Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat

Subject: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: thespionage
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 07:35 PM

How about, in addition to lyrics, having a chords section on Mudcat? Or, if there is, where is it?

I was just trying to figure out the Weavers' (with Erik Darling) version of Woody Guthrie's "Jackhammer John" and, unless there is some chord outside of the I, IV, V, that I am unable to see, I can't figure out what's going on. Nothing sounds perfectly right on guitar or banjo. What do you think?

Russ
Practitioner of Thespionage and Folk Music

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: wysiwyg
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 07:44 PM

Chords are sometimes to be found in individual threads. Do a Mudcat Search on the song title and look around, you may find some, or you can always start a thread asking for chord help on a specific song. The thing is, chord preferences are such an individual thing, so people will usually figure out the arrangement THEY like.

Cowpie has chords for a lot of songs, but it's mostly country.

~S~

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: late 'n short 2
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 10:50 AM

Not being able to figure out chords on my own, I've asked for help in the forum for specific songs. While not all of my requests have been answered the response has generally been good. I guess it depends on how many other folks are interested in the same song.

You can always do a "google" search by song title making sure to include chords in your request. But as WYSIWYG says, unless you hit on a piece of sheet music that has original chords, you may wind up with someone elses's version that doesn't quite work for you. You can also just "google" for "guitar chords" and then search individual hits for what you're looking for.

Dan

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: Amos
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 11:00 AM

The long hard answer is to learn what chords are and how they are built and compare to melody. Then you have a deeper grasp of why things flow the way they do in a song and working out how the chord progression supports that seems more nachrl. I ain't done this myself, you understand, but it's a good theoretical answer.

A

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: thespionage
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 12:33 PM

Amos, I understand chord structure. I was merely suggesting that, since Mudcat already has a lyrics section, and there are so few sites that features a great deal of the music in which we are interested, that they feature a chord section as well.

Of course everything is interpretation. In the OFFICIAL companion to Billy Joel's songs, "Just the Way You Are" is transcribed incorrectly.

I just thought I'd make a request.

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: DonMeixner
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 01:11 PM

Hi Thespionage,

I have wondered about "chords in songs requests" for years. Get prepared for a whole lot of musical philosophy.

I don't think that the philosophical answers about "Chords being not carved in stone" and "What is your interpretation of the song" holds any water. I think the real deal is folksingers are lazy and just don't want to take the time to install some chords.

Your question was straight ahead, I wish I could help you out. Eventually someone in the forum will help. In the meantime, try a few alternate tunings like drpping an E string down to D on the bass side. Look for the odd out of key tricks like a Bb played in the key of C or an F played in the key of G.

Don

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: Cluin
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 01:45 PM

Chords section? That's the kind of thing that got OLGA shut down. Specific chord requests are often made and answered here. Just takes a little effort in searching or some patience in waiting.

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: M.Ted
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 01:55 PM

I just listened to the cut--it is, I think in, D--and it is a pretty straight forward I-IV-V song, but they have jazzed it up a bit by sliding down a half step in one place and up a half step in another--

Try these chords, just play two downstrokes (enthusiastically) for each letter--for the C#7, just slide The open D-position you're using down a half step and lift up your middle finger, and for the Bb, just slide up your A7 fingering up a half step--Don't worry bout the bass notes--

||D D/D 7 D7/G G/GG/

D C#7/D D/A7 Bb7/A7 A7

D D/D 7 D7/G G/GG/

D C#7/D D/A7 Bb7/DD||


You don't really need the C#7 or the Bb7(and, yes, it probably should be called an A#7) but they add a nice bit of tonal color, and they are good for people who get nervous if they don't change chords often enough--

Oh, and thanks for reminding me of a great song!

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: Amos
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 02:13 PM

Thesp:

Don't misunderstand me -- I think your request is a good one. NOI.


A

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: M.Ted
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 02:54 PM

OLGA wasn't actually "shut down", the folks that ran it were unclear about their legal standing, and they pulled the plug all on their own until the legal issues were clarified (there were a whole bunch of lawyers that volunteered their services to fight the good fight, but never got the chance)--though the original site was shut down,and no further submissions were posted, everything moved over to Renegade Olga, which, as of now, is still there.

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: Jim Tailor
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 03:08 PM

WYSIWYG is right -- you can find lots of chord charts within individual threads for songs. Another way to find them is to click on names of oft-contributors to chord threads -- like MTed above. He's posted DOZENS of chord charts.

Like Don, I've always thought it a worthwhile addition.

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: M.Ted
Date: 24 Jan 05 - 07:09 PM

And, Thespionage, anyone that plays Woody Guthrie tunes and Billy Joel tunes is my kind of person---

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: Terry K
Date: 25 Jan 05 - 01:05 PM

I've still got OLGA - how does that work if it's been shut down?

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: GUEST,John in Brisbane
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 09:26 AM

I'm going to go away and have a good think about this one. I've written a few Mudcat Primers over the last years, but this one is a toughie. If you have a MIDI or ABC of the tune there are PC based programs to help (to some extent) or you need a modicum of music knowledge to work the chords out from first principles. If anyone knows of any existing websites I'd be keen to have a look. My past searches have found me material which is way out of the reach of the average folkie.

And yes, I agree entirely about including chords wherever possible with the lyrics. Unfortunately there's a few thousand songs here without any chords.

The Super Search facility is out of action at the moment, but I couldn't find any lyrics or tune for the song in question in the downloaded DT?

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 09:38 AM

well - we got several thousand lyrics in the DT and Forum with no TUNES let alone chords. (see the Great Tune Hunt thread if you want to help correct this situation)

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: DonMeixner
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 05:01 PM

I recently made a promise to myself never to post lyrics to songs I play without posting the chords. I have asked a number of people over the years for chords and most often someone has them and posts chords to a verse and chorus. I always thank those folks. I see no reason unless there are legal reasons not to add the chords to songs with in the data base. Yup it is time consuming and I would help.

I imagine we will hear from many people that we have incorrect chords to songs as they know them. I imagine that will always be the case. But the chords aren't for people who know how to play a song, they are there for the people who don't. If the database has the chords to "Keys to The Highway" by Sonnie Terry and Brownie Magee and I want to learn the song as played by Duane Allman at least I'll have a reference point to start from.

Don

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: M.Ted
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 05:06 PM

I never heard a song yet that couldn't be played with an alternate set of chords--

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: Jim Tailor
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 05:18 PM

...and many's the time I've posted the chords to a song, only to have someone post an alternative (often MTed), after which we both walk away happy, having just learned a usually very cool alternate way to play something -- or, just as fun, having an old flame of a song rekindled for the both of us.

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: DonMeixner
Date: 26 Jan 05 - 05:22 PM

Hi M.Ted

So..... You are saying we shouldn't post chords?
(I still will of course.)

Don

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: M.Ted
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 02:28 PM

No, on the contrary, I think that you should always post chords, even if someone else has posted slightly different ones--in some cases, especially when you are playing guitar, even simply changing the key can completely change the way the song sounds, so I, at least, am always eager to know what you've got--

Subject: RE: Guitar, banjo (or any) Chords on Mudcat
From: DonMeixner
Date: 27 Jan 05 - 02:56 PM

Ah, we too are in agreement.