| |
I'm proud to say that there's been a lot of great feedback to this
site, so I figured I'd share some
of the comments with y'all. I've deleted the names
to protect anonymity (except for the first seven, for obvious reasons), but trust me, this is all Actual Stuff from
email I've received. Many thanks to everyone who has written, and
keep those comments coming.
|
--------
I was just doing an internet search on myself and I found your chord site. I'm honored! And they look good. Great site. -- Mark Erelli
--------
What a fantastic treat! I would absolutely love for you to post the chord charts of my songs up on your site. I think that's an amazing service you are providing for music lovers. -- Beth Amsel
--------
I'm honored. And thanks for your assiduous dedication to the cause! -- Richard Shindell
--------
I did a show down on Cape Cod this past Saturday, a young lady and her mom came to the show to let me know that she had performed Fireflies recently at a church meeting. This was a big deal for her -- she had her guitar teacher play the song and was VERY happy to find the chords online at your site. So thanks very much! -- Lori McKenna
--------
I was Don Brody's singing partner in the Marys. It's a great tribute to Don and an honor to find these tunes on your site. I hope people play and enjoy them for years to come. -- Connie Sharar
--------
You do me such honor. Thanks for caring and paying attention. -- Jim Henry
--------
Every once in a while, I get this feeling that this site has run its course, that my heart's no longer in it, and that I should just offer the artists the opportunity to take the transcriptions I've done and put them on their own sites, then take mine down and ride off into the sunset. Then I get an email like this one, and I remember why I did this in the first place. (RG)
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
For the past 20 years or so, I’ve been a beginning guitarist. I’ve never taken lessons, and simply tried to learn a few things here and there on my own. Sometimes I can work out a song by playing along over and over, but add in a few “non-standard” chords or an open tuning and I’m lost.
A few years ago, I was driving home from work late one night, and I was bored with the music I was finding on the radio. I hit the search button and had to react quickly when I heard my first Ellis Paul song playing on WUMB here in the Boston area. Other than the “folk-pop” songs of the Indigo Girls, I had never really listed to Folk music.
I immediately bought everything Ellis Paul that I could get my hands on. His friendship with Vance Gilbert got me interested in Vance’s music. Their cover of “The Only Way” brought me to Mark Erelli, and eventually to Jeffrey Foucault and Kris Delmhorst. Yesterday, I picked up the Wonderland Winter Solstice Celebration CD from Signature sounds because of Mark Erelli’s and Jeffrey Foucault’s involvement and heard “Before You Go” from Richard Shindell. The song moved me to the point where I had to find out how to play it, and I managed to find my way to your website.
I have always had a desire to play more music, and play it better, and your website is going to be a big part of that. I needed to tell you that I truly appreciate all the work that you have put into transcribing these songs. Again, being an untrained musician, I know the basic chord names, but get outside of the standard chords and I am lost.
The information on your website is tremendous. I am working on the "Before You Go" transcription and it's actually coming along pretty well so far. It is a difficult song, but as my fingers learn the new positions, it seems to be getting easier.
I don’t expect to become a professional musician. I have a four year old daughter who looks at me as if I am the biggest star on Earth when I play something for her. I think your site will help me immeasurably to keep that look in her eyes.
--------
I was talking to Richard Shindell a few weeks ago in Boston about his song, "The Ballad of Mary
Magdalen." I asked him where I could get the tabs and he said that you would be a good person
to e-mail for them.
--------
First I want to thank you for your incredible site that is so considerate to learners (like me), but not oversimplified like most "beginner" books. I've spend many quality hours strumming and picking along to your page. I went to the Falconridge Folk Festival last weekend and asked Lucy Kaplansky if she had a song book out. She and some other folks standing around recommended your site! (which, of course, I'd already heard of) but I thought you'd like to know that Lucy knows about you too!
--------
I just received an email from Tracy Grammer and she mentioned your site to obtain tabs to their songs. This was a reply from a request to a tabbook for Drum Hat Buddha a while ago. I thought it was a nice compliment and thought I would share that with you.
--------
I've been meaning to contact you ever since I saw Richard at the legendary McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Monica. Two friends and I drove the two hours north for the show, and I left a note for Richard at the front door, asking him to do "Bleecker Street," because I knew from your site that he was performing this song, and I'd been playing it myself using your transcription (tho capoed only to 7).
So a few minutes before the McCabe's show, I'm perusing the guitars in the shop that's adjacent to the performance area, and I look in a little room off the main shop floor. There are two men in there hunched over a computer. I realize one of them is Richard. He says to the other guy, "Try Google." The printer spits something out, and Richard, whose back is to me, holds up the sheet of paper. It's a printout of "Bleecker Street."
At this point I can't stop myself from interrupting. I go in the room, introduce myself as the guy who requested the song, and ask Richard if he's going to play it. "I will if I can remember the words," he says, in a very serious voice. "I haven't played it in a while."
Well, he did remember the words with the help of a printout from your site propped on a stool during the show. He did a very nice job on the song. Thanks for making that possible!
--------
I have been using your site for years to get chords from some of my favorite artists -- notably Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, Richard Shindell, Kris Delmhorst, and Lucy Kaplansky. I remember at Falcon Ridge 2002 when your chord sheet to "When I Go" got passed out; I still have the blue paper in my chord binder. Your chords have at times competed with "Rise Up Singing" to form the backbone of the Oberlin College folk song swap. I just wanted to make sure that you knew what an incredibly valuable service you are providing and how thankful we all are.
--------
I was recently searching online for guitar chords to the song "All I Ever Do" by Lori McKenna. This is THE song that my fiance and I want to dance to at our wedding in October. My daughter has a lovely voice so she will sing it while her boyfriend plays. I came across your website and sent you an email. In one night you were able to honor my request and write down the chords for me! Greatly, greatly appreciated!!
--------
I have recently discovered Richard Shindell and was thrilled to get some of the chords and tips from your web site. All his songs sounded difficult to play (to me, anyway), but from your site I am able to play my guitar and make it sound at least like it’s the same instrument he plays.
--------
I've e-mailed you a few times before thanking you for having one of the best folk guitar sites on the web. I know for a fact I would not be the guitarist I am today if it wasn't for your site, not to mention that you and Dave Carter actually inspired me to pick up the guitar in the first place.
--------
I just wanted to give you a personal thank you for all your incredible hard work and time that you must have put into your page. You have helped to make me a guitar player, you have brought me endless hours of enjoyment, you have helped me to achieve my dream of being a musician.
--------
Awesome job on tabbing out those Antje songs, really. You are the only tab source I feel I can trust now when it comes to her songs. I watched her play them on YouTube and you are dead-on with the chords.
--------
I love your site! I have printed off many of the songs you have posted (especially Dar Williams and Lori McKenna) and have found them not only playable for a self-taught guitarist like me, but also much more accurate and reliable than chords/tab I have gotten from many other sites. So, thank you for your hard work and dedication to folk music! It makes me so happy every time I see that you have posted a new song, just to see that you are still updating and adding new things to your site.
--------
Unfortunately, although I'm a competent guitar player, I'm miserable at figuring songs out. Fortunately, there's sites like yours. Well, more accurately, fortunately there's your site. You won't find that kind of coverage on Richard or Dave & Tracy on OLGA!
--------
I have enjoyed using your chord site for years. Thanks for all you have done so far. As someone who thinks the two best songwriters of the past twenty years are Richard Shindell and Dave Carter you can imagine how your site has given me a lot of fun things to play with.
--------
I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate all of your heart and soul in learning, transcribing and sharing Dave's songs on your site. I've never been very good at picking out the chords (only 50/50 on getting them right). There were several songs I'd wanted to learn for years and only after discovering your site was I able to do so.
--------
I just fell onto your site via google.com and started reading your link. It amazed me and I think you're pretty amazing! You just explain it so easy, it mades me wish you had been my teacher 10 years ago.
--------
Add me to your list of admirers! I quickly realized that discovering your site (through my search for some Richard Shindell lyrics) brought me to a wealth of terrific information, gleaned, no doubt, through great effort on your part. You're a credit to the folk community.... many of us need the kind of help you offer in order to keep alive the spirit of folk (dare I say "intelligent"?!) music. My credit also to your recognition of Dave Carter's contributions to this world.
--------
I just want to say that I have only recently "discovered" Shindell. Your transcriptions are absolutely spot on...I have been playing along today and fully realize the amount of effort that must have gone into the work.
--------
I just wanted let you know by the way how much your site has helped me in terms of learning to play guitar. If it wasn't for you I know I probably would have not practiced nearly as much because so many of the chord tabs on the net are just plain wrong.
--------
I want to thank you for all the hard work you have put into this site. I have used it for almost two years and I check it all the time. It is a great resource for those like me who love folk music and try (pathetically in my case) to play it.
--------
I'm a huge fan of your Chords site. Been following RS, Jim Henry, Cry3, and a host of other folk musicians for years and your site has helped me get back into playing mode (in addition to listening mode). The alternate tunings info that you've provided has been spot on and makes the songs sound like the real deal.
--------
Has anyone told you recently how wonderful your site is? It is *so* nice to have a resource like that to learn some of our favorite songs. I know I wouldn't be able to do much of anything without your transcriptions as a reference. Thanks again (and again).
--------
I really appreciate your Web site and the excellent work you do identifying the chord changes. And I love your selection of artists. As you know, the chords on a lot of the sites on the Internet are pretty suspect. Yours are always rock solid.
--------
I just wanted to say how much I appreciate your work on transcribing these songs. I just bought a guitar and am picking up music for the first time as an adult and am very inspired by having these great songs in chord form to play from.
--------
I love your transcription site. I've printed them all out, and am able to play along with all of my favorite artists! I have great faith in the correctness of your transcriptions, although most other transcriptions I've gotten from OLGA have my scribbled corrections all over them. It's nice not to worry about fixing someone's efforts! Anyway, thanks for all of the work you've done and put on the web to share with people like me. I really appreciate your efforts, and have spent many hours playing songs I love, thanks to you.
--------
I have to thank you for your transcription of "Rain" by Patty Griffin. I heard this song for the first time today on the radio and it has struck such a personal chord for me. I ran out straight away and bought the CD. I've spent the last couple of hours looking for the sheet music to this album to no avail. I can't even express the excitement I had when I found this site.
--------
Your site was inaccessible for a few minutes today, which was just enough time for me to panic, and to realize how much I value your site. I'd never emailed you, so I thought I'd drop you a note to say how much I appreciate the work you've done. Your chords are very accurate, and your taste in music is great! Thanks a lot & keep it up!
--------
I now have a new "Favorite" Website and a bunch of new artists to check out! I'm forwarding your site on to a couple guitarist friends that will probably do the same!!! Thanks for your "non-commercial" dedication to sharing great music.
--------
I am what I call a "campfire" guitarist, and that means, among other things, that my skill level doesn't reflect the number of years that I have been playing. I have been able to play along to some of Richard's music but it often never sounded quite right. Thanks to you I now know why. Your work here transcribing Shindell's work is informative, comprehensive, and down right amusing.
--------
We have not met, but I am grateful for your contribution to the internet - and therefore to my musical life. You've helped me understand Richard's music, and Lucy's, and Lori McKenna too. Your work is a true source of pleasure, and thank you.
--------
I just want to say your site is awesome. Your transcriptions were a major part in my musical development and I am very glad that there is a site like yours that exists.
--------
I couldn't leave your website without dropping you a quick note. I'm 33 years old and have been taking guitar lessons since August. I have a great teacher and I've already purchased 4 songbooks (Springsteen, Eagles & Dead). But I just have been frustrated because the amount of songs I've been able to learn is limited. I fell in love with Dar & Richard (Nanci..et al) about 5 years ago..but any songbook I ever see in sooooo intimidating. Your site is wonderful! I'm sitting here ecstatic thinking "I can play that!" As I sit here in front of my computer playing some of these songs, I feel like crying and jumping up and down at the same time! Upon leaving your site, I am determined to learn B/Bminor and will pRaCticE those da**ed barre chords!
--------
Thanks for putting out all the great info on your website. I've been a big Richard Shindell fan for a long time but never really put much thought into the idea I could play some of his stuff. Your website has made that possible.
--------
Firstly, I do not like my PC desktop to be cluttered with icons and shortcuts. But today, I'm bumping my desktop shortcut to NY Times and adding one to your site. Nice work!
--------
I just discovered Richard Shindell a couple months ago, and I just discovered your page last night. I've enjoyed both immensely. You've done a very nice job figuring out his arrangements, and your work has brought a great joy to me.....I can plop in the CD and play along to my heart's content. Thanks for a difficult job well done.
--------
I just wanted to say thanks for all your efforts in creating all these lyrics and chords, and being so down-to-earth and friendly about it.
--------
How generous of you to post all these chords on my favorite music. It has started me playing again after a hiatus because I love these songs so much. Thanks for making me remember how much I love playing!
--------
I just discovered your site and quickly added it to my favorites. I love Buddy and Julie. I sing plenty of her songs already, but as a fledgling guitar player I've had trouble with doing my own tabs. You've tabbed all of the songs I've been looking to learn. I am so excited!
--------
I just wanted to let you know that I greatly appreciate this incredible compilation of song lyrics and chords. I am a college student pursuing a degree in music therapy and I cannot tell you exactly how thrilled I was to have all of these chords at my fingertips! I plan to use these songs for many years to come.
--------
I printed out and tried "Arrow" from the Cheryl Wheeler portion of your website. You're chord arrangement for this song is just wonderful. It is such fun to play. Thanks for all work you put into these songs!
--------
Just wanted to let you know how great I think your site is. In the Tampa, Fla. area we have a public radio station that plays the songs on your "playlist". Found your site looking for "cold missouri water" lyrics and got the chords, too. Then I found Julie Millers' All my tears! Unbelievable!
--------
I can't tell you enough how thrilled I was to find your website. I was on the prowl for some Dar chords ... OLGA didn't offer much. I went to google.com and was "Feelin' Lucky" -- turns out I didn't know how lucky I was! What an impressive collection -- and so beautifully formatted. Really -- thank you thank you.
--------
WOW!!! Just writing to thank you for your website, I happened on it this morning, looking for Mark Erelli sites and I can't wait to get home to my guitar to try these song tabs, I love your taste in Singer/Songwriters and am thrilled to have found you!!
--------
Thank you for jumpstarting my guitar playing! Your transcription of Richard Shindell's "Wisteria" -- along with your straightforward, friendly and supportive explanation of the cool tuning -- have gotten me excited about picking up the old D28 again. Please keep up the great work, Ron! And thanks. I feel like I have a cyber guitar teacher!
--------
I was cruising the web looking for Kasey Chambers chords, and the "duh factor" hit me.
Duh Factor: When looking for chords/tab by some awesome contemporary folk artist, the first place you should head is Ron G's web site.
--------
I may have said this before but you know if it wasn't for your site making the chords to so many of my favorite songs avalible I would NOT be where I am with my guitar playing, and since I love playing soooo much here's a big ol' THANK YOU, from the bottom of my geetar playin' heart!!!!
--------
I just wanted to let you know how much I like your site and I tell all my friends about it. I love Richard Shindell's music and you have done a great job.
--------
I wanted to thank you for rocking my guitar world!!! You are doing such an amazing service to anyone who loves this music and wants to play it.
--------
I recently discovered folk music, and I truly love it. I started with Dar Williams and branched recently into Richard Shindell and Lynn Miles. It seems that every time I go looking for chords, I end up on your web page!
--------
As a budding (not so young) guitarist, I've found your chord site to be tremendous. I get together with several "folk-nik" friends every few weeks to play guitar & share songs and, it never fails, I usually grab some Richard Shindell tabs off your site the day before and that becomes a rally point for the evening. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
--------
I wanted to tell you that your site has been instrumental in my quest to teach myself how to play the guitar. I've been teaching myself for about a year and a half now and I don't know what I would have done without your transcriptions of almost all of my favorite artists!
--------
I've been absolutely scouring the net for Dar Williams tabs, I nearly had a fit when I stumbled onto the Dar tab site... I owe you a huge "thank you"!
--------
Being a near beginner guitar player, I very much appreciate the relative simplicity of your Chord tab translations to songs from some of my favorite artists. Although many of your tabs are too advanced for me, I can muddle through some of them without looking too silly.
--------
Awesome folk music site! Please keep up the great work - I think my fingers are gone from playing Lucy's stuff over and over again!
--------
Found your chord site...and I have to say it's pretty cool. I got there through the link from Richard Shindell's site. I printed up a few of your transcriptions, and I am happy to say you've really done your homework. So many chord/tab sites out there are so, well, off-base.
--------
Great site! Thanks! I'm a real Shindell fan. Nice to know he approves of your site.
--------
I just went to your site and wow, did you do a great job!!! You saved me tons of time, too! I was beginning to type out the words and start figuring chords on my own, whew. Thanks for all your work.
--------
I just found your web site and am so thrilled to have some great songs transcribed. I just wanted to drop a quick note to say thanks and let you know that your work is really appreciated. I haven't even printed them out and played any yet, but I am pumped up.
--------
Bless your soul!!!! I am a struggling (talent-wise) guitar player with an awful ear for picking apart songs. You have saved me years of effort and frustration. Your pages alone make internet access a worthwhile investment.
--------
i wanted to thank you for the utter joy that your richard shindell and cry cry cry transcriptions have afforded me! where once i shuddered to attempt songs on my classical guitar because nothing would ever sound right, you have made it possible for me to play and enjoy myself.
--------
Just wanted to drop you a line and thank you for your great Richard Shindell web site. He's one of my favorites and thanks to you I can play most of his songs.
--------
I am a beginning guitar player (at age 37) in the most basic sense. I really appreciate your transcriptions because although I can hear where the music goes I am not familiar enough with my new instrument to figure it out in a timely fashion. I have used your work to help teach myself how to play.
--------
I really appreciate that there's people out there like you with the know-how and inclination to share!
--------
I haven't been playing all that long, and I love learning the Cry,Cry,Cry and Lucy songs on your site. It's wonderful.
--------
Just wanted to let you know I found your web site via RichardShindell.com. I think it is well done and a great resouce. I like the idea that the artists let you do it without trying to make a buck
off it. You can never buy their sheet music in a store.
--------
I've been enjoying your guitar transcriptions for over a year now, I think, without ever thanking you for taking the time and energy to post them. So, I am doing that now. :)
I must say, I've found your explainations of songs to be the easiest to understand that I've come across, and it's great to find such a vast resource for so many artists' songs that I love.
--------
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! There are actually a few songs I can play even with my limited chord knowledge. :-) I honestly thought I was going to have to wait until the day *I* could
transcribe to play Lucy's songs. And I'm thrilled to see you transcribed "Fall On Me". The R.E.M version is weird. Thanks again for your help. Your page is bookmarked forever!
--------
I struggle in a big way with transcription, but I love to play - so you are making very significant contributions to my music and my sense of well-being. Thanks for that! Your hard work is much appreciated!
--------
I am a folk music fan and just learning the basics of guitar playing. Glad to have your site a resource. Your selection of artists is fantastic.
--------
dude let me say that you are the coolest person ever!!!i looked for tabs to cry cry cry for an hour till i found your page! i love you!!!! thanx a bunch for making the page!!! it's great!
--------
I think your transcription page is incredible! I'm so happy someone took the time to help all the rest of us with our mediocre guitar playing.
--------
I was very pleased to stumble across your site! I am a very big Richard Shindell fan, and am also planning to start playing the guitar this summer.
I was planning on trying to learn an easy song or two of Richard's, and this will make it a LOT easier. Thanks a lot!
--------
I think your website is a fantastic idea......I have really enjoyed it and have had a great time playing the music you've transcribed. You have great taste in musicians!
--------
I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to post the chords and lyrics to so many wonderful songs! My brother told me
about your site, and last time he was down for a visit we had a great time playing all our new songs!
I also quite enjoyed your sense of humour throughout the pages :) Thanks a million, good luck, and God bless!
--------
hey, thanks for your site!
i just returned tonight from a concert by my favorite...Richard Shindell. i asked him where i could obtain some chords for some of his songs...he directed me to HIS website, and from there i found you! now me an my ole autoharp can start (correctly?) singing...
keep up the good work!
--------
Thanks for the great job on the Richard Shindell tabs, I recently bought a
few of his albums and luckily stumbled on your great web site...I've got a
21 month old son that I play for at bedtime to calm him down a bit and
"Calling the Moon" always works wonders!
--------
I am an WFUV listener and R Shindell has some really good stuff on CD. Thanks so much for transcribing his guitar chords and lyrics. You have really done a particularly excellent job with "Are You Happy Now?" I have played it effortlessly and tirelessly thanks to your help.
--------
So let me add my $.02 to the pile of praise you've already received. Great work. I plan to teach myself guitar because of these songs.
--------
i wrote you maybe a year or so ago thanking you for your Dar, Lucy and Richard chords trans, which have been just WONDERFUL for me (and even gotten my very talented and experienced guitar teacher out of a few jams-he's gonna kill me after all the work he spent on Calling the Moon, when I just hand him your (much simpler) trans! 8) Anyway, I'm a huge Dar/Lucy/Richard fan, and I'm in a band where we cover a lot of their stuff, and it's SO cool to have a site dedicated to their stuff. It's great that you keep adding to these. Thanks again for your FANTASTIC work!
--------
I LOVE -- your folk chord site -- it's my favorite place to spend time on the web! you are one heck of an awesome folkster! How incredible it was to come back to your site after some time away from my guitar and find not only Gillian Welch but also Tracy & Dave and ...NEW DAR STUFF!!! I am all set! It's like "gee, I just learned to play guitar and Ron's made it so that I can already play everything I'd ever want to play (with the exception of some Richard fingerpicking that baffles me!)"
--------
I'm a recent (and big) Lucy Kaplansky fan, and also trying to get back into playing the guitar (after laying off for 15 years) - thanks for all the work on your web page!
--------
Your site with the guitar chords has been such a blessing for me, I have printed out nearly everything and have been playing and learning every day! I thank you so much for making that possible for me to do. Keep up the fabulous work, I am enjoying becoming a better guitar player thanks to you!!!
--------
Unbelievable treasure trove you have there of Richard's songs! Thanks for going to all the effort to transcribe them!
--------
thank you ...thank you ....thank you or your incredible pages ....i have been searching the web for these songwriters and i stumbled (completely by accident) onto your site ....it is amazing.....i can't wait to pull my guitar out and start picking!
--------
Your site is fantastic. I have appreciated it so much! I'd love to see some Cheryl Wheeler, too. I will add your site to my favorites, and pass it on to my friends!
--------
Figuring no one had done it yet i was going to try my hand at tabbing It Happens Every Day when I stumbled on your website with ALL of The Green World. Great job!! Thanks for all the great tabs, accurate too!
--------
I am always amazed and my spirit lifted when selfless people like you spend time and do the grunt work of learning songs and then post them for us all to learn. Given my time constraints (and the prevlalance of open tunings these days), it's about the only way I can work on songs. So, thanks.
--------
I just came across your web page with Dar Williams' lyrics and chords, and I just wanted to say you did a great job. It was exactly what I was searching for!
--------
Once again you deliver! I just checked your chord page and found that you have transcribed and posted the Lynn Miles song "You Don't Love Me Anymore". I wrote you a while back to ask about it and you said that you would work it up. Thanks, not only from me but also all of the others that benefit from your site and your work.
--------
Thanks for all of your work in putting together this information. Your "Notes" on playing tips are of tremendous value. I especially have enjoyed the Cry, Cry, Cry and Richard Shindell section.
--------
I came across your site this evening as I was looking for some background information on Gillian Welch's "Acony Bell"......and right in the first page of my search, there was your site. A beautifully done site, I might add! Thanks for your generosity in sharing your love and study of this music with the rest of us folkies.
--------
I've been to your website many a time for help with songs by Dar Williams, Richard Shindell, and Cry3. Thank you so much for your wonderful contribution--it's helped folks like me *so* much.
--------
This is just a great site. I wish I could say something different from all the other gushing thank-yous, but I can't. It doesn't mean I'm not real excited about taking these songs home tonight and playing them!