Early this morning I thought I would play through “Another Minute More,” a song I wrote in 2001, and last played perhaps in 2003. I remembered nothing about the tuning or the chord shapes. So I re-learned it. Luckily, I kept a record of the tuning with the lyrics:

A E C# F# B C#

But I could not remember the chord shapes, only the sounds. So, starting with the “open” chord, a sort major 9th chord, I experimented going up the guitar’s neck in a standard scale. I started finding the chord shapes for the 3rd, the 5th, the minor 7th.  Then I had the chords for the verses.

The tricky one was the opening chord of the bridge. I put on Sycamore Tryst and listened hard, finally puzzling out the shapes. It was part ear, part muscle memory.

My memory is so awful, and getting worse. Scary thoght for a musician and songwriter. Perhaps I will forget this thought, at least for awhile.

Thank goodness for permanent records. And, yes, I intend that pun.