the -shoulder videos and you're playing along whilst watching. It feels a bit like playing a virtual guitar. Very strange.
I get about 3 or 4 emails a week from left handed beginner guitarists along the lines of..
I'd love to learn from your over-the -shoulder videos but find it impossible because everything is reversed.
It never occured to me that a conventional guitar tuition video showing a 'face on' shot is actually of more use to a left hander than a right hander...since they (left handers) are watching a mirror image whereas a right hander has to mentally reverse the images.
When I came up with the over-the-shoulder shot I immediately made life more difficult for the left handed player so.....
After a bit of head scratching I have a solution. Promise not to laugh, because this REALLY WORKS.
Get a big mirror and stand it to one side of your monitor at 90 degrees to the screen. Now watch my videos in the mirror....hey presto....instant solution.
Let me know how you get on with this.
Mike.
P.S. Has anyone else noticed that eerie feeling when you've learned a piece from the over-the -shoulder videos and you're playing along whilst watching. It feels a bit like playing a virtual guitar. Very strange.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Guitar Videos Not Working Properly? - Windows Media Viewer Settings may solve the problem.
A few of my customers had problems in the past with videos they'd downloaded.
They complained that the sound was out of sync. or that there was some stuttering when the video played.
Unfortunately I'm not technically adept enough to have offered a s0lution...until now that is. I have to thank Chris Morgan for his persistance is solving the problems and post his recent email here so that others may benefit from his findings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Mike,
I have been having problems with strummers paradise
downloads (stuttery and out of sync) until now.
By changing the settings in windows media
player 11 as follows I can now
start to enjoy your handy work.
On the menu bar click on View - Plug-ins - Options.
Click on the Performance tab and then change the
Video Acceleration to None and click Apply then OK.
Mine was set at full by default but all the Video's
play fine now.
I hope this will help others who may have been
having similar problems.
The Vids are great, keep up the good work.
All the best
Chris Mogan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They complained that the sound was out of sync. or that there was some stuttering when the video played.
Unfortunately I'm not technically adept enough to have offered a s0lution...until now that is. I have to thank Chris Morgan for his persistance is solving the problems and post his recent email here so that others may benefit from his findings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Mike,
I have been having problems with strummers paradise
downloads (stuttery and out of sync) until now.
By changing the settings in windows media
player 11 as follows I can now
start to enjoy your handy work.
On the menu bar click on View - Plug-ins - Options.
Click on the Performance tab and then change the
Video Acceleration to None and click Apply then OK.
Mine was set at full by default but all the Video's
play fine now.
I hope this will help others who may have been
having similar problems.
The Vids are great, keep up the good work.
All the best
Chris Mogan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Guitar Videos - Do they really work?
If anyone ever doubted whether you can learn to play guitar using guitar videos....think again. This was sent to me today from Dave. Dave has a very familiar story. Learned a bit. Raised a family. Came back to it and started looking for ways to improve his guitar playing. Here's what he wrote.
Mike,
D.J.
I must admit I was rather pleased with this latest set of videos and it looks like I might have pleased one or two other people as well.
You can still get them here at the launch price
If you are quick. I will not be repeating them at this price
ever
Mike,
D.J.
I must admit I was rather pleased with this latest set of videos and it looks like I might have pleased one or two other people as well.
You can still get them here at the launch price
If you are quick. I will not be repeating them at this price
ever
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Strumming Videos Release
Howdy partner. . . . . . .
Pull up a log and sit a while by the campfire.
Eat some beans, spit in the fire and look what
folks have been asking about these latest video
releases.
Q. How can I find out what will be on the videos
A. Go here for samples of the videos and find out how to buy them at the launch price.
Q. Will these be videos or just sound files like in your emails?
A. These will be videos done exactly like all my other videos.
Q. Will there be any tabs?
A. No. I will be giving the lyrics, annotated with the correct chords
and going through, in detail, exactly how the pieces are to be strummed.
Q. Are they on DVD?
A. No. These are all downloads.
Q. I missed the pre-registration to get the reduced price?
A. I have a record of everyone who was sent the pre-registration form
and will make sure that those people get the chance to pre-register.
If you want to pre-register now then go to
http://www.6-string-videos.com/strummers/prereg
Q. Why do I have to pre-register?
A. You don't. But you'll have to pay the full price if you want them
after the initial launch.
Q. When will I be able to actually pay for them?
A. I'll be sending out a purchase link to everyone who has registered
with a short snippet of each video (to remind you what you'll be getting)
approx 3 days before the videos are ready for downloading.
Q. Will you be doing any more strummers videos?
A. The response to this lot has been very good so I guess I read the
market quite well. I aim to bring out another batch of these within
a month after this release.
Q. Why are your prices in dollars and what is it in pounds?
A. More than 50% of my customers are US based (thanks folks) so I
price in dollars. UK Customers note $1 = .50p approx.
Q. Do I need to download the songs all in one go?
A. No. You'll be sent a download page with all the songs on it and,
once it is saved to your hard drive you can go back and download
the songs as you need them.
Q. What if I lose the download page?
A. (This applies to any other purchases too) If you misplace (lose)
your download page then just email me your purchase title and the
email address you used on paypal. I can check this fairly quickly
and re-send the download page.
Q. I cannot (or will not) use Paypal so how can I buy the videos?
A. First of all (and my many customers will vouch for this) generally
speaking Paypal is a great and safe service. If however you need to
pay some other way then. Europe: Convert dollar price to euros or pounds
and send cash in the mail. It works fine. UK Customers can send a cheque.
Everywhere else: It has to be cash in the mail. Euros.
Q. Can you please hurry up and get them finished Mike?
A. Well I would but I'm Just answering a few quest.......duh!
Pull up a log and sit a while by the campfire.
Eat some beans, spit in the fire and look what
folks have been asking about these latest video
releases.
Q. How can I find out what will be on the videos
A. Go here for samples of the videos and find out how to buy them at the launch price.
Q. Will these be videos or just sound files like in your emails?
A. These will be videos done exactly like all my other videos.
Q. Will there be any tabs?
A. No. I will be giving the lyrics, annotated with the correct chords
and going through, in detail, exactly how the pieces are to be strummed.
Q. Are they on DVD?
A. No. These are all downloads.
Q. I missed the pre-registration to get the reduced price?
A. I have a record of everyone who was sent the pre-registration form
and will make sure that those people get the chance to pre-register.
If you want to pre-register now then go to
http://www.6-string-videos.com/strummers/prereg
Q. Why do I have to pre-register?
A. You don't. But you'll have to pay the full price if you want them
after the initial launch.
Q. When will I be able to actually pay for them?
A. I'll be sending out a purchase link to everyone who has registered
with a short snippet of each video (to remind you what you'll be getting)
approx 3 days before the videos are ready for downloading.
Q. Will you be doing any more strummers videos?
A. The response to this lot has been very good so I guess I read the
market quite well. I aim to bring out another batch of these within
a month after this release.
Q. Why are your prices in dollars and what is it in pounds?
A. More than 50% of my customers are US based (thanks folks) so I
price in dollars. UK Customers note $1 = .50p approx.
Q. Do I need to download the songs all in one go?
A. No. You'll be sent a download page with all the songs on it and,
once it is saved to your hard drive you can go back and download
the songs as you need them.
Q. What if I lose the download page?
A. (This applies to any other purchases too) If you misplace (lose)
your download page then just email me your purchase title and the
email address you used on paypal. I can check this fairly quickly
and re-send the download page.
Q. I cannot (or will not) use Paypal so how can I buy the videos?
A. First of all (and my many customers will vouch for this) generally
speaking Paypal is a great and safe service. If however you need to
pay some other way then. Europe: Convert dollar price to euros or pounds
and send cash in the mail. It works fine. UK Customers can send a cheque.
Everywhere else: It has to be cash in the mail. Euros.
Q. Can you please hurry up and get them finished Mike?
A. Well I would but I'm Just answering a few quest.......duh!
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