inspire courage use in battle

[kpumphre]

So playing a bard and would like to do something in combat besides twiddle my thumbs as the rest of the players roll. How can I reduce inspire courage down to a move action? I know song of the white raven let's you start it as a swift action but it dissent say about maintaining it.

I know I could start it then stop and go attack for ten rounds with lingering song but looking for any other ideas. Heck even to use spells with a feat I think you can't use any that require a standard action

[MilesTiden]

... Inspire Courage only requires a standard action to start, not maintain. >_> Only ones that require concentration take up more standard actions, and that's only the Fascinate line and some of the later ones.

[Hiro Quester]

Bard spell Harmonize. 3rd level. Start bardic music as a move action. Minutes per level duration. Cast this when combat seems imminent, and there you go.

My last bard caracter was persisting this spell all day.

Edit: this is a second level spell, sorry. From Races of Stone.

Further edit:
I used it to begin most combats with both singing inspire courage and casting haste in the first round.
Then begin a different bardic music (inspire greatness) and a different std action next round.

This is made even easier by the feats melodic casting (can cast while singing, and sub a perform check for concentration check) and lingering song (songs continue to affect people for ten rounds after you stop singing).

[Douglas]

Inspire Courage by default does not have an action cost to maintain. Start it once, then do whatever else you like that doesn't involve your voice. You can't cast spells or activate spell completion/trigger or command word magic items, but there's nothing stopping you from doing a full attack every round while continuing the Inspiration, even with no feat at all. With Melodic Casting, even those restrictions go away - your music will stop if someone hits you with a Silence effect, pins you and covers your mouth, etc., but other than that there is no game mechanics reason to not maintain Inspire Courage literally all day (though your DM may rule your throat would get too sore if you actually tried it).

[kpumphre]

Oh ok I.thought you did. Which abilities require.standard action every round then.

[MilesTiden]

Fascinate, Inspire Competence, and Song of Freedom require concentration. You can also only use Suggestion/Mass Suggestion during Fascinate, so it essentially can only be used while concentrating.

[Deophaun]

(though your DM may rule your throat would get too sore if you actually tried it).
Why would my throat get sore when I'm using Perform (tapdance)?

[Starbuck_II]

Why would my throat get sore when I'm using Perform (tapdance)?

A wizard did it. He hated that bards figured out arcane cure light wound, but he can't. So he used eldritch wishes to force tap dancing to hurt your throat.

[kpumphre]

A wizard did it. He hated that bards figured out arcane cure light wound, but he can't. So he used eldritch wishes to force tap dancing to hurt your throat.

Always the wizards fault. They get jealous that everyone else can do stuff all day.