Finding songs on the internet can be a challenge, especially if your tastes are refined. But there is a logical approach to finding just about any song you've ever heard - or heard of. Finding lyrics, chords and guitar tabs online is always iffy, but if it's out there you can usually find it with some perserverance.

1. Take stock of everything you know about the song: title, composer, performer, instrumentation and any lyrics you can remember.
2. If you know the composers/performers, go to their websites. My Artist Netlinks page lists many, and I also have listings for several useful artist indexes. Many songwriter sites have lyrics. Some have chords, sound samples (usually Real Audio) and/or MP3s.
3. Traditional songs and public domain children's songs are the easiest to find since anyone can publish them legally. Try the resources on my Traditional Music and Song Indexes pages. Several of these sites have lyrics and MIDI versions of the tunes that will play on your computer without any fancy software.
4. If you have a name or part of a lyric, you can use a search engine like Google or Altavista. You can either enter a few key words or type in a distinctive phrase by putting quotation marks around it. You'll be surprised how often this works.
5. When searching, choose words or names that are as unusual/distinctive as possible. This will ensure more direct hits. For example, to find lyrics to Dave Carter's song "Tanglewood Tree" at Google.com, enter "Tanglewood Tree" Carter lyrics. At altavista.com, you'd type "Tanglewood Tree" or +tanglewood +Carter +lyrics. For a song like "The Queen and the Soldier, you might try "secret burning thread". Up pops lyrics for Suzanne Vega's songs.
6. If you know the artist, try searching for lyrics to a more popular song. This may turn up a site that has several songs by the same artist.
7. If a search engine doesn't work directly, it's time to start combing through my lists of online song collections. Some collections or Indexes have songs by many artists - You'll find them under Song Collections. Others are dedicated to a single artist - you'll find some of them listed here.
8. If you haven't found what you're looking for yet, you can take more desperate measures: Ask someone!
9. E-mail one of the many newsgroups or mailing lists. There are several that might be appropriate, but the biggest, longest-running group is the Folk Music List moderated by Alan Rowoth. Anyone can post to this one - others you have to join first. See my Mailing List links.
10. If you know who wrote or recorded the song, go to the appropriate artist webpage and e-mail the contact person with your question. Sometimes the artist him/herself will respond gladly.
11. If the artist doesn't have a site, try the site of their record company or management. I have a page of record label websites.
12. Call or e-mail the folk DJ on the radio station where you heard the song. DJs keep playlists and most have a phonographic memory of nearly everything they play. Provide all information you can remember, especially what day/time you heard it.
    
    REMEMBER

1. When sending e-mail to a person or newsgroup, never never attach a sound file unless specifically asked. It crashes or slows down the mail and no one will open an attachment from someone they don't know anyway.
2. If you're looking for the sheet music or chords/lyrics to a song, be prepared to find out that you have to buy it. Remember, this is how songwriters make their living.

Hugh Blumenfeld, Editor
hugh@balladtree.com