Chording the Song
Feb. 2nd, 2010 11:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
billroperThe problem with writing a song without my guitar is that I don't actually have a set of chords when I "finish" the song. And that's what happened with Tornado. I've spent the last week beating the tune into submission, which included excising little bits of melody that reminded me too much of some other song. Yes, I know about the melancholy elephants, but I try to avoid obvious lifts if possible. :)
I originally started chording this in Am, a fine key. Unfortunately, it was making it too difficult to exterminate the elephants lurking in the melody, so I switched to Em. That improved things and after a while I was able to get the tune cleaned up and found a set of chords that I was happy with.
The only problem was that Em was just a bit low. Ok, let's capo two and go to F#m. That was a bit better, but still too low. How about capo four to G#m? Well, that pretty much fixes the vocal problems, but I don't really like being at capo four if I can avoid it.
Of course, another half step gets back around to Am. And the tune is now safely massaged. Hmm.
Fortunately, Dsus2 and G6 are both playable chords that work. :)
And the song is typed up, printed out, and ready for the filk book.
I originally started chording this in Am, a fine key. Unfortunately, it was making it too difficult to exterminate the elephants lurking in the melody, so I switched to Em. That improved things and after a while I was able to get the tune cleaned up and found a set of chords that I was happy with.
The only problem was that Em was just a bit low. Ok, let's capo two and go to F#m. That was a bit better, but still too low. How about capo four to G#m? Well, that pretty much fixes the vocal problems, but I don't really like being at capo four if I can avoid it.
Of course, another half step gets back around to Am. And the tune is now safely massaged. Hmm.
Fortunately, Dsus2 and G6 are both playable chords that work. :)
And the song is typed up, printed out, and ready for the filk book.