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Ripping off songs from your favorite artists/influences.


Bread99

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A friend and I were recording a song one day, and I was improving the rhythm guitar, which happened to be the first track that was recorded. I improved a basic verse and chorus, but when it came time for a bridge, my mind went absolutely blank.

 

With no thinking involved, my hands churned out the riff from Barracuda by Heart. It was absolutely ridiculous. I've never listened to Heart, nor do I think I've even heard the whole song.

 

It's crazy how much the little things influence you.

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Yeah, but if you're not ripping from other people sometimes, you're not writing.

 

 

You like the music you listen to, obviously, so it makes sense that the music you write (hopefully you like that too) is going to have some of the characteristics. If a chord progression appeals to you, you're probably gonna end up emulating it sooner or later, especially if you are not trying to. It happens, and either you can let it bother you, change it to make it more your own, or just do it anyway. If some of the greatest songwriters of our time, AND the greats of the past, can get away with it, then I don't think it should be a problem.

 

Now if you do it purposefully, thats completely different.

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i spend a lot of my writing time "avoiding" melodies which have already been taken in whatever chord progression i am working with ... most of the problems are short "runs" that echo another bit of a song too much

 

it's very frustrating, and sometimes i can swear i know a song sounds just like what mine is sounding like, but can't put my finger on it

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I remember copying an Arcade Fire song note for note. It was... uh I can't remember. I don't even like them very much, just listened to their album a couple of times.


I'm paranoid of copying other people's music (to an extent that it becomes unoriginal), so mabye all the music I listen to often and love, I don't copy because I am subconsciously avoiding copying them, whereas, with a less familiar piece of music I will forget about it and not bother tyring to avoid copying it?


errrr i think that might have came out wrong, but its random and pretty pointless.

 

 

My thing is not necessarily stealing note for note, but more concepts behind songs. Like if I hear a beautiful string arrangement on an album, I'll want to do the same...but I listen closely to the intervals used and how everything fits in the context of that song. I then copy that formula and move from there.

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