• jinyjo
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 4

Topic: really old songs !!

I was hoping some one could help me.  My Grandma has asked me to learn a song for her and has given me the sheet music.  however it's really old music about late 1920's and doesn't have any chords on (except for ukelele !)  How do you know what chords to play ? I can read music a little, Ok with the treble clef.  Or I suppose the lazy way is .... does anyone have the chords for Pal of my Cradle days. 

Any help would be appreciated


cheers

  • colm
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 16

Re: really old songs !!

Working out the chords from the sheet should be simple enough.  Remember that chord just means more than one note played at the same time.  Have a look at a couple of bars and combine the notes in that bar, see if it matches any of the chord shapes you know.


btw - aren't the ukelele chords right for guitar?

  • jinyjo
  • Junior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 4

Re: really old songs !!

Thanks for the advice.  I didn't get far with trying to find chords from the music itself but mainly because your suggestion about looking at the ukele was better.  Not tunes the same as guitar but looking at the chord structures Ic an now work  out some relevant chords.  Thanks a lot you have helped make an old lady very happy , my grandma that is not me !!

cheers

  • Registered: 2006-06-11
  • Posts: 5

Re: really old songs !!

What I like to do when I have a song like this is this, you have to get some sort of recording of it, via itunes, yahoo music and burn it on a cd. Then get your guitar on your lap and sit in front of the cd player. Start the cd player and let the song play for only one or two bars. Then pause the song and play some notes on the guitar faily quickly searching for a note that sounds harmonious to the song. If you repeat this you sill soon find one or two notes that sound good for the measures of the song that you are hearing. This way you can determine the key the song is in, say C major, D, or maybe a minor key. then you can start the song again and stop it after one or two bars and search for more notes or chords. This sounds arguous but after 15-30 minutes you will be surprised that you are putting together the chords for this song

  • Registered: 2006-04-19
  • Posts: 15

Re: really old songs !!

thanks for the tip i've never thought of doing that thanks i'll try it

<img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_smile.gif" border=0 alt="Smile">