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Hello again Albertocheets,
Sorry the explanation above did not satisfy.  Here is another angle on what an augmented chord is:
In the song you are learning, the chord progression is G - Gaug - C.
In this case the Gaug is used as a way of making the transition from G to C more 'interesting'.

Here are the notes in each chord:
G =       G B D
Gaug =  G B D#
C =        C E G

This series of chords has a nice chromatic (1/2 step) sequence (D, D#, E).
This little line of notes is subtle, but it makes for a very pleasing effect.
Augmented chords are often used like this.
Alone, augmented chords sound a little 'off', but used between 'regular' chords they work nicely.

As Roger Guppy pointed out, the song was originally composed by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.  These two composed mostly at the piano.  Consequently, they often use chords that may seem unusual to guitarists.

Hi (0)==#paranormal guitar (& welcome back to chordie!),

I am not an expert, but I like to write songs.
For what it's worth, here is my take on this often-asked question:

Do it every day.  Invest some quality time each day to working with your song ideas.  Do it when you feel like it - and especially do it when you don't feel like it.  Creating anything takes a little inspiration and a whole lot of perspiration.  Practice being creative every day . . . song writing takes some real effort.

Keep it simple . . . the basic structure of a song is not very complex.
Focus on a couple of simple verses and a chorus.

Keep your ears and eyes open - there are song ideas everywhere if you practice seeing and hearing them.  Jot down phrases, sights, anything that seems interesting.  Anything that sparks your imagination can be the spark for a song.

Songs are a great way to convey simple or small ideas - if you want to tackle complex issues, write a book.

Have lots of ideas that you can play with in a notebook.  Occasionally, a song will spring forth from start to finish in one sitting - however, most songs take some time to ripen.  If one idea is not working - then, just try another idea.

Once you have an idea that seems promising, ponder it and try to see it from many different angles . . . let your imagination go on a flight of fancy. 

A great way to limber up your lyrical imagination is to take a simple song you like and write some new words for the melody.  Simply borrow the melody and chords and supply your own words.

Probably, most of what you create will be 'gravel'.  However, eventually you will create a 'gem'.  Don't expect that every song will be a gem.

Hope this helps,  James

Hi G S E,
Yep - volume is an issue.  Since the soundbox is rather tiny and the strings are relatively short, there just isn't a lot of sound produced (compared to guitar).  Oscar-Schmidt makes models with pre-installed pick-ups, but I can't afford a whole new instrument.

Try this - a Lavalier mic (one of those little lapel-clip gizmos).
The player wears it on their chest so that it is pressed up against the back of the instrument.
Seems strange, but this is what many professional autoharpists use.
A little experimentation is needed to find the sweet spot.

Of course, the autoharp needs strap buttons - easily installed.  I use a guitar strap that I shortened by sewing part of it together.  The strap just goes just around my neck (not across my back).

Basic Lavalier mics are not too expensive ($40 US).  Presently, I am saving up for a slightly nicer one that also has a USB fitting for jacking directly into my computer.  I'll let you know how it works.

Hi kbrassel & welcome to chordie!

Any Mac is a good Mac - particularly for recording music.  The latest Mac operating system is awesome. 

I believe all Macs now come bundled with the iLife software which includes GarageBand.  GarageBand is great for recording real instruments and also has tons of built-in synthetic instruments plus a vast array of effects.  You can also do sophisticated editing and multi-track mixing on GarageBand.

If you are into making videos, the iLife suite also has video editing software that blends seamlessly with GarageBand.

For recording music, I would suggest a 'Snowball' mic from a company named Blue.  This is a USB device that plugs right into your computer and has 3 different sensitivity settings for different recording situations.  Costs about $100 US, and there is no need to purchase additional hardware.

Congratulations on heading off to college.  Get the best computer you can afford and it will serve you well during your time at school - Macintosh computers are trouble-free and easy to use.  Hope this helps,  James

Hi paranormal - Go ahead and put it on YouTube - the process of recording something and putting out there for all to see & hear is good for the soul.  Putting it up and seeing what happens is way more fun than just thinking about it.  James

hi daddycool,
Another good ol' rootin' tootin' cowboy ballad -
I would also love to hear this one and all your other songs.
James

Hi rocking razhy,
Check out this link for piano method based on simple chords.  Scott Houston has some great ideas on how to play piano - his method is simple and effective and requires only a basic understanding of chord structure.

Using his method, you can play songs using chordie's chord format.
http://www.scotthouston.com/pianoguyseries.html

Getting other people to sing is tricky.
Folks who are virtuosos in the shower suddenly feel very exposed and shy when singing in public.

Try this - warm them up to idea by doing some simple sing-along songs that everybody knows.  "Home On the Range" or other old favorites are great for loosening up people and getting them in on the fun of making music.  "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys" never fails - the chorus is just too irresistible and even very shy persons will start howling along.

Hi Whitt's End & welcome to chordie!

Sorry you are experiencing difficulties - I am not a technical guru, but perhaps the problem is with your chosen log in name. 

Since Whitt's End has an apostrophe, it seems that the error message is trying to say that it doesn't like that apostrophe in the name.  (this is a guess)

Maybe somebody more familiar with computer voodoo has another idea?  James

Hi JamesTrick - here is a link to what is perhaps the greatest song about chemistry ever written.  Tom Lehrer is a Mathematician who wrote wonderfully silly songs about all sorts of unusual topics.  Perhaps this may inspire your creative juices to flow . . .

http://www.privatehand.com/flash/elements.html

Hi Najshan & welcome to chordie!

I agree with Russell Harding - a professional piano tuner is what you need.  Chances are, your piano is badly in need of both tuning AND regulating.  Regulating is when the action (all the mechanical bits between the keys and the strings) gets adjusted.

Old pianos can be made to sound and play like new again with a little attention from a professional.  Many piano tuners also deal in used instruments. 

Each note on a piano has 3 strings that must be in unison.  The piano's tuning must be 'tempered' - meaning that the notes are slightly 'off' so that the tuning sounds correct across the entire range of the keyboard.  A piano tuner has special tools and special skills.

A piano is a marvelous thing to have - but if it is out of tune or unplayable then it is just a very large and very heavy piece of junk.  If you are going to move the instrument, you can rent special wheels that strap on and make it easy to roll.

Yes, all this will cost money . . . but it is worth the investment if the piano is tunable.