1. When you order an eBook, you will be taken to a new page to download it. The eBook is inside of a zip file called '.rar'. To open this package you will need the program, 7-zip. This is a free download.

   • This is the link for the 7 zip download: http://www.download.com/7-Zip/3000-2250_4-10045185.html

2. If you are using a MAC, you will need software compatible with your OS. I don't use a MAC but have been informed UnRarX will open these files. It is open source and a free download here: http://www.unrarx.com/  These are the directions on eHow: http://www.ehow.com/how_2091902_open-rar-files-mac.html
3. After you extract the book, you will want to download your play-along audio files. They are posted here: www.jaybuckey.com/play_along.htm
4. In your eBook, there will be a password to open this .rar  package. It is usually on the copyright page, three.
5. After you have extracted your files, you may want to save them to your hard drive in a new folder and play them back on your computer. That is what I like to do. Or, you may wish to create a custom practice CD. The choice is yours. If you leave the files in the .rar package, you will be prompted each time you want to open them for the password, so, you will want to extract and save the files into a separate folder.
6. All of the videos that are posted are in the DivX format. This is a compressed video file but retains a higher resolution on playback. If your media player does not play these files back properly, you will need to download the DivX codec. It is a free download at www.divx.com
7. These DivX files can be 'burned' onto a regular CD-R or DVD-R disc and can be played back on most newer set-top DVD players. If your DVD player has the 'DivX' logo on the front, it will play the disc. The advantages of using the DivX codec:
   • Smaller files and better video quality for faster downloads
   • The videos can be played back on the computer or burned to CD-R for playback on a regular TV.
8. These are two popular, free media players that work well with many different formats:
   • GOM Media Player 
   • VLC Media Player

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

How to download and use these files

From time to time I receive request from individuals that have limited knowledge of the computer, how to download these files and what to do with them. So, this is a basic and brief tutorial to help those folks understand this better.

1. Digital files come in a variety of formats. These are the four most common that I use on this web site:
   • .pdf - Sheet music and Tablature
   • .mp3 - The play along audio
   • .avi - Video
   • .rar - A package that compresses any and all of the above files.
2. Before downloading a file, it is best to create a folder on your hard drive first so that you will know where the file will be sent and be able to find it later. Here is how to create a new folder with Windows Vista:
   • Open 'My Computer'. The easiest way to do that is to hold down the windows key and lightly tap one time the 'e' key.
   • Select 'Local Disc (C:) This is usually your main hard drive. If you want to send the files to a different hard drive, simply select that hard drive. Double click 'Local Disc (C:) on the left side and the folders on that hard drive will be displayed in two windows, left and right.
   • Move your mouse pointer over 'Local Disc (C:) then right click. A new window will open. Move the mouse pointer over 'New', then left click 'folder'. A 'New Folder' will appear on the left window and will be highlighted. Now, type in a name for your new folder. Let's call it 'music'. Hit 'enter' and you have created a new folder, 'music'. If for some reason the 'New Folder' is not highlighted, place the mouse curser over 'New Folder' in the left window, then right click and select, 'rename'. Then type in the name that you want.
3. Now you are ready to send a file (audio, video or PDF sheet music). As you collect a lot of files, you may want to organize them better so that you can find all of the different files. You can create subfolders by repeating the directions above but start with the new folder, 'music'. For example, let's say that you would like two more folders, one for your mp3s and one for your PDF tablatures.
   • Right click the 'music' folder that you've created, move the mouse over 'new' and left click 'folder'. This time a new folder is created inside (sub folder) the 'music' folder you created above. Right click this new folder and select 'rename' using, let's say, 'mp3.
   • Do this one more time and create another folder inside the 'music' folder and call it 'PDF' or 'tablature' or what ever name works best for you. Now you will have a 'music' folder with two sub folders inside called, 'mp3' and 'PDF'. You can then send each file to it's respective folder.
4. Now, let's download a couple files to these new folders. Below are two sample files to experiment with. One is the PDF tablature and the other is the play along audio file. We will download and send each of these to the new folders, 'mp3' and 'PDF'.

   • harvest_home_mandolin_mp3

   • harvest_home_mandolin_pdf

   • Place the the mouse cursor over the mp3 file. The cursor will change from an 'arrow' to a 'small hand' (or something similar depending on how your computer is set up).
   • Right click the file and then left click, ' Save Target As...
   • A new window will open. In the lower left hand of this window, click on the small blue arrow pointing down that says, 'Browse Folder'. Another window will open and you will see a small version of your hard drive including 'Local Disc (C:)' Scroll down and look below 'Local Disc (C:) and you will see the new folder you created earlier, 'music'. There is a small arrow next to the 'music' folder. This means there is one or more folders inside of it. Click that arrow and the two sub folder we created, 'mp3' and 'PDF' will display.
   • Left click the 'mp3' folder then left click 'save'. The mp3 file will now be downloaded into the 'mp3' folder.
   • When the file has downloaded in the 'mp3' folder, you can then play it back by going back into 'My Computer' (see #2 above)
   • Repeat each of these steps for the other file(s).
   • You can, of course, create any style of folder and system to keep all of your files organized. Generally, I like to keep the audio files, pdf tablatures and videos separate. Is some cases, I create folders with the song title and then put all of the files together with that song. The choice is yours.
5. Now that you have the file download and you can find it, what can you do with it?
   • A PDF file can be printed on your printer. PDF is an adobe acrobat file. Most computers come with the reader installed and all you need to do is double left click it and the file will open. If for some reason you do not have this program installed on your computer, you can download the reader for free at www.adobe.com .
   • The mp3 audio files can be played back on a computer using a media player. A common one is Windows Media Player. Another that is popular is Winamp. A good website for music software like this is www.hitsquad.com
   • Another popular was to play these audio files is with a portable player like Ipod. Read your manufactures directions on how to download these files from your computer to your portable player.
   • Yet, another way to play these files is to burn them to a CDR to be played back on a CD player. Popular software to do this is Roxio, Nero and others. You may want to check hitsquad web to see what the latest FREE CD burning software is available. Of course, you will need a CD burner installed in your computer to make the CD.
   • How to 'burn' an audio CD (for those over 40 :)
     1. I use Roxio Creator 2009 since it's simple an effective. Buy a copy, install it and launch the program.
     2. The start up screen will offer many options; select 'Music-Audio'.
     3. Under the 'Create' section, select 'Burn AUDIO CDs'. (Don't make the mistake of selecting the DATA button. This will only burn the files to the CD-R and they won't play back on a standard audio CD player)
     4. Near the top of the next screen, click on the button with the Green Cross that says, 'Add Files'.
     5. At the top of the next window, click on 'Look In' to find the audio file(s) that you want to add to the CD. Select the file and click 'Open'. The file will be added to the CD project. To add more songs, repeat the above.
     6. To move the song to the beginning of the playlist or the end, select the file, then click on the blue arrows at the top to move the file up or down the play list.
     7. When everything looks OK, insert a blank CD-R then click the green 'Go' button in the lower left corner. There will be a 'progress' icon showing as the CD is created. When it is finished, the computer should eject it automatically.
     8. If for some reason, all of this fails, you may want to ask your 14 year old son or daughter for some help. They are experts in this field :)
6. When the download includes many files combined together, I package them up into a .rar file. A .rar file a compressed package of many files making it easier to download these over the Internet. The eBook is a .rar file. You will need 7-zip software (see above) to open these packages. Again, create a folder using the steps above to keep the files organized.
7. Video files (.avi) are very large. The video segments can be 15 more minutes long. A file this size is usually somewhere between 400 and 500 megabytes. This is usually to large to download as a single unit. So, when I package these, the original file will be split into smaller segments, usually under 100 megabytes. Download ALL of the separate segments of the video into one folder on your hard drive before attempting to open them. When all of the files are downloading into a single folder, double left click the first part and each of the segments will open in succession and join the original file back together as one.

Of course, in time and with practice, the procedures to download files will become second nature to you.