Dean Markley Copyright Kit
Copyright Kit(TM)

The Experience
There's something magical about the first time you realize that certain chords go together. Long before you've learned enough theory to understand a I-IV-V progression, you're filled with wonder when you stumble on the missing chord. G, C, G, C, G, C. D! Suddenly you've got three chords instead of two, and you see the world in a whole new way.

It's not long after that third chord is discovered that you start adding some words. At first, you're just humming, finding a melody-and then, out of nowhere, a phrase comes and you sing it over the first chord change. It works! You play it over and over again, and try to push on to a second line. Soon, you've got most of a verse put together, and you know where you want the words to take you for the chorus. So you grab a piece of paper and scribble out the lines, pausing only when you can't think of a rhyme for "vodka." Figuring it's a minimal compromise to the integrity of your lyrics, you change it to "beer" and keep on rhyming. Beer goes with just about anything, after all. You pick the guitar back up to try it out, and almost get stuck when you forget the magic chord. Then suddenly, the "D" comes back to you and the song is done.

You play the song for your wife, for the dog, for your infant son. They seem, well neither offended nor impressed, but you'll take it. You wrote a song, and you like it. and that's all that matters.

Soon, you'll have composed a whole slew of songs, and it'll be time to think about making sure no one else steals them. Time to think about copyrights. You're a bit intimidated by all the "legalese" that is part of the process. but don't worry. The Copyright Kit has all the information you need, and it'll walk you through each step. Why, it even provides the envelopes and shipping labels. How much easier could it get? Certainly easier than discovering that D chord.

Dean Markley's Copyright Kit. a songwriter's best friend.