TubeNet

I have the original Fake Book from 30 years ago and also a better printed version from around 20 years ago, but they are not in my present home, and I am not all too happy with reading music from paper for eye reasons.

I need some chord progressions and seeing the tunes wouldn’t hurt either.

Just saw this on the web:

http://www.realbooksoftware.com/

and wondered if there are somebody here knowing if it is worthwhile.

One aspect being whether it is legal. It would be no fun importing a DVD and having it confiscated by the custom authorities.

Klaus

I have not heard of this... but it looks like someone typed a book's worth of changes into Band in a Box. I have an older version of BIAB( v12), which uses MIDI sounds only, and the pno/bass/drums sound pretty good. Everything else is rather hokey and fake sounding. The saxes are particularly hideous. The latest version of BIAB sounds very real because they recorded many measures of real instruments playing, and knit them together in styles with intelligent variations.

If someone can get past the blathering sales pitch, and send in the $97 and tell us about it, I suspect it would end up being a really nice little program that puts a combo in your practice room. Or, you could just buy Band in a Box and type in the tunes you're learing yourself.

I recently got a pirate version of BIAB v.12 and really like it. Don't fret over copyright ethics, because I am seriously thinking about buying the latest version now, just like the tunes I download on Limewire lead me to buy the CD.

Don't forget all the recordings of the original tunes the Real Book is based on. The sales pitch isn't overblowing the value of those.

Some people really like this:

"iReal Book 3.0 for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad."

Quote:
• 900 songs included.
• Each Song can be transposed to any key.
• New! Player that creates play along accompaniments for all the library songs and properly formatted user created songs.
• Each chord sheet fits on one screen, no need to scroll.
• Create multiple editable playlists.
• Create new song charts or edit existing ones with the build-in editor.
• Share individual songs or playlists with other iOS iReal Book users.
• Share printable versions of individual songs via email.
• Eb, Bb, F and G transpositions for horn players.
• Choice of ‘m’ or – symbols for minor chords.
• Scrollable landscape mode with extra large font.
• Custom colored themes.
• Swipe to next/previous song.
• Option to disable screen auto-lock.
• In app access to Forums where users can freely download and upload music charts. (the Forums currently include a large selection of extra songs in various styles).

Very helpful and quite portable.

Roger

the iReal Book has saved my butt MANY times. Many. (that and Google for the random trad tune)

some... um... hardcore (read: bitter) "jazz" guys LOVE to play the: "hey man, do you know such and such a tune?" game on the bandstand (well knowing full well that you dont)
You can stealthily use your phone and no "jazzer" will be the wiser.

There are phone/pad apps also at http://www.realbook.us/" target="_blank but seem to be different ways to view the chart, rather than the BiB method of hearing them also.