Chords from CD

Subject: Chords from CD
From: GUEST,HeatherM
Date: 11 Dec 05 - 09:45 PM

I'm a music ed. major trying to arrange several sea songs for a French Horn choir. Yeah, I know that's a weird choice but it's my instrument! I don't have sheet music for these songs, I'm working from Recordings. Any ideas on the best way for me to get the cords from a particular passage? I'm about trial and errored out.

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 12:40 AM

hmmm...you say these songs are on CD? and you want the chords? I assume you've done a search for the music and couldn't come up with the chords?

There are devices that slow the music down...would that help?

Tascam makes an item that captures a sample and slows down music by as much as 50% without changing the pitch - and loops it overe and over for you...there's also software that does the same thing, except with virtually no limit to how slow you can go, but I'm kind of an analog guy so someone else will hopefully tell you about that ...if this is a tack that will work for you.

The Tascam item is primarily for guitar (although there is one for vocals I think...but the guitar one should work for you) ..it's called Tascam CD-GT1 (there's a newer model out too now, but I don't know what it's called - a quick google didn't turn up anything for me) ...

It would involve matching the melody or harmony note for note by ear with your instrument ...at least that's the way I use it. I've transcribed guitar passages this way. There is also a pitch variation control that varies the pitch of the sample of music by a few cents with each setting... good if you want to play in a different key (or transcribe too I suppose, although obviously you could transcribe by hand without doing this).   

Good luck, hope this has been of some help. If not, someone else will surely come along with a better idea.

Akai makes a similar device called a "Riff-O-Matic" (stupidest name on the planet) ...you have to plug a CD player into it though (the Tascam item has the player built in) ...and it is limited in the amount of music it can capture at one time for slowdown (13-26 seconds, approximately. The Tascam item can loop any sample length)... it has a neat feature the Tascam doesn't have though... a "hold" feature that captures a note at a time. You capture one note, transcribe it, capture the next ..etc. You lose the rhythm that way, but if you can remember how it goes in your head you can write that down as you go along ...or just write the "dots" and add the stems and flags later ...

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 01:51 AM

If you post what songs, someone here may know the chords. I've also got a brother who would be able to tell, probably, but he'd, of course, have to hear the sound files.

kat

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 07:58 AM

How soon do you need them?

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: GUEST,Heather
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 08:44 PM

The song is called "Song for a Seafarer."

Time frame is a month or so.

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: GUEST,Heather
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 08:45 PM

And, I apologize for the misspellings in the initial post, that was actually my mother posting it. :)

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: M.Ted
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 10:52 PM

If you're a music ed major, you ought to be able to knock off a lead sheet yourself--and part of writing an arrangement is working out your own chords--

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: Peace
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 11:18 PM

Is there any place to hear the mp3?

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: Peace
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 11:26 PM

I found one but can't get it to open.

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 11:32 PM

Certainly, and I have an arrangement with my own chords. I'm simply interested in what chords they used, as I liked the sound of them and cannot quite seem to get them right.

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: M.Ted
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 11:34 PM

If you're a music ed major, you ought to be able to write out a lead sheet yourself--pencil in whatever kind of chords you want. Sea songs for french horns is perfectly reasonable--

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: Peace
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 11:34 PM

Could you post where to hear it at?

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Dec 05 - 12:04 AM

If you scroll down a bit, there is a short clip of the Johnson Girls singing it HERE.

kat

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: Nick
Date: 13 Dec 05 - 09:32 AM

There is a little bit at the bottom of this page which says 'get in touch to see if there is any sheet music' and there is an mp3 here

From a picture on the site I would guess she composed it at the piano so you might find it easier to find the chords on the same instrument.

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: GUEST,Heather
Date: 13 Dec 05 - 09:53 AM

Quote:<>

Yes, and I have. I am simply also interested in the chords that they used. Call it professional curiosity.

And yes, it is reasonable - The original post was my mother posting in my name.

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: GUEST,Heather
Date: 13 Dec 05 - 09:55 AM

Nick, thank you for the link. I emailed the owner of the a week or so ago.

I have used the piano to try, thanks.

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: M.Ted
Date: 13 Dec 05 - 05:20 PM

Just to make sure, is the file that Nick links to above, which is apparently Jan Harmon--the version that you want the chords for? In F minor? (Well, it's not really F minor, it uses a modal scale mode of one sort or another--but it revolves around an F minor chord--One tends to think it is really an Em capoed--

I come up with this:

Fm Fm/Eb Fm/Fm Fm/ Eb Eb/
Fm Fm/C# C#/ Eb Eb/Eb Eb/
Fm Eb / Fm Fm/Fm Fm/--

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: M.Ted
Date: 13 Dec 05 - 05:26 PM

That C# should probably be called a Db--

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: Nick
Date: 13 Dec 05 - 06:46 PM

I'd go for capo at first fret but hear it very slightly differently on the last line

Intro:
Em (with an F# on the top in the intro) D Em

Em D Em
Em D
Em C D
C D Em

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: M.Ted
Date: 13 Dec 05 - 09:18 PM

You are very likely right, Nick(though I think she does it differently the first couple times through)--it takes a bit of listening to figure which are full chords and which are just added bass notes--at first, I was wanting to stick Ab in there a couple places(G if you're in E minor) but she doesn't seem to use it--it would make it a bit more interesting, though--the chords are simple enough, hearing them is the problem, as the guitar doesn't come through very clearly in the recording--

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Dec 05 - 05:59 AM

My first thought was that it was Em - Bm - Em but I agree with you it's D when played. I reckon it's in standard tuning as well but might be wrong.

I tell you one strange thing though - looking at the words definitely suggested it was going to be that sort of a tune. It reminded me of Cruel Sister in content of verses and various other things which have the Am - G - Em family of chords so it was amusing to find it actually sounded a bit like that!

It's also a little bit like a favourite song of the moment called Strong Winds for Autumn by Bob McNeill which I heard Emily Smith sing recetly and really liked (sorry - thread drifting)

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 14 Dec 05 - 10:34 AM

Well, Heather, you've gone and got me all intrigued,but I can't get Jan's mp3 to play. I have Windows Media Player, which ought to work, so I think the problem is at Jan's site.

Judging from the comments of others, I guess that the recording is simply a voice plus a guitar. If the chords that MTed and Nick suggest do not seem right to you, then perhaps the difficulty in finding the chords occurs because the piano is in equal temperament and the recording is not.

In the meantime, I think that playing sea shanties on the French horn is an excellent idea. Right range, right warm tone. I also applaud you for bringing traditional music into the lives of more people.

there's a French horn player in our church choir, and through her playing I have come to appreciate its beauty and versatility.

Subject: RE: Chords from CD
From: M.Ted
Date: 14 Dec 05 - 12:59 PM

Leeneia,

I downloaded my copy of the file from the Jan Harmon site, so the file and the site are good, or were yesterday. A lot of files that won't play in Windows Media Player(even when they are supposed to) will play in other programs--so just open it up in something else--

The recording is live, the guitar is difficult to hear because it is overshadowed by the voice--I actually used a keyboard to work out the chords, then checked them on guitar, the intonation in the recording is dead on--and yes, it did remind me of Cruel Sister--Now, after we've done all this work, will Heather come back?