Question for Justin

[fsenseman]

Hi Justin,

Hope you're busy these days Let me know if there is anything I can do to help out with the next release (testing, proofreading, etc.)

I was curious. Are you the metal head or the beatnik in the portrait used for your software?

Inquiring minds want to know!

I aspire to become the beatnik but first I've got to get the blues down a bit more. Then on to some jazzier stuff. Don't even like jazz much but as I learn how to play it I will learn a lot that will help me in other areas.

Kind Regards,
Fleet

[Justin]

Hey Fleet,

Thanks for offering to help out - very kind of you! I think I should start a separate thread where users can post if they fancy trying out an early release of 1.9; can post to Facebook and maybe a pre-release newsletter calling for volunteers...

I was curious. Are you the metal head or the beatnik in the portrait used for your software?

Lol The sister of my good friend who helps out with some ND stuff also asked that - although he has (umm had..) long hair and tattoos and I'm older than him so I was pegged as the beatnik! But I'm not short, balding nor even own a hollow body guitar. But good things come to those who wait

I'm also probably a bit like you, an aspiring beatnik. I grew up on a diet of 80s metal/shred, and still trying to achieve that level of playing, having discovered 'recently' it's really just a product of hours spent practicing - but just have less and less time these days. Current aspiration is to incorporate jazz chops/outside/chromatic playing in with the rock playing, like Guthrie Govan, Greg Howe.

Actually you should check out Shaun Baxter's Jazz Metal album - mind blowing stuff well before it's time. For blues-twinged stuff listen to "G-Spot Blues" & "12 Bars from Mars". A big tip of the jazz hat is in "Birdman". Just a generally inspiring album! Here's some more recent crazy improvising over a Brecker Brothers tune:

I think that if you didn't practice all hours when you had the chance - in your teens! - then it's difficult to achieve anything like this level once you've other constraints.. full time job/married/kids/mortgage etc etc

[fsenseman]

Thanks Justin,

For posting the video and recommendations. Before starting electric I played at playing acoustic. Liked to flatpick and what not. One of my favorite guitarists is Tony Rice, and damned fine bluegrass musician. He incorporates some jazzier chords into his solos which would seem out of place in bluegrass but he makes it sound very, very good. He and Peter Rowan did a colloboration on/of Midnight Moonlight (written by Peter Rowan) and his solo work is phenomenal. A true musician.

Me, I've got the long hair and tattoos But I look like a blues player, especially with my hat.

I started too late for my own tastes but I practice 3-4 hours a day so I'm getting there. And my teacher knows as much about theory as he does about playing so that's very helpful as well. Quite versatile.

If you do opt to ask for help could you please not make facebook the only option? I don't have an account and I won't agree to their terms of service. It's driving me crazy, all these businesses jumping on the facebook bandwagon. Peterson Tuners support forum has been moved there. Bad move as I'll never buy another of their products again.

Anyway, wishing you well, and thanks again. And don't hesitate to ask for help. I've got the time and the will.

Kind Regards,
Fleet

[Justin]

I practice 3-4 hours a day so I'm getting there.

Hey you won't make friends telling people you've got that much time VERY JEALOUS!!

If you do opt to ask for help could you please not make facebook the only option?

Sure, no probs. Facebook is an easy way to loose lots of time.. I'll post on the forum also but I probably won't request via Newsletter email as I might get a flood of volunteers which will be hard to manage too! Or maybe I will do that..

[fsenseman]

Hey you won't make friends telling people you've got that much time VERY JEALOUS!!



Sure, no probs. Facebook is an easy way to loose lots of time.. I'll post on the forum also but I probably won't request via Newsletter email as I might get a flood of volunteers which will be hard to manage too! Or maybe I will do that..

Too many cooks spoil the pot so to speak But pick a few you think can help and contribute, or ask for help on the forum. Those here obviously have used, and care, about your software.

As far as the time I spend, well, I paid my dues so to speak. Much rather that I'd started at 7 and became a blues god but that wasn't in the cards. So, I do what I can. But I certainly count my blessings that I can spend the time I do. And I'm grateful that I have a wife (much much younger than me, and I have a 3 year old as well) who will put up with being a guitar widow. Fortune smiles on people in many ways. It's certainly smiled on you or we wouldn't have Neck Diagrams My guess is it's a labor of love for you as well as a revenue stream and a door to future possibilities that might pay off big. I hope so, you deserve it!

P.S. I'm going to start working on my teacher to try your software. He has a lot of students and many of them would find it as useful as I do. Doesn't know much about computers but I'm installing Transcribe!, which I introduced him to, next week on his Mac. This might be a good tool for him as well. (I'm sure it would but he's the type to play it and write it on paper). He's older than me (I'm 54) and sort of missed the computer boat. But he is the finest teacher and one of the people I admire most in this world.

Anyway, sorry for rambling.....

Kind Regards,
Fleet

[Justin]

Thanks for the kind words Fleet! I've stretched my wife's patience too many times myself - both as a guitar widow and as a coding widow! :P So I try to strike some kind of balance these days, but like you say it's very much a labour of love and hopefully someday I'll be able to ditch the day job to focus on this...

Having said that, you'll probably be interested to hear I've actually hired a developer to help me push things forward! So all ND revenue is getting re-invested, plus some from the day job! I've been fortunate to find someone with the right technical skill set who's working remotely, and things are looking promising. Not a guitar player (yet! lol) but can't have everything can we?!

I'm thinking I can enlist some further help next year - two areas I'm thinking about are emails and documentation. There's a bunch of bits in the docs (Help > Help Contents) that need filling out, like detailed info about all the Inspector options, that need doing. Plus I'm thinking of trying something like Zendesk so I can get someone to help answer emails - there's not a ton of them but I always reply to even the simplest question with as much detail as possible (hmm will need to see if Zendesk allows pasting of images as I'll include screenshots whenever possible) and getting help there would free me up to focus on other ND things...

Oh BTW how's your teacher getting on with his computer then? Hope he liked ND

[fsenseman]

Oh BTW how's your teacher getting on with his computer then? Hope he liked ND

I'm afraid he hasn't had time yet to try it. Although I installed Transcribe! for him he hasn't had the time for me to teach him how to use it. He's very busy, and it's all guitar which is a good thing. Do something you love and you'll never work another day in your life (I'll keep working on him though, he sees the diagrams I create from his lessons and he's pretty impressed. Even if he didn't use it I'm sure his students could benefit just as I and others have...)

Glad to hear you brought on some help. ND is incredibly useful as is. No place to go but up! Hope the holidays are good for you and your family

Kind Regards,
Fleet