Unintentional similarities

Hello! I have a dilemma: It is quite possible that your own original music may sound very similar to some other music out there. We all use simple chord progressions, most of the time. We all create in similar musical genres, and often need to do so; similar rhythmic patterns, and so on. It’s always a similar feel. So could someone accuse any of us of plagiarism (unintentional plagiarism of course)?

Hello imilimkovic! Have a look at this:

http://wiki.envato.com/category/selling/copyright-selling/

This should be a nice start to answer some questions for you.

And Welcome.

Yeah, what Shelties said. Welcome.

I think the most dangerous place in copyright territory is the hook. CHord progressions are usually what makes a genre what it is, or the intervallic relationships between the chords. I wouldn’t worry about that as much as the melody of your track. There are so many songs that wouldn’t exist if people worried about that, and no genres would be defined because the first person to copyright it would make it impossible for anyone else to write a song like it.

Here’s something to get your gears turning on the whole idea:

[OLD LINK REMOVED ] Had to moderate myself. Old link NSFW . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrFjVmToozk

That’ll make you laugh and if you’re familiar with the songs probably be a little surprised at the fact that they don’t all immediately connect. We’re all selling cake, it’s just how good is the frosting, what sprinkles we use and so on.

One more thing….

Getting back to intervallic relationships… Even if a song isn’t in the same key, if the relationship between the chords are, you can still have similarities. For example, singers often have songs transposed to a different key to allow them to stay in their register. Same song, just a different key. We’re all playing the same notes, it’s the individual character we impart that makes it ours. Sorry for talking your ear off.

Haha :)) Great Video Rob… Thanks for this

Yes, I would agree that it’s mainly about the melody, because no one can copyright a chord progression, but even a melody can be changed to make it sound differently, I guess it’s a combination of chords/melody/arrangement in 2 tracks that gives a feeling of similarity and/or plagiarism.

Here’s one funny but interesting fact that I know from when I was studying in the Conservatory: one student composer took a famous Classical composition (Rachmaninoff Concerto) and rewrote it backwards for a graduation exam, it sounded completely different, and no one could recognize it, he just admitted this after graduating :)))

Well, just to be on the safe line, make only Free Jazz.

Yes, actually with playing free jazz you should be safe! Cool advice, Mihai Unfortunately, it doesn`t sell, sad but true…

Four chords – totally true! I-V-VI-IV and round and around…

And about that student who retrograded Rachmaninoff – now that’s funny. I wonder how did he/she actually get anything musically meaningful that way.

Anyway, concerning copyright, I see your point. Thanks

After all, we all share only 12 notes

imilinkovic said
After all, we all share only 12 notes

...Well maybe there’s your problem! I’m sure you’ll be safe if you start using microtones

I commonly see unexceptional views. Thanks for sharing this nice post with us. You have a good write up!

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