6 Ways to Use Incredible Chord Progressions (and not get sued)

[@MorrisLess]

Here's my strategy: You're unlikely to get sued over a chord progression, but melodies will get you all the time. There are very few truly new melodies. So my trick is to copy from public domain material. Hundreds of years of classical, folk, and popular music should provide you all the melodies you need. Just remember to make a note of the public domain source you're copying ((you may be able to defend the song anyway, but it your attorney fees should be a lot lower). Copyright protects against copying--so our good teachers' ideas will not necessarily work. But copyright does not prohibit coming up with the same melody--if you can prove that you came up with it independently or you took it from the public domain. It's hard to prove independent development, but easy to show a public domain source.

[@tammieschiller397]

where can i find such a website with material i need for melodies? please do tell..i'm a newbie aspiring song-writer

[@NiechoBGCSL]

I was so glad the court case was found in his favour. And equally glad that he had the musical theory knowledge to play examples and explain the situation. Many folks are all "That's my music!"-- but chords are finite with only a little over 4k possible chords combinations. This would have been a nightmare had he lost, had he never written songs again. And imagine the number of lawsuits that would have followed later! Any time I hear someone claim "X stole my song!" it makes me ask, "Where did you get the idea, and where did they get the idea? And so forth and so forth and so forth ad nauseum.

[@misberave]

Its literally ridiculous to even file this lawsuit

[@homedisbauxat]

"Come Together" was based on Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me". John just copies Berry's song, Paul suggested to slow it down.

[@acousticmonkey2209]

Thank you, was going to say this 🙂

[@liquidsolids9415]

Your videos are getting better and better. This was a fantastic lesson, well thought-out and delivered. Thank you!

[@htws]

As always, thanks for your amazing support! Glad you’re enjoying the content

[@maeannaconover4558]

I read content as concert lol @@htws

[@burtcocain1986]

Hi guys, just want to thank you. I'm 37 and I've been trying to write songs for over a decade with very mixed results, mostly bad. Over the weekend I had the bright idea to do object writing in the field, literally and figuratively. I went out and wrote about what I saw on my dog walk, then I went to the pub and just says and described stuff and people. Ended up making some new friends and also, I ended up writing a song. It all comes so much easier when you just connect your visual cortex with I guess the cerebral cortex and the motor functions and whatnot, because suddenly it was like switching the tap on. I've used a good bunch of tools from you guys and Pat P and... Wow! I'm actually writing songs. So I'll be buying your Udemy course this week. Seems a safe bet for the money. Can't wait to produce my own songs, too. Been learning production for almost as long and I'm much better at that. Dream come true. Always wanted to be able to do this and now I can!

[@htws]

Ian, this comment is EVERYTHING. Thank you for taking the time to write. It means A LOT, and I am thrilled for you!

[@dpwaldman3145]

I’ve been saving up quite a few links for How To Write Songs, and this is the first video that I’ve dived into and experienced. Very good stuff, thanks!! Down for more!

[@jmbworldpilgrimage]

Are you the lead guitarist of Awarehouse band?!?! I love those guys!

[@dpwaldman3145]

Yes I am. Thanks very much!@@jmbworldpilgrimage

[@charlesvachon5838]

Interestingly enough Lennon was taken to task by Chuck Berry for using as inspiration "You can't catch me for "Come together" and admitted to it & made restitution ... so Marvin where did you get your"s? ... I think we may need to have a seance for this one!

[@unstabilizer]

Man I press like on your videos before I even watch them and I'm never disappointed! Thanks for all you guys do!

[@judahmashup]

i rarely make a song based on other songs intentionally. is there a way to check if my song is similar to a song i maybe never knew before?

[@MiriamEHC]

Great video, as always! Just wanted to share a quick note in case it’s helpful - starting at 10:25 when you list your inversions, the screen says A/C# and B/D#, but I think it should say Ab/C and Bb/D. I think you verbally describe them correctly but the labels on the screen are a half step off. Thanks as always for your incredibly thoughtful and practical resources!

[@matthewhardy8943]

Y’all are my hero’s for teaching us how to make better music!!!!

[@BrianOboylemusic]

Best lesson I’ve found so far on this .. thank you this helps me so much !!

[@cheribarkman1784]

Thank you.

[@acs2727]

I LOVE your videos! I’m a solo British songwriter (not artist), in LA, and wondered if you ever do any co-writing/give song feedback/help with development? I have been stuck in a peculiar songwriting rut for the last 8 months (too many great ideas/self doubt with commitment) and really want to get out of it! Please let me know if you could help or if you ever collaborate. Thank you, Archie

[@glennmorrissey2529]

I am really, really enjoying your videos, they explain ver well and are also good fun. Thanks.

[@ADAMSIVES]

Great video. Thanks. I learn so much

[@Daniels_Rose-3.7]

You are a reservoir of inspiration thank you so mush

[@olivarionline]

Great video as usual, although somewhat ironically (this is from Wikipedia): In late 1969, "Come Together" was the subject of a copyright infringement claim brought against Lennon by Big Seven Music, the publisher of Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me".[46] Morris Levy, the owner of Big Seven Music, contended that it sounded similar musically to Berry's original and shared some lyrics (Lennon sang: "Here come ol' flattop, he come groovin' up slowly", and Berry's had sung: "Here come a flattop, he was movin' up with me"). Before recording, Lennon and McCartney deliberately slowed the song down and added a heavy bass riff in order to make the song more original.[47]

[@Robowx]

The only thing about come together was that the opening line was the same as Lennon wanted to pay homage to Chuck Berry. The melody is not the same.

[@EclecticHillbilly]

Lennon wound up having to record a Chuck Berry song on every album he did later on. Chuck was smart enough to know that settlement would get him more money in the long run.

[@gypsydavy708]

@@Robowx I disagree. The verse melody is the same. The chorus however is completely different.

[@August_Hall]

At about 11m 45 the F (IV) chord is described as haveing two chords that can be substiuted by chords with a similar function or simialr notes. One of these was D Minor (II), but does anybody know what the second one is? I can only work it out as Am (vi) because it A minor has an A and C note, which F also has. Since the Aminor has a "home" feeling like C, how can it have a "departure" feeling like F major - eek!

[@feldsparsongs2331]

Ed got sued by the wrong artist/ estate - have a listen to Crazy Love by Van Morrison and tell me that’s too a close call!

[@emmanuelakena5365]

He would have 100% lost the case to Crazy Love

[@trioguitar]

Timely!

[@mistervacation23]

Yeah, I got a new tune in composition entitled "The Thrill." And it goes somethin' like this: "I stand on the hill, not for a thrill, but for the breath of a fresh kill. Never mind the man who contemplates doin' away with license plates. He stands alone, anyhow, bakin' the cookies of discontent by the heat of the laundromat vent. Leavin' his soul!" Then like in poetry I go dot-dot-dot, you know, kinda off center, then I drop down and then I go: "Leavin' his soul! And partin' the waters of the medulla oblongata of - -brrrrrr! - -mankind

[@Endless_Skyway_Adventures]

You can’t copyright harmony.

[@TheSwatmachine]

Exceptionally well done!

[@polmorgan3533]

I Guess I'm a bit odd, I just learned chords then started writing I have never learned any cover songs or the parts played by my ''heroes'' I think think makes me original in my style but god knows if its any good haha.

[@oilinmyface787]

You got stuff online already ?

[@polmorgan3533]

@@oilinmyface787 Just one tune so far kzbin.info/www/bejne/roStdKeJiLCVbbc

[@joeschultz74]

Beethoven took the entire theme for the ninth Symphony from an obscure piece by Mozart. It was considered an homage, and he developed it to the nth degree while Mozart didn’t really know what to do with it, or didn’t care which is more likely. Back then it was considered OK I came up with this if someone wants to take it to the next level great I’m moving on to something else.

[@martoneill]

Yet another wonderful lesson - thank you

[@htws]

Ha - I think they were probably very confident they would be fine. The real test of copyright infringement in this case is whether it can be proved that the writer was specifically listening to that song during the process of writing (or something like that), which is a really hard thing to prove!

[@josephmartino9958]

The be boppers did something like that in the 40's and came up with a whole new sound...possibly foreshadowing rock&roll...?

[@harrisbeatsfrankou6304]

Any progression and rhythm can be re-used. The Stairway to Heaven chords are in Feelings, Masquerade, and Hundreds of classics. The whole Stairway to Heaven and Ed Sheerin cases were just a failure of the legal system...to have even reached Court!

[@douglasmikes]

Come Together and Heard it through the grapevine are not really close at all. Both Lennon, McCartney and Chuck Berry himself notably called out that “You Cant Catch Me” was the template for the Abbey Road track. Its fairly obvious. Your lesson comment about slowing the tempo is the one that could apply here. The similar chord progression, not so much

[@jboogzthaproducer119]

pivotal video!

[@donPmusic]

John Lennon stole Come Together from Chuck Berry’s ‘You Can’t Catch Me’. Paul McCartney pointed this out to John and slowed the song down with a different groove. They kept Chuck’s lyric ‘ you come on flat top’.

[@DarbyOgill-pf8mm]

As long as you make one tiny change is all you need.

[@SeansMusicHunt]

I've been watching your channel for a little over a week and the fact that you refer to the Beatles as the best songwriters will continue to keep me coming back. 😂 If I were listening to someone teach me how to write songs and they didn't understand that the Beatles of the best, I would simply have to click away

[@Robowx]

It’s not chord progressions, it’s the melody

[@mistervacation23]

Melody and tune is your trade you're a tunesmith

[@Robowx]

@@mistervacation23 The melody is what’s copyrighted.

[@musicproductionvideos5019]

@@Robowx They are suing for "likeness" these days. Trying to create a new revenue stream... and it's BS.

[@playahayta421]

But the melody over a certain progression right?

[@thesword-sapdog322]

Man.. there are only so many usable chords. Surely, by now.. there are no more new progressions to be found... and FTW

[@sayithigher]

Sade "By your side" similar to "Whiter shade of pale"

[@thethornhero]

Why should anyone get to "own" chord progression? Yeah, people will copy certain things from time to time but geez saying you own a chord progression? Pretty ridiculous if you ask me.

[@EclecticHillbilly]

The first time I heard the Ed Sheeran song, I came in a non singing part and I thought it was What's Going On, which I've heard for decades, until Ed started to sing. He took more than the progression, for that part of the song he also took the tempo, the instrumentation and the dynamics. At best, it's lazy songwriting.

[@lebe220]

And he copied Van Morrison´s Crazy Love"

[@alfredromero4784]

Oh come on it's heard all over la Bamba twist& shout. Even Quincy Jones for Michael Jackson

[@zaphodbeebleprox5043]

Stealing chords is not okay... how should the original musican play the song if a chord is missing... 🤔

[@RockG.o.d]

I don't think its correct to teach that you learn chord progressions from other song writers. you initially learn playing songs you like, but eventually you learn what a chord progression is, and its more than an artists song. Its an ingredient you use to make music. You don't make a pie with apples and meat, they are ingredients you can use, but you make a choice on what you use.

[@charlessmyth]

Be like Vince Clarke (Erasure) and Muddy Waters: Don't use chords. Sorted :-)

[@PeterPine]

could you play an original song of yours?

[@Lexilea68]

She writes one on this channel entitled, "5 Simple Steps to Write Your First Song". ;)

[@thesword-sapdog322]

It's just that sometimes all I need is the air that I breathe and to shove you. 😶 What?

[@gregoryhaddock5395]

creepy

[@thesword-sapdog322]

@Gregory Haddock 😄 mission accomplished.. 😶

[@tonyrapa-tonyrapa]

Great video. I hope Ed's team is watching!

[@dmartinezguitarart]

come on folks, there are a finite number of chords and notes, billions of songs have been written since the beginning of mankind. Are you going to tell me there are no cross similarities in any of them????

[@MarkVincentCabo]

Steal like an artist

[@migueldemaria3830]

Really great video--also just goes to show how much of a ripoff Sheeran's song was, sorry.

[@kraigosu1003]

Nope

[@gasparucciox9706]

everybody steal chords all time , this is the story of popular music