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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Posts by James McCormick
Thanks Roger & Old Doll!
This wee song has made for much Mother's Day jubilation in our household.
"The Mighty Mojo" has now extended his empire to my 'Songs for Human and Autoharp' page on MyPace Music.
Hear it here . . .
http://www.myspace.com/r200james
I have been racking my brains for a Mother's Day song idea . . . nothing seemed very promising until I realized that my wife's Pug would be the perfect voice for a song. Like most Pug owners, my wife is bonkers for her dog - and the dog is likewise totally devoted to her.
So . . . . Happy Mother's Day, y'all . . .
Hi Rgivens_10 & welcome to chordie!
I have put many of my songs here on chordie's Songwriting forum. I am not worried about anybody 'stealing' my songs. I put recordings of some of them on a MySpace Music page. Some other chordie users have done me the high honor of recording their own versions of some of my songs.
I don't worry about anybody 'stealing' my songs. Actually, one could argue this whole site (and all such 'tab' sites on the web) are full of 'stolen' songs. If somebody were to take one of my compositions and somehow get filthy stinking rich on it, I would certainly want some piece of the action . . . but I am not holding my breath waiting for that to happen.
If you are really scared of somebody stealing your stuff, don't put it up on the web. But if you want to share some of your creations and enjoy the lively chatter of a forum such as this then please feel free to share.
Pardon me now while I put my latest original song on the Songwriting forum . . . James
Great story, great article . . . this is excellent exposure.
I gave up playing bass years ago because a left thumb injury (stupid bicycle wreck) made it painful to hold the neck. Now, I want to find a left-handed bass and see if I can't get my mojo back!
Yes, Happy Mother's Day!
Having a loving and supportive mother is so essential. My mother died 16 years ago (also of a brain tumor - or actually, from complications arising from surgery to remove the tumor). My mother also loved to sing.
She met my dad when he was hired to be the choirmaster her family's church in Arlington, Virginia. It was a side job for him while he was a tuba player in the U.S. Army Band in Washington, D.C. So, music is a family tradition.
My mom was really a fascinating individual, but I did not realize it until I was old enough to start seeing her as a person and not just as 'Mom'. I think of her every day.
Hello mrjersn & welcome to chordie!
To add songs to your songbook, first log in (seems obvious, but it's best to start at the beginning).
Next, find a song in chordie's index that you fancy (shouldn't be too difficult).
Go to that song and now look down the right side of the screen (below the transposing gizmo, and scroll gizmo, and fontsize gizmo, ads by Google, the rating gizmo, etc.).
There is a little space there that says "Songbook - Add" (or some such phrase). Click this thingy and the song is now in your songbook. Sometimes (rarely) some of these "Add" gizmos get covered by advertising stuff - I think this may depend on the browser you are using.
Having stuff in your songbook makes it easier to find. It also makes it easier to edit the song and make improvements to your tastes - simply open the song using the little green 'edit' button at the end of song's listing.
Also, you can create new songbooks and name them whatever you choose. I have several songbooks each containing stuff that seems to fit togither (in my mind at least). Songs can also be moved or copied from one songbook to another.
Hope this helps . . . James
Thanks, daddycool & Roger!
This song is near & dear to my heart - sort of a manifesto of manly maturity.
Roger, it has been just over a year since your gentle urgings finally compelled me to 'gear up' and start recording my songs. I have learned much, but still have much more to learn.
The mysteries of multi-track recordings still elude me - mostly because I find it difficult to hold a steady rhythm . . . as always, practice, practice, practice is the only real answer.
Hello, Old Doll!
I have taken liberties with your song - please pardon if the chord placement is not correct.
Lovely song about a topic that is anything but poetic . . . We have all seen too many hindered by excesses of alcohol, drugs, etc.
Sorry to hear of your ill-health of late. Good wishes are wafting towards from here! James
Here's one that is purposely 'bad'. But, they are SO bad as to be strangely 'good'.
"Royal Jelly" is in the style of Bob Dylan by Dan Byrne (great songwriter!) and was one of several he did for the mockumentery film "Walk Hard".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eyrgH8doV8
This site is a riot!
I suspect the idea was hatched over beers and scrawled onto a bar napkin.
Assembling the database of words must have been a hoot.
Thanks for the link! James
Go, Cytania, Go!
You're gonna have a blast!
Hi, Greendale!
And a belated welcome to chordie! Look forward to seeing (and hearing) more of your stuff.
James
Wow, Russell - - - beautifully written & produced & performed. Great lyric.
Someday, I will take the plunge into multitrack recording but my efforts so far have been frustrating. Hearing your stuff makes we want to keep working at it - eventually, I hope to have an 'Aha Moment' when everything finally clicks into place.
Very very nice, Jeff. It's strange what we remember - bits & snatches of stuff from childhood that perhaps at that moment didn't seem very memorable but nonetheless have lived on as vivid reminders of when we were young.
Quite lovely, daddycool . . . I can feel it and hear it and smell it.
You have painted an exquisite portrait!
I have just posted a recording of this potbellied waltz to my "Songs for Human and Autoharp" page at MySpace Music. As always - a gloriously raw & flawed recording!
Please hear it here:
http://www.myspace.com/r200james
Jets - it's been almost 2 years since I originally posted this lyric, so you are now even closer to your 'geezerly years'.)
Yes! Gold stars for both of you!
I would have also accepted an answer of, "the positive square root of the second moment" but only if you have a favorite pocket protector (just for formal occasions).
Southpaw, I have been pre-occupied with work & stuff. I'm getting all geared up to teach a 3-week intensive Stats course and trying to get this semester squared away. So, I have been a very dull boy lately. On a positive note, I can now see one part of the top of my desk - other zones on my desk still contain unexplored strata that may have archeological significance.
Got a couple of promising songs in the pipeline and hope to get back to a regular routine soon.
Hello jsn37! The world needs more songs about Statistics! I would love to see the chords along with this lyric.
I hypothesize that you might actually be one of my students? I see your email is at msstate.edu, so perhaps you are taking my final exam today . . . . don't worry, the exam has been tested on several groups of lab rats and there have been minimal fatalities.
By the way - what IS a standard deviation? James
Greetings fellow Chordians! I have been way too busy with work lately, but just took a few minutes to record "If Uma Moved to Starkville".
Please give it a listen . . .
http://www.myspace.com/r200james
James
Very well said tonydr & johncross21. The term "Flange" or "Flanging" goes way back to the days of reel-to-reel tape recorders. Back then, the effect was created by mixing sound from 2 different tapes that had been recorded simultaneously.
When these two signals were mixed to a third tape, they would slow one of the tapes a little bit by simply putting their finger on the edge (or flange) of one of the tape reels. This little lag would create interesting echoes.
Here is an interesting little article in Wikipedia about the flange effect:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flanger
Thanks, Ukulalay! Glad you like it!
I just posted a 'raw & flawed' recording of 'Until I Googled You' to my "Songs for Human and Autoharp" page on MySpace Music:
http://www.myspace.com/r200james
Now, it's off to work . . .
I have been way too busy with work lately so I have not had time to keep up with recent postings.
I intend to catch up in the next couple of days and read all the many new songs that have been posted.
Wow! Lots of new stuff to enjoy . . .
Here is an upbeat little country/folk sort of song that I will record soon.
Hello again chordie. We have had no internet at home for a few days - bummer.
The technicians came and got us fixed this morning - hooray!
I have just posted a recording of 'Shopping Cart Cowboys' to my myspace music page:
http://www.myspace.com/r200james
I tried to include some yodeling as suggested, but it sounded way too scary!
Hi kjohney,
I agree that hearing your own voice through a recording can be rude awakening - don't be discouraged. Since the human voice is a fretless instrument, it takes some practice to get it to work right.
Here are some tips that can help:
Breathe from the gut - you need air to support the sound. Relax and learn to get a full tank of air to sing with. Trying to sing without enough air results in screeching and off-key tones.
Sing long tones - work on producing a steady tone. Doesn't have to loud, just clear and long and steady. Once you have steadied the tone you can work on building volume. You should be able to feel resonance in your head once the tone is clear. Again, sufficient air is necessary.
Sing arpeggios (chords with notes played one at a time) to get your throat limbered up. Your voice box is a muscle that needs to be strengthened to sing. Also sing 'roller coasters' and let the tone go way up and way down smoothly and slowly like a siren.
Don' be too critical of yourself - every voice is unique.
James
Yeah, I guess that was harsh . . . I live in a tiny town with a major university and many people here are absolutely sports crazy. I just don't get it.
Each day, wonderful things are happening at the university; researchers are discovering new scientific truths, students are acquiring knowledge and experience, artists are creating and honing their skills, people are actually thinking and learning.
But, to many people all that matters is if a group of inarticulate scholarship behemoths can demonstrate their hand-eye coordination skills better than another group of behemoths from another school.
The big-money sports (football and men's basketball) are played mostly by individuals who "major" in make-believe subjects and then if they actually graduate they are qualified to do nothing. Meanwhile, the coaches and athletic directors and broadcasters are making big money over and under the table.
Sorry, but I just can't get all excited about it . . .
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Posts by James McCormick
