(Hmph. Why this didn't "take" when I posted it at 3am, I don't know.)

A guitar-buddy of mine in WV recommended just tooling around with preexisting songs that you like -- rearranging them, inverting the chords or the melody, changing the time signature.

Sometimes a completely new tune leaps out; I guess, sort of like how Geo. M. Cohen got Over There out of screwing around with Taps (at least according to the Cagney movie. Neat scene, even if apocryphal.)

With that approach I imagine one must tread carefully for fear of accidental plagiarism. :)

Slán,

~Fionn

www.geocities.com/children_of_lir