Help: Why no chords in Digitrad?

Subject: Why no chords in Digitrad?
From: GUEST,Tom
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 06:34 AM

Is there a particular reason no chords are posted with the lyrics in Digitrad? I tried a search for past threads on this but couldn't find one. Thanks, Tom

Subject: RE: Help: Why no chords in Digitrad?
From: English Jon
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 07:55 AM

Partly, It might be that not every key suits everyone's voice. Also you get variations in arrangements of the same song. It'd all be a bit dull if we all played exactly the same way. It would probably be a good thing to include I IV V7 etc, as guidelines, but if you can read the bloody things that fast, you probably don't need them! Probably best thing to do is post a request for chords of a particular song if you're stuck. Somebody out there will know it!

Have fun...

English Jon

Subject: RE: Help: Why no chords in Digitrad?
From: MMario
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 08:54 AM

And there ARE chords posted with some of the songs.

Subject: RE: Help: Why no chords in Digitrad?
From: Snuffy
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 09:19 AM

What's in the database is what people have sent in. Some send chords, or tunes or a few notes about the history of the song or performer. But most entries are just the words. The folks who run Mudcat are far too overworked already to have any time to look for chords for songs submitted without them.

This is basically a lyrics site, with tunes and chords as optional extras. I suppose there must be other sites devoted to the various folk instruments out there in cyberspace. As I can only sing one note at a time, I've never gone looking for them, and find it a bit of a nuisance having to edit chords out of the few songs here that have them. But I'm sure some of the great people here will be able to show you where to go. Good luck.

Subject: RE: Help: Why no chords in Digitrad?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 11:34 AM

here's a definite reason for no chords in DigiTrad (except for the few that someone else submitted). There is no such thing as a "right" chord in a song. I'm exceptionally weary of having people tell me, "Oh you're using the wrong chord"; I'd much rather have folks try things for themselves. If you're totally chord-challanged, there's a nice sharewarer program called ABCMUS which will set chords to any of the songs in DigiTrad. It has a "strangeness" control for picking a level of chord complexity from 0 to 100.

I recommend personal experimentation, and perhaps a bit of theory study.

Subject: RE: Help: Why no chords in Digitrad?
From: radriano
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 11:53 AM

Right on, Dick!

There is more than one chordal interpretation for any particular song. Not to mention that some of us also like to sing a cappella. And I often find that the chords printed in music books are not that accurate anyway.

Richard

Subject: RE: Help: Why no chords in Digitrad?
From: Blackcatter
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 11:54 AM

Also - from what I've seen is that most people here are looking for lyrics because they are already familiar with the tune/chords.

Also, many people here don't play chords - nothing against guitarists, they are a wonderful breed in general - but there are a whole bunch of fiddles, flutes, voices, harps tin whistles, etc. here. The band I play with doesn't even use a guitar, and less thatn half of us even read music. All we need is a basic tune and the lyrics and we're on our way!

pax yall

Subject: RE: Help: Why no chords in Digitrad?
From: GUEST,Tom
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 12:32 PM

Well, thanks folks. I guess I just didn't run across the tunes that did have chords with them.

I surely would not expect the people that run Mudcat to go find chords for all thoses tunes.

I didn't think I'd elicit such apparently strong feelings on this question. It's just that sometimes I find a tune that I'm not real familar with and it helps me to re-learn it if I know there may be, for example, a minor chord thrown in here or there. I agree that not all chords posted are "correct" and we don't all play or sing them in the posted key or should.

Thanks for your responses. "Chord fetish" Tom

Subject: RE: Help: Why no chords in Digitrad?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 12:54 PM

Hi, Tom - don't be taken aback. You'll find that we're very happy to help with chords. All ya gotta do is ask for chords on a specific song, and somebody will probably jump in and give you suggestions.
Dick Greenhaus, who posted above, is the curator of the Digital Tradition, so he's the guy who makes policy.
I don't really play an instrument, but I find that chords are helpful for fooling around with a song. I learned how to use ABCMUS to add chords to the DigiTrad tunes. It works very well.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Help: Why no chords in Digitrad?
From: MMario
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 01:03 PM

Tom - there are quite a few sites "out there" that do post chords with lyrics - some sites even tell you what key they are playing the song in - and if using a capo or not.

In fact - I would say (judging by my experience in the last couple years) that chords are much easier to find then is the basic melody. Chords are also much easier in some ways to be posted (formatting can be a problem - but there are ways around that)

As others have said - ASK! Most likely someone will have an answer. or three.

Subject: RE: Help: Why no chords in Digitrad?
From: Blackcatter
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 05:48 PM

Yes Tom

Feel free to ask - the Mudcat is full of opinionated persons, but there are as many people around here who are knowledgable in just about any subject you want to know about. (sometimes even music!)

pax yall