Parking lot pickers book

[Alex Orr]

I have and like this book. A lot of songs in one place. However my copies spiral binding got bent and the pages started to fall out within a couple of weeks. I was carrying it a regular book bag. Sorry to get off the OP's question. Just wondering if any other owners had a similar issue. I would love to get something similar, but made better. Any Ideas?

That's the issue I had with the plastic comb binding. I photocopied the whole book (shhhh, don't tell my office manager ) and then took it to Kinkos and they put a standard spiral bind on it which has worked much better. Honestly, plastic comb frequently falls apart in my experience - my mom has a bunch of old cookbooks that used it and all of them have been held together for years by clip binders.

[nobullmando74]

Alex, if you hear sirens, RUN! Seriously the spiral on mine is some sort of metal. When it started to loose pages I took the time to try and bend it back, but it never would stay together. Are you talking about "3" ring binders? If so, how do you reinforce the pages? Thanks,

[michaelpthompson]

I have and like this book. A lot of songs in one place. However my copies spiral binding got bent and the pages started to fall out within a couple of weeks. I was carrying it a regular book bag. Sorry to get off the OP's question. Just wondering if any other owners had a similar issue. I would love to get something similar, but made better. Any Ideas?

Well, Dix did say:

Sorry the binding is giving you trouble. They've changed it a couple of times since the first printing. During the initial production period I insisted on a spiral binding but they didn't have the option of plastic, only the wire.

If the binding is bad, take it to a print shop (a good, friendly one or they won't want to mess with one copy just to help you out.) Have them cut off the old binding and re-do it. Kinko's may also be able to do this. If you're really ambitious, you can trim off all the edges and put the pages in page protectors and put them in a three-ring binder.

Binding is often a problem with music books. Perfect bound (glued) won't lay flat, and when you force it, it develops memory (always falls open to your favorite song), then sooner or later, the pages start to fall out. Plastic comb binding gets brittle and starts to break after a while. Wire spiral binding gets bent sooner or later and then the pages can't turn properly, so they start to tear. Plastic wire seems more durable, but it's expensive and not as easy to apply. You don't see it as often. If there's a perfect solution, I haven't heard it yet. I've used page protectors and a big binder to assemble my own personal collection and it seems to wear well. You have to have a good quality binder and be careful how you turn the pages. Those plastic end pieces help. I prefer D-Ring style as it holds more without binding up when you get too many pages.

[nobullmando74]

Whoops, looks like I glazed over that binding apology from earlier in the thread. I'll have to give some more thought to the page sleeves. That may be the best long term solution. You ought to see one of my Beatles books. Its in pretty bad shape but I'd never buy another copy. Its got all the battle scars of traveling and 4 moves plus almost daily use for a decade. Thanks for the ideas folks.

[michaelpthompson]

Honestly, plastic comb frequently falls apart in my experience - my mom has a bunch of old cookbooks that used it and all of them have been held together for years by clip binders.

I agree about the plastic combs. I think they are a good cheap alternative for passing out information at meetings or something, but not worth it on the long term.

BTW, this implies no agreement on your copyright infringement. :-)

[B. T. Walker]

I really like this book and keep it handy. A whole bunch of classics in one place, arrangements generally simple. The band I'm in has used it to reference chord progressions and lyrics on several of our songs.

Also, it is so cool to have Dix Bruce comment in this thread. To me, he is in the pantheon of mandolin greatness. Using Dix's "Teach Yourself Mandolin," I taught myself mandolin. It has all been good ever since; thanks for the years of enjoyment.

[musix]

Yo B.T.,

You are too kind. My face is as red as my shirt --- wait, I have on the blue shirt. Still!

Dix

[Duane Graves]

Hi, Coachz....I bought these two DVDs (below) a while back even though it says it is for the total beginner, don't let that fool you. That simply means that the instruction and the "how to" of jamming with other instrumentalists in terms of being courteous and starting, stopping, volume, etc is in overkill mode. But, I bought it because I can "Jam" anytime I want. It has a song book too and you can play along with the mandolinist. I think you will like both of these but I like the first url (intermediate) best.

http://www.amazon.com/Intermediate-B...d_bxgy_d_img_b

http://www.amazon.com/DVD-Bluegrass-.../dp/B000BGPL1G

[Toycona]

What a great thread. This is my 'go to' book at jams again and again. And like Dix says (sort of), you learn songs you forgot you knew, or re-learn them year after year. I especially appreciate the unadorned vocal parts on the cd's. Since it's easy to not mimic them, they allow me to make the singing parts my own when I'm singing.

Toycona

[GRW3]

I used one of his books too, the short one from Mel Bay. I knew Dix from when he taught at Camp Bluegrass. I had an idea of what to do, since I play guitar, but I saw name on this simple book and I knew it would set me straight.

BTW guys, if you don't know it, Dix has some cool 'free' stuff on his website.

[Note]

You know what you call a bluegrass song without death, disease or destruction?


An instrumental.

HA HA HA Even Ralph Stanly has a disturbing song or 2.

To the original poster, you have to remember when bluegrass started, even before it was called bluegrass. It was during hard times in America when life was all about eeking out a living day to day with no creature comforts. It was played by people who didn't realize a depression came and went in the 30s.

The most depressing story in bluegrass is Jacob's Dream. That is the only one that depresses me & seriously makes me sad. The rest tend to pick me up because at least it has emotions & not cookie cutter music.

[Beth Tibbitts]

I came in late to this discussion but would like to say I love my "Parking Lot Pickers" book (mando version) . Like Toycona said, it's my "go to" book at a local jam. I also agree that it's falling apart, but like the Velveteen Rabbit, that's because it's "well-loved." I wouldn't trade it for a new one. Too many pencil annotations, post-it notes, etc.

Thanks Dix! I have also bought other copies of the guitar and banjo versions for family members play other instruments.

...Beth

[BradKlein]

Wow, Dix Bruce. Thanks for the thoughtful and considered reply, and all the work you put in to the series. We are lucky to be part of a place where composers, performers and authors feel welcome. Best, Brad

[Duane Graves]

Hi, Dix. I, too, would like to say how yoru material helped me but with flat-picking guitar with me. Way back I bought a VHS you put out with Mel Bay I think (I'm at work...working (wink) or I could tell you exactly. Soon I need to invest in the Parking Lot Picker Song Book. Thank you for the lowdown on it. Anyway, good to hear from you. Keep up the good work. Cheers, Duane.

[Markus]

I have and like this book. A lot of songs in one place. However my copies spiral binding got bent and the pages started to fall out within a couple of weeks. I was carrying it a regular book bag. Sorry to get off the OP's question. Just wondering if any other owners had a similar issue. I would love to get something similar, but made better. Any Ideas?

Depending on the shape it's in, you might be able to get it rebound on a spiral binding or such.

I ran a print shop a few years back and grew to really hate comb binding. We produced a lot of bid materials for the building industry - comb was fine as it was cheap and a lifespan of over a year did not matter to the end user.

With mine, I had the comb-punches cut off and a spiral binding put in [plastic]. Flips pages with ease now, never opens and causes issues, and should last for years without problems. Was quite tempted to just 3-hole punch it [after trimming off the comb area before it slowly rips apart the pages] - but prefer the smaller size of spiral bound without the binder.

-- Along with the above complaint about spacing after various note lengths ... I really, really don't like the binding as my use for this is as a `reference tome' and something to have on the kitchen table while we sit and jam.

This is what it bills itself as though. It's not a mandolin instruction book - it's an outline of a tune with words so if you know it you can `get up and go' with a simple melody line and chords to give you enough of an outline. Incredibly useful as a reference work as unlike the internet it follows a standard method [and doesn't have advertisements around the edge of the page].

Sitting around at a kitchen table jam, it's a great tool. When I woodshed and want the details and every intricacy, I look to a book that's intended for that.

[Markus]

I've used page protectors and a big binder to assemble my own personal collection and it seems to wear well. You have to have a good quality binder and be careful how you turn the pages. Those plastic end pieces help. I prefer D-Ring style as it holds more without binding up when you get too many pages.

I've done this for years now. Works great as you can add and remove material as needed .... I'll bring a skinny binder over to friends with all my tunes in there [for others use] ... at a kitchen table jam, I'll have both binders with every song I've got chords/words down for [including the song handouts from my old band, music lessons, etc].

Combined with the Parking Lot Pickers book and the Fiddlers Fakebook - we could play for days

Sadly, life intrudes and we have to stop.

[Tom Glen]

Dix, thanks so much for your time and effort in providing a very useful group of books. I have the Parking Lot Pickers for Mandolin and I bought the Parking Lot Pickers for Guitar as a gift for my brother. These books are well worth the money and I highly recommend them. Tom

[Mandoviol]

I'll have to check out the Parking Lot Pickers books; sounds like a good way to learn a lot of songs (and boy I need to; I ain't high n' lonesome enough yet!). And the Toneway system is pretty nice, too.

And wow, Dix Bruce is on! Thank you so much for writing the "Teach Yourself Mandolin" book; it was the first mandolin book I started on, and I consult it regularly!