copyright chord progression?

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guttadaj

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I've read that the only thing one copyrights when copyrighting a song is the melody (most often the vocal line) and that the chord progression or music underneath can't be copyrighted... This didn't sound logical to me - what if I took an Enya or Yanni ;) musical song and slapped some lyrics on it? Could I then sell that? I would think (and hope!) not.

I suck big-time at writing lyrics, and most of the stuff I write is just music/riffs in the form of a song, and I can usually picture where vocals would go. I used to be in a band and my guitarists and I (bassist) would usually write the song's music and then we'd present it to our singer/lyricist. We'd tell him we were thinking that this would be the verse/pre-chorus/chorus/bridge/solo part/whatever to get him thinking generally on our wavelength and then we'd let him loose on it. So, until I can figure out why I suck so bad a lyric/melody writing, I'm still doing that kind of songwriting. :rolleyes: :)

If I want to post something say on the MP3 clinic though for people to critique, how do I know someone's not just gonna swipe my music and put lyrics to it and call it theirs? (Not that my stuff's that good, but in case I hit on something... :D) Can I somehow copyright the "groove/riffs/music" of my song?

Thanks,
-Jeff
 
Nope, absolutely true. Melody and lyrics. You can also copyright an arrangement, and a score... but a chord progression, integral as it may be to an arrangement, is not protected.

That's why all those bebop guys could take tin pan alley chord changes and write new lines over the top - there was nothing to protect the chord progressions.

Besides, it's highly unlikely that whatever chord progression you've got hasn't been used already...

As to the groove - same thing. That's why Bo Diddley isn't a bazillionaire - he couldn't copyright the Bo Diddley beat.

A riff is a melody, though. So copyrightable. And a performance (your recording) is copyrightable - that's why you can't just sample whatever pop hit you want and throw your song/rap over the top without copyright clearance.

I dunno how protected your stuff is here, but posting it with a copyright notice will help establish a point-in-time when you claimed the copyright, as long as HRBBS remains alive and fully archived...

Daf
 
Writing Tricks!

guttadaj said:
I've read that the only thing one copyrights when copyrighting a song is the melody (most often the vocal line) and that the chord progression or music underneath can't be copyrighted... This didn't sound logical to me - what if I took an Enya or Yanni ;) musical song and slapped some lyrics on it? Could I then sell that? I would think (and hope!) not.

I suck big-time at writing lyrics, and most of the stuff I write is just music/riffs in the form of a song, and I can usually picture where vocals would go. I used to be in a band and my guitarists and I (bassist) would usually write the song's music and then we'd present it to our singer/lyricist. We'd tell him we were thinking that this would be the verse/pre-chorus/chorus/bridge/solo part/whatever to get him thinking generally on our wavelength and then we'd let him loose on it. So, until I can figure out why I suck so bad a lyric/melody writing, I'm still doing that kind of songwriting. :rolleyes: :)

If I want to post something say on the MP3 clinic though for people to critique, how do I know someone's not just gonna swipe my music and put lyrics to it and call it theirs? (Not that my stuff's that good, but in case I hit on something... :D) Can I somehow copyright the "groove/riffs/music" of my song?

Thanks,
-Jeff
Click to expand...
Jeff, here's some tricks recommended to me that I use and I'm sure they'll work for you if you try them out. Record your chord progression into some type of recording device, preferably a mobile one. Then play it back and just start humming or use vowel sounds, la la la or etc. to this chord progression. Something may not come right away but it will if you keep at it. And lyrics, there are a few lyric books in the bookstores that have hit song lyrics. Read the lyrics, try to analyze them, song format, how the composer tells his story etc. You'll also notice lyrics don't necessarily sound that great without the music, even hit song lyrics. Try these steps and I guarantee you'll see a difference in your writing!
 
You'll also notice lyrics don't necessarily sound that great without the music, even hit song lyrics.

That may be generally true today, but go back and look at songs from the 50's and 60's.

Some that immediately come to mind:

"Lipstick On Your Collar"

"Five O'Clock World"

"Eyes of a New York Woman"

"I Want To Hold Your Hand"

All of these stand up well, just as words on a page.

Why? Because they tell a story. Beginning to end.

You may be able to produce a gazillion-selling record with nothing but drug-induced ramblings for lyrics, but when was the last time you heard someone whistling/humming/singing "Instant Karma" or "Smells Like Teen Spirit"?

There are still some good story songs being written in the "pop" and "country" worlds; check out "Skater Boi" by Avril Lavigne or just about anything on country radio.

Of course it's not necessary for a song to tell a story in order to be "great"; there are plenty of good songs out there that are about nothing more than a great day or a great lay.

But it's the story songs that people want to hear 30 years later (can you say catalog sales?)
 
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