Google's Beginner's Chords

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Participating audiences at country music venues, will appreciate a few Chrismastime melodies during the next few weeks of the Christmas season. "I'll Have A Blue Cristmas", and "White Christmas" offer great opportunities to "show your stuff" on the pedal steel guitar. I was checking the chord entries brought up through "Google", and quickly ascertained that the material apparently was produced for beginner guitarists, or keyboard players. If any forum members are aware of a link to either of the melodies played on steel, please advise. Thanks.. Please note that I'll be eternally grateful for the opportunity to access recordings of favorite artists on "Google's" programming.

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

I'm beginning to think at this point in time, that the self-taught method of learning isn't so bad after all is said and done. There seems to be a very limited amount of interest in discussing chord changes in songs. I would hesitate to imagine that scrooge actually exists in this world of steel guitars.

Bo Legg · Posted 9 Dec 2008 9:14 am

Bill, I’m pretty sure they post the chords with a lot of errors so that the copyrighted people don’t complain and have the site removed. Their site depends on giving you idiot chords.
Best plan is to purchase sheet music.
If you have BIAB you can download midi files of Christmas songs and enter them in BIAB and it will generate the chords or even a wav file from your CD
If you have Tabledit you can enter the midi file and it will generate the notation for the melody.
Seems there's no PSG in Google and Scrooge don't play Steel.

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Bo Legg,

I'd failed to realize that the disparities are deliberate. It was just this morning that I selected Hal Rugg's arrangement of "I'm Down To My Last Cigarette" to take up some practice time. I went to Google and after copying the words, I noticed that they didn't correspond with the singer K.T.'s lyrics. I've listened to Hal's arrangement played at the big stage with Speedy West's approval, and that's about as good as it gets.

Dave Van Allen · From: Doylestown, PA , US , Earth

remember that Google just sorts among the sites available, and does not create the content.

the poor information may not be deliberate;
The internet is full of confused, if not outright wrong, information about a lot of things- chords and lyrics are no different.

many of the sites that feature chords and lyrics are contributor based, accepting entries from who knows...

Many "Mondegreens" in lyrics posted; many just-plain-wrong chord progressions.

Why, I understand there may have even been a false statement or two on the SGF as well from time to time Whoa!

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Les Anderson · From: The Great White North

Guys, I may be out in left field with this; however, is not this google thing only a guide to get beginners started off on the right direction?

With simple three and four chord country songs, even a somewhat advanced beginner can start making up his/or own chord voicings. How many experienced players in here would actually give a second thought of using beginner's chord guides?

In a couple of previous threads posted on this forum that discussed at some length on this prearranged chord thing. Most members in here stated firmly that they rarely play as per the original recordings. So, why the concern about google's basic and beginner chord guides? I do my chord work according to the guys I play with and we rarely stick to the original chord or voicings of the tunes we play. (except the Hank Williams legendary classics that is)

For the most part, most Christmas carols are not all that difficult to work with when it comes to chording. Doing complicated fills and rides can be a challenge at times but if one just starts with the basics and builds up from there, everything usually just falls into place very nicely.

Les Anderson · From: The Great White North

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Les,

I wouldn't hesitate to champion DVA'a notions. I've seen DVA in performance. I mean to tell you he can get the job done. He works well under pressure, which is something that can be a problem for some players when 600 eyeballs are riveted to every move a player makes. As for errors researched through Google, I'm convinced at this time that there are reasons to double check chords and lyrics as shown in the computer sevices. I would estimate that some Christmas Carols are 150% more difficult to play than "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It".

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

D.V.A.,

I am glad to learn that your cardiac catheter ablation treatment has corrected the atrial fibrillation. There is a place in Pennsylvania that specializes in that heart problem. You are required to wear sensors for 3 weeks, while they send messages from home base to Pennsylvania, and they send it to the cardiologist each day. Clots have been known to form without treatment. Thanks for keeping in touch!

Bo Legg · Posted 9 Dec 2008 4:19 pm

I don’t think you can call it a mistake if it is deliberate for what ever reason.
For instance this is how I play the first 8 bars of “Jingle Bells” on the PSG.
As sure as this came up on Google someone would say “THAT AIN’T RIGHT!”

/ C.../ Em.../ Am.../ C.../
/ F.../ A7.../ D9.../ G7. Gaug ./

Les Anderson · From: The Great White North

Bo Legg · Posted 9 Dec 2008 6:01 pm

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Bo Legg,

While trying to induce those who are well enough to grab a broom or shovel some time ago, the picture shown would have been a justifiable illustration. I'm trying to sort out the applets prepared by computer experts. It's always a case of sleepy enthusiasm that thwarts good intentions. I have written about the "slamming doors", the "ticking of the clocks", and numerous reminders that learning to play the steel guitar, is a do exercise. Thinking about doing doesn't help. Discipline flies out the window when procrastination slips through the front door. Without the shovel in your hand in the photo, the caption should read; "Has anyone seen my shovel?" I think one of the most pitiful situations in life occurs when we refuse to give up a chase. It shouldn't take more than 50 years to realize our levels of abilities in connection with learning to play the steel guitar. There are not more than two choices that exist among players. Satisfaction of having developed special skills, or a continuation of reaching for the stars. It has become easier to score levels of achievements by opening up Googles vast assortments of super pickers on display screens. Listening to Jose' Feliciano play "Flight Of The Bumblebee", should erase the bulk of overconfidence, if speed picking happens to be the ultimate goal.

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Les,

A very Merry Christmas to you Les, and to all our friends who share in the Christmas spirit on the forum. It's interesting that you are able to work with just about any melody, and come up with an arrangement that pleases listeners wherever you perform. It sort of fits with the quote taken from Atkins' series of humorous comments. He once said; "I wish that I could play "it" twice the same way." Remarks of that nature, as well as your own, leave lasting impressions on the psyche. Keep 'em comin' Les! We all need to relax a bit, and move away from tense moments brought on by the exertion of trying to reach insurmountable levels of successes.

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

I'm quite satisfied I drempt of writing a country song last night, and before I could recount the words, it slipped away. I do remember however, that it was interesting. What a shame, lost forever in the recesses of the mind. I do believe it was based on sentimentality.

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Annoyances range from petty to extreme whenever I enter into Google's directory assistance. Granted there is a wealth of imformation that resembles a library without question. For example, I opened a page on "Billy The Kid", and now they are suggesting that Pat Garrett may have shot another man who was mistaken for "Billy". An old man turned up years later claiming that he was "Billy The Kid". He knew too much about the places where crimes were committed to disregard the possibility of a true statement. The Web is a place where spam is lurking, also where unclean practices are allowed to present their intermingling with wholesome searches. I am truly amazed with the computer age and the information that is up to date and accurate. Information is always there at the fingertips, if getting past the money making schemes is not a problem. So much INK has been wasted over the years in the production of magazines and newspaper telling of miracle cures for a variety of afflictions. Those who take the time to sort out discrepancies, and refuse to believe inaccurate claims and inconsistent publications, are far more interesting to relate to. It's far from joking when physicians are allowed to make statements in publications that prove to be erroneous over time, (usually about a decade). At least I witnessed that much on the subject of coffee, beans, meats, liquor, gout, and many more items of interest. Imagine, for years doctors prescribed gout diets, now they have turned completely around. They are now reporting that diets are not necessary. When a person loses the ability to move, due to intense pain, someone had better know what to do. I'll check later on to see if Google is in agreement with the most recent comments made at the physician's office. What does this have to do with the steel guitar? Ask anyone who has tried to play with a gouty toe.

Bo Legg · Posted 11 Dec 2008 1:49 pm

Bill Hankey

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Bo Legg,

Business has been slow of late, that is the business of sharing thoughts here on the forum. A few writers from the U.K., California, Texas, have dropped out completely. Now it appears as though you may be among those who dropped out as confirmerd aspirants of casting images of me, doing menial tasks. I doubt if your SHOVEL will ever touch a flake of snow, or those things found around barnyards. (just kidding) but still, who knows?

Bo Legg · Posted 11 Dec 2008 5:03 pm

Bill, I could never picture you doing menial tasks. You’re right. There is never going to be a time when I use a shove.
Let me get back on topic here.
I’m not saying this is your case but most people don’t get anything worth while out of Google because they don’t know how to use a browser. They’re not going to get the right answer until they know how to ask the right question. When they enter something and they get 13,000 possibilities, they need to buy a book called Browsers for Dummies.

Les Anderson · From: The Great White North

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Les,

You should rest assured that I will never intently insult you all the days of our lives. My dictates admonish widespread influences that tend to dampen spirits that make each day so very special. Rest assured that I'm far beyond attempting to sway perspectives that control personal interests in each individual. Influences that lend to better approaches to life's many problems, and combined with visible examples, are quite beneficial in every regard.

John Davis · From: Cambridge, U.K.

WoW!!! you guys need a hand to shovel some of this??

Be glad to help but my Father advised me never to buy anything with a handle on it! its been pretty good advice Confused

Les Anderson · From: The Great White North

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