Thanks for your post BlueToad. You are right, I have no music theory what so ever. However I have no trouble coming up with a I-IV-V chord change, 12 bar progression etc. not unlike Lauen (see above) and then words. Or conversely, I'll write words then the music. Think how many songs have the same three chords, yet the count, and the tune will be entirely different from song to song.I do understand this is what music notation is for, yet, playing by ear, I need something a bit more accommodating. I can't be alone in this dilemma. What do others of you who are self taught do? How do you write your music so that when you play the song it sounds as it did when you wrote it?