Starting recording is scary - I just dove in about a year ago and am learning as I go.  Just start doing it and realize that your technical knowledge and skills will improve with experience.

Roger Guppy encouraged me (or rather hounded and shamed me) into finally starting to record.  I'm glad he did - it is scary, but rewarding.  James

Love it!

I hearing this one being howled out in a shacked-out old honkey tonk.  There's a fight out in the parking lot and the sheriff's taking his time getting there because it's just easier to let 'em all have at it and get hurt than to arrive in the middle of the brawl.

Phill - here's another approach . . . instrumental piece with spoken passages.
Think 'Peter and the Wolf' by Sergei Prokofiev, or 'Lincoln Portrait' by Aaron Copeland.

In this format, bits of the story are read and then the music dramatizes the imagery.  You have plenty of vivid images on which to base instrumental parts - a small combo could pass around musical themes & variations. 

I realize this would be an ambitious undertaking to compose - but give it some consideration.  Might even be worth it to seek out collaboration with an aspiring composer of classical orchestral or chamber music?

Never at a loss for big ideas,
James

Hello Killallm & welcome to chordie and the Songwriting forum!

Well - I hope to see the lyric soon.  Being that I play autoharp guitar tabs are of no use to me.  Looks like you've got a great start on the song - be sure to post the rest when it comes out of the oven!  James

Yeah Love & Music - probably the first person to bang some rocks together and sing was just trying to pitch some woo!

I would love to hear you play this one.  James

Forget the G-strings - It's tighty whities for me!

Hi Headcase - you bring up an important point. Yes, we might not all agree with the choice or placement of chords in some songs . . . but remember, all the stuff indexed on chordie was figured out by some well-meaning person somewhere out there.

I see all the song versions as being helpful hints on how a song might be played - not exact blueprints.  The index contains some versions that are, in fact, in need of help.  By all means do what you can to improve any song that you find lacking in accuracy.

The best way to do this is make the changes first within your songbook.  Open the song with the 'edit' button (at the end of the song's listing line) and make whatever changes you feel are needed.  Once the song is improved you can replace the song in chordie's index with your version.  Your name will appear with the song as being the person who improved the song.

Any registered member of chordie can improve songs.  Also, you can always click on the 'original song' button to see the song as it was before somebody did their editing.

Regarding overuse of chords: Yes, some songs seem to have more chords than they really need.  Again - use the versions in chordie's index as 'helpful suggestions' not as perfect blueprints. 

There is nobody here at chordie who knows it all - we are all learning a little more each day.
James

I have started setting up a page.  But, I figure there is no real rush since the next round of the contest does not start until August 1st.  By then, I shall have all my plans for total world domination in place . . . James

Hi Kenny
Any song writing contest where they require an entry fee is probably a scam that will benefit only the organizers.  Likewise any "producer" who wants to "help you put together an album" (for a big up-front fee, of course) is just a fast buck artist.  Avoid these come-ons.

I did recently participate in a song writing contest on MySpace.  The 'Henry Poole is Here' movie contest seemed like a good exercise for me.  The organizers wanted no money and merely asked that the songs submitted be about certain themes.

For me, it was simply a creative challenge to write a song using their themes.  I like the song I came up with - however, it did not get selected as one of the finalists.  I did meet some other song writers on MySpace in the process - so I'm glad I chose to participate.

If you choose to participate in a contest, read ALL the fine print in the rules.  Ask questions about stuff that is not clear.  Don't give anybody your money along with your song.

Here's a song about Golf I wrote while back:
http://www.chordie.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=5899

Quite nice, zenbutcher!

I would also like to hear more verses - there are many places you can go from a great start like that.  Don't limit yourself to continuing the song just about that particular family member - different verses can be about different people or even different perspectives on the same theme.  James