Over on “Songwriting Scene” I found an interesting argument. The controversial question is: “Can chord progressions/rhythms be plagiarized?”
Some say it’s morally fine to lift a chord progression from your own work (or someone else’s).
Others say it makes you lazy.
Still others believe that it makes you an evil, mustachio-twirling villain.
Here’s my take on this:
Use common chord progressions at will—but beware!
From the website of long-time pro songwriter Robin Frederick:
Melodies and lyrics ARE copyrighted, but, in general, the chord progressions that use I, IV, V plus a couple other familiar chords are not. C-Am-F-G belongs to everyone! What this means is that you can use this type of generic chord progression in your songs!
I am not a music lawyer, but my feeling is that (for artistic reasons at the very least) you probably shouldn’t just duplicate chord progressions note-for-note if they’re highly distinct, like the introduction to Paul Simon’s “Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover.”
Since there’s often a close relationship between chords and melody, it pays to understand this relationship from a technical perspective. Sure, you have to learn a little theory to do so, but it’s more than worth the time investment for the creative liberties you’ll gain. It’ll also give you a great framework for extending, altering, and substituting chords! Any class or book on music theory will help you get started with this. Wouldn’t it be great to know, even if only so you’ll know which chord progressions are “safe and generic” and which are not?
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Nicholas Tozier is an independent singer, songwriter, private music instructor, mustachio-twirling villain blogger, and teacher at Ampersand Academy of Dance & the Performing arts centered in Gardiner, Maine. His first album, A Game with Shifting Mirrors, is slated for self-release in Fall 2010.