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Guitar chord forum - chordie → About Chordie → Future of Chordie?
Not that I'm "two-timing" this excellent site or anything, but recently, while searching for some tunes that aren't available here, I've been running into tab sites that have been shut down due to legal actions taken against them.
I'm just wondering if I need to start hoarding tabs in anticipation of a shutdown of this site. That'd be the saddest day of my life...
yes
Man, if only lawyers understood. Why don't they get that it's sites like these that keep the songs alive and make people want to go out and buy records they haven't heard in years?
Having bought my first ukulele this past year, I've been scouring this site for old vaudeville-type songs to have on hand when my family gets together for the holidays. There are still plenty of old folks who are going to love it.
To make sure I've got all the melodies and lyrics right, I've actually been buying Mitch Miller and Al Jolson CDs that I never would have thought of buying if this site hadn't inspired me and reminded me that these songs exist.
As a former professional recording musician, I am dead set against illegal downloading of copyrighted recordings. However, the chord changes???? C'mon. Those with the publishing rights will make up for the loss through the sales of albums that haven't moved in years!
As a former professinal photographer I also dealt with the copyright issues. I would like to share my view of the copyright issue that kills fine works. When a book, film or musical recording goes out of print and the radio stations, theaters, DVD pulishers, and printers discontinue production and circulation of the works they are lost to the public. They're locked in a vault somewhere until the owner decides they're no longer neaded or reproduceable from aging and technology advances to be lost forever.
The open sharing of the arts really doesn't defeat the sales of the older material, it actually keeps it in front of the public spurring new and future sales of works that are currently locked in the vaults and unknown to the younger generations.
I feel the copyright laws are out of place. Since an artist usually begins creating their work in their 20s and seldom lives beyond 85 that comes to 65yrs. Why is the copyright in the US good for 95yrs?
I would suggest copyright end with the death of the artist.
Today even the tab and lyrics are being litigated in courts. I feel like the song birds are dying and moving toward extinction.
I have no quams about programs like LimeWire where we can find old recordings and films. I use a couple different software programs that allow me to convert the mp3 music into accurate guitar tabs and sheet music. They also allow me to play the song and insert exact lyrics.
I'm not a professional musician and have no intention of making any money from my efforts, only the pleasure of playing and singing the songs I grew up listening to.
Now if that's illegal and wrong I won't appologize for it.
BTW, have you tried searching the works of an artist called Tiny Tim? He specialized in songs from the vaudvil era.
Well said, teimoso.
And thanks for the Tiny Tim tip. Being 44 years old, I remember Tiny Tim from Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In in the 1960's. Most ukulele players would rather not be associated with "Tiptoe Thru The Tulips," though.
The songs I am learning are more like "Ain't She Sweet" and "You Are My Sunshine." Vaudeville was not an accurate description, as these are really more in the category of "Roaring Twenties." Most of these songs would be long forgotten without mediums like Chordie to keep them alive.
Hello Papa Tom and others on this thread - I believe the future of chordie and other such sites is good. The reason for the litigation is not that 'they' want to shut the sites down . . . rather, 'they' want a cut of any revenues generated by such sites. My guess is that sites such as chordie may eventually have to pay some sort of licensing fee to mollify the music publishing industry. The irony of all the litigation is that 'they' seem to think that we amateur musicians have money - - - 'they' should know better!
Papa Tom (and others) - here is a link to a resource that you will truly enjoy. A digitized collection of sheet music that spans from the 1850's through the 1930's. Ragtime, Blues, Tin Pan Alley, etc. Tons of music from the era when civilized people entertained themselves and others by playing and singing in their parlor (what a radical concept).
<a href="http://library.msstate.edu/content/templates/?a=1030" target="_blank">http://library.msstate.edu/content/templates/?a=1030</a>
The Templeton Collection is an amazing bunch of stuff. Thousands of pieces of sheet music plus instruments and early phonographs and other gizmos. All lovingly collected by a fellow who donated it all to Mississippi State University after his death. The sheet music collection is vast and they are steadily digitizing more selections. Take a look - you're bound to find some stuff perfectly suited to your ukulele and your tastes.
Thanks for the Templeton link. It looks like a great collection. The only problem is there isn't a single song on there I've ever heard before!
Regarding fees for tabs, I guess it's in line with everything else out there. But it would mean the site needs to weed out a lot of the "junk" tabs, as I'd be pretty pissed if I paid money for some of the user-submitted material on the site now.
I can't remember where I have put the original book mark for the Digital song base and i have also backed it up a couple of years ago, will find it later! but here is a quick google result that might help.
<a href="http://sniff.numachi.com/" target="_blank">http://sniff.numachi.com/</a>
Hope it works
Cheers from chris
Guitar chord forum - chordie → About Chordie → Future of Chordie?
