General Music Chat

Cause We've Ended As Lovers" might be the most beautiful tune on earth,

Like Jook says, chord progressions are NOT copyrightable. Melodies are, and the general feel-sound of the melody with it (in other words if you change the beat values of the notes, you may get away with it). The current suit against Ed Sheeran, they actually have a note-by-note comparison chart with his song and the one he ripped it off from.

I knew that at least 32 years ago, that chord progressions are not copyrightable, did'n't need him telling me something I knew , now it's your turn, is the tunes off Blow by Blow copyrightable? since they are chord progressions?

oh and the part about naievete.. I've seen more experiences then he could even imagine in his dreams.!... do I need to boast about them to be considered worldly? LMAO

Chords no, melody (even if it is a guitar lead) - yes. That;s what the whole Stairway to Heaven suit is about - a descending bass line and chords, not a melody - and why it will most likely be thrown out of court.

you know, I rarely let anybody here get my dander up, but one of the "regulars" who posts here, messaged me on the soundcloud message system with a blistering message, about how I am considered naive, but ye,t a good ole joe, and that I should be almost in a rage because of allowing a member here to trample underfoot an original chord progression, or perhaps a real tune? BUT WITH A MELODY ANYBODY minimally musically inclined can whistle quite easily after a few listens.. and yet, when I hear the guy's version from memphis when he is good and "ready", sounds nothing like the melody on Coltrane's Dream, so why is said individual harping on me, claiming it to be a travesty, when the two tunes only share a few chord progressions somewhere about in the middle of both tunes, and yes, the chords do sound similar but so what? the two tunes share very few characteristics otherwise?.. I might download my recording software soon, and I will upload me whistling the melody of Coltranes's Dream, and then if the bastard child is still on the other guy's player, give it a listen a few times to hear the melody and anybody can whistle the melody and see they are two entirely different tunes.. people borrow from others all the time, what's the fuss? and as if anybody's gonna make a dime or a nickel on either tune anyhow..

in other words, I don't want or need to be lectured to by anybody here..if I choose to believe that certain members here are not to be considered as adversaries and that I am naive for not seeing this, and I am again so naive for letting somebody getting over on me, by allowing them to murder my tune, then I say bull.. nobody here is stealing anything from anybody..

I hope this feud or whatever it is goes away fast. I'm not enjoying reading this stuff, guys.

Bunk!

I don't need a mother, don't need a psychiatrist, don't need a mentor, don't need a theologian, don't need an analyst, don't need a psychologist, don't need a musicologist, don't need a spiritual advisor, don't need somebody to tell me who is acceptable and who is not, don't need to tell me who my adversaries are in this world, I decide that with my yes and my no.. I-Ching ..I will never become suspicious of somebody simply because they are looking for Memphis area musicians..

Look, if you could copyright a chord progression there would only be about 8 songs.

It is the melody and lyrics that make a song. You can sing an infinite number of melodies to a 12 bar blues song....which has the exact same chord progression as an infinite number of other 12 bar blues songs.

Maybe you've seen this video about 4 chord songs that use the same progression?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpB_40hYjXU

so all the tunes off Blow by Blow can not be copyrighted because there are no lyrics?

I'm no lawyer, but there is such a thing as plagiarism--both conscious and unconscious (if George Harrison were still around, he could explain it)--that tends to look at works as a whole, basing impressions on intent. That's why those cases are heard by juries.

If you have a hankering for Stevie Wonder's "Cause We've Ended As Lovers," I might be inclined to produce the piano track. Have a chart for it around here somewheres. Haven't played it in years, but that doesn't matter.

so all the tunes off Blow by Blow can not be copyrighted because there are no lyrics?

There are melodies - as played by the guitar or keyboards! It's not all chords.