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"stealing" a melody
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YANTRA
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
66
Posts :
166
Posted : Oct 31, 2006 17:06
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hi folks,
This subject might hv been discussed here before but since is a bit "abstract" it might be cool to listen some opinions.
Let's say that u take the melody of one of the tracks u like and use a similar based mid file in one of your tracks. U dont need to be the same, i mean, probabilly if u make a good job it cant even be noticed that the basements of the notes/chords/scales beein played are the same/or similar as the one that u hv "copied". let s say u criate a whole different story on your track, with different synthlines and another atmosphere. Do you think this is still "stealing" melodies? Something to consider is that the melodies u are "stealing" might hv beeind produced using others melodies as model as well, or source, so this would be "stealing" too.. Many artists take some of their chords based on classical stuff, jazz, or any music style older( much older ) than electronic music, so..
Would u like to share some opinions? |
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Get-a-fix
Getafix
Started Topics :
147
Posts :
1441
Posted : Oct 31, 2006 17:26
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I think this is more a case of a melody being inspired by another rather than being stolen..As long as it's not a blatant rip-off then i guess you have nothing to worry about..
 http://www.soundcloud.com/getafixmusic |
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Zeyon
Started Topics :
1
Posts :
145
Posted : Oct 31, 2006 17:35
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Agree with S-Cube, just don't copy others stuff completely, then I think it's ok..
//Zeyon. |
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Tomos
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
84
Posts :
981
Posted : Oct 31, 2006 19:14
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I've been playing the piano for years and I still find it hard to hear pitch correctly. So for me, copying a melody is virtually impossible and it wastes so much time. I usually just keep a tune in my head I like and make it up as I go along. |
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Psynaesthesian
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
30
Posts :
557
Posted : Oct 31, 2006 19:38
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Right On S-Cube (BTW congrats on becoming Artist Of The Month  )
There is a very thin line (grey area) between "stealing" a melody and being "inspired" by one!!
The grey area may be considerably enlarged by adding alot more of "You" in the track!!
But overall, i don't think there is any harm done!!
There are only 7 notes in the musical scale after all!!
B'om Shankara!!
"... b'om ..." |
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soulfood
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
875
Posted : Oct 31, 2006 22:39
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Well if it doesnt sound the same... then it doesnt sound the same.
To my knowledge if you blatantly steal a melody and make some cash out of it, you are gonna be in trouble. Chord progressions however arent protected by law and can be ripped, re-used and overdone as much as can be.
But there's loads of melodies out there that hint at others. I think some people in the past have changed as much as one note and got away with it... i.e Vanilla Ice maybe? |
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Inner Demon
Started Topics :
6
Posts :
321
Posted : Nov 1, 2006 01:09
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soulfood is right on with his comments.
Seriously, relax, because really stealing a melody is difficult, since that implies that exactly the same notes are used and that it sounds exactly the same too.
Listen to a lot of music and you'll soon notice that there are tons of songs that have similar melodies, change a note here and there, and with different sounds in different contexts and it is therefore new stuff.
This is how all art works, but I notice that a lot of people harbor the misunderstanding that you must create stuff from scratch all the time to be inventive - utterly misguided.
"Those who are not willing to imitate anything, produce nothing" - Salvador Dali
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Saf
Started Topics :
5
Posts :
210
Posted : Nov 1, 2006 02:10
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I hear a lot of pop music using almost exact notes from Kraftwerk songs lately, and I wonder if it is on purpose or inevitable that that happens.
Madonna comes to mind as one, in her Track 'Music'. |
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Kane
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
23
Posts :
1772
Posted : Nov 1, 2006 02:24
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I hear a lot of stuff that i think very well could be copied from another artist, although no one OWNS a melody or a rhythm..
on one hand I think it just shows that you aren't creative on your own,
but on the other I'd say that throwing something similar to another artists work shows a sort of homage and appreciation for their work on occassion.. |
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psytheriatsunami
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
29
Posts :
570
Posted : Nov 3, 2006 06:32
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i once "copied" a Paul V Dyke tune. but i made it unconciently..... i felt very disapointed when i discovered that i made this cause i thought the tune was my invention and the worst is that the PVDs songs was better, i used to like my song but now i hated it |
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Afterstate
Started Topics :
0
Posts :
5
Posted : Nov 3, 2006 16:43
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Good topic Yantra as using other tracks audio based loops and MIDI files are one of the most common things you see around any music production studio ...
But there's a very thin line that separates the use of a MIDI file as a learning tool and consenquently an inspiration for you to start your own work, and the total copy of a prepared MIDI file into your track ... specially the melody and chord progression that where you really see how deep the musician is into music theory abstraction ...
Some very busy "business" music producers say that they would never survive in the business without using other people's work ... what I don't agree but know that they'll will never make any album schedule without doing it ...
This time has never been so good for any home based music producer with all the technology we have available, but what I've seen in the electronic music world is a lot of people wanting to get phat tunes without in fact learning how to do it ... and this takes several years ...
I think is cool to learn from somebody else's work ... get the tricks ... strive to get into the same level, but music and melody is pure feeling and emotion ... you got to have your own if you really want to express yourself ... but if you want to be a cover ... you know the tools ...
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Saf
Started Topics :
5
Posts :
210
Posted : Nov 4, 2006 07:09
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I got a midi of music from the game Megaman and I was remixing it
I gradually took all the Megaman stuff out because I got sick of it, and the track is all my stuff now. Good inspiration though.
Also the fucking thing is 175bpm thanks to the original midi. |
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