Re: [Harp-L] Solo transcriptions

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

Getting reproduction rights to non-academic (i.e., commercial)
publications may not be as straightforward as paying an author a
licensing fee.

The Warners songbook would have a Warners copyright, while the
individual compositions would have publishing rights owned by the
respective authors or assignees. There's a royalty formula for
songbooks containing multiple compositions from multiple authors.

While it would be nice to see this material generally available, I
suspect that it would require a good deal of effort. The simplest
option - a new print run from WB - would probably be pretty expensive
and result in a large inventory that would take a long time to sell.

I know that Tommy Morgan wrote a couple of books that came out from a
major publisher (Warners? Don't remember for sure) and that later some
else (Tommy himself?) secured the rights and reprinted the books. Of
course there was only one level of authorship - Tommy's - so it was
probably straightforward. For a songbook you have a couple of levels at
least and it might not be quite so simple. 

I suppose the Blues Traveler organization might be the logical entity
to take this on, if they have the interest in doing so.

Winslow

--- Philharpn@xxxxxxx wrote:

> I was going to suggest tha one of the best ways to really learn a
> tune is 
> listen to it and follow along in the book that Winslow wrote. You
> might even want 
> to get one of the slow-down programs or slow-down CD players -- at
> least two 
> brands are now available in two price ranges.
> 
> It's a lot easier to   look at where the music is going on paper as
> you 
> listen than simply listen to the tune a few hundred times trying to
> figure out what 
> the first note is.
> 
> Too bad it is out of print. It was a noble effort. 
> 
> When I was in grad school (MA, 1980) the professors would make a deal
> with 
> the authors of out-of-print material for a licensing fee and print up
> a 
> collection of articles (course pack)   that cost about $30 or so
> available from 
> Kinkos. 
> 
> Who owns the rights to out-of-print material, does it revert to the
> author? 
> Or does the publisher own it for ever? 
> 
> This course pack concept might be the solution for some of these out
> of print 
> items.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In a message dated 12/12/06 12:45:02 PM, winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx
> writes:
> 
> 
> > I have to chime in here with Richard.
> > 
> > An uncool thing might be to go out in public and play nothing but
> > note-for-note copies.
> > 
> > Even then, if you were in a band that played, say, nothing but J.
> Geils
> > covers, and Whammer Jammer came up, the expected thing would be to
> play
> > it note for note - it would be uncool not to.
> > 
> > In jazz, solo transcriptions are huge, both as a learning activity
> and
> > as a publishing phenomenon. Still, I've heard prominent jazz
> musicians
> > privately roll their eyes (that bit wasn't audible) and say, "I've
> > never transcribed a solo in my life," while others will freely
> admit
> > that they stole from the best any way that they could - and the
> > stealers were often highly original players.
> > 
> > Me, I was paid to transcribe Popper note for note for a book that
> came
> > out eleven years ago. I earned every cent at least once; there were
> > many, many notes, and they're not that easy to pick out even when
> > slowed down - the more you slow it down, the more you hear.
> > 
> > The book, by the way, was the companion songbook to the Blues
> Traveler
> > CD FOUR, published by Warner Bros. Music.  The stock number was
> PG9506.
> > It's now out of print but you can still find it on the net, both
> used
> > and new (I CAN NOT PROVIDE IT).
> > 
> > Winslow
> > 
> > 
> 
> 



 
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