Stolen Riffs

The saYer

The saYer

thrashermetaller
Aug 17, 2003
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this one is for the musicians.

When you have written music, how do you know that there is no band that has written the exact same stuff as you and already released it. I know You guys are very familiar with almost everything that is out there, but there is no way to be sure you havent written for example the same riffs as some russian thrash band or something.
 
totally no way of knowing really.i guess its probably happened at some point that two bands have released the same song at the same time with a similar riff in it.there are only so many riffs to play on a guitar.
having that unintentionally happen is one thing.its when another band hears your stuff and then uses it on thier own songs.thats when it really bites.

i'd say loads of bands,when they first start out as young musicians,probably write similar riffs.we all start working from one base of influence or another.its as musicians mature that they start coming up with thier own sound,style and riffs etc.
 
hahahaha I actually can be 99 percent sure that everything I have personally written is original nobody has my certain song writing sense ..... but on the other hand I have had guitar players that have pretty much stole a riff and made it into new songs we have had 3 or 4 of those in the past lol it happens its what music is about borrowing hahaha .... everybody does it from time to time I mean shit the 1% I wasnt sure About on my music was the Stolen Steve Harris Gallop I do :)
 
We have all heard a band play a riff that is way to similar to another. I think Maiden had been ripped off the most. Some bands copy the sound rather than be creative with a new form, sad isn't it?
 
This ever happen to you?.. You write this killer riff, the guys in the band are gonna love it!! So at the next practice you whip it out on them, knowing that this is going to be the best song ever when it's done. But as you're playing the riff your drummer starts singing "Master, Master... where's the dreams that I've been after" !!!!!! FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!! You've just written another Metallica song. :) Man, I've done that a thousand times..... pisses me off! And I'm not just talking about Metallica, I've "written" some great Dio and ELO songs also. along with a million other bands. :grin:
 
Greeno said:
This ever happen to you?.. You write this killer riff, the guys in the band are gonna love it!! So at the next practice you whip it out on them, knowing that this is going to be the best song ever when it's done. But as you're playing the riff your drummer starts singing "Master, Master... where's the dreams that I've been after" !!!!!! FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!! You've just written another Metallica song. :) Man, I've done that a thousand times..... pisses me off! And I'm not just talking about Metallica, I've "written" some great Dio and ELO songs also. along with a million other bands. :grin:
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hahahah!!OH, yeah! I've seen it happen a few times at practice. Although the last band made every riff sound like either Diamond or Mercyful Fate.
 
Greeno said:
This ever happen to you?.. You write this killer riff, the guys in the band are gonna love it!! So at the next practice you whip it out on them, knowing that this is going to be the best song ever when it's done. But as you're playing the riff your drummer starts singing "Master, Master... where's the dreams that I've been after" !!!!!! FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!! You've just written another Metallica song. :) Man, I've done that a thousand times..... pisses me off! And I'm not just talking about Metallica, I've "written" some great Dio and ELO songs also. along with a million other bands. :grin:
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hahahahahahahahaahaa that hasnt happened to me but I have been the one doing the singing along before :grin:
 
yep.happens to us too.
last time was in practise a month or so ago.the boys started playing a riff and i couldnt help but sing hit n run by def leppard cause the riff was exactly the same as that song.how we laughed.and then got worried cause we were playing stuff like def leppard.

you hear it all the time anyway,with other bands.i always thought it funny that metallica did a song on load or reload that had that really well know riff by stone temple pilots sex type thing in it.i wondered if they did it on purpose.
 
There's a lot of riffs on a guitar. You can cover four octaves on a 24 fret, which is 8x4 = 32 notes.

Let's say you want to write a four-note riff, one bar of common time. There are 32^4 = 1,048,576 possible combinations.

Now let's make it interesting, and say that each note could have one of two rhythm values. There are now 32^2 = 1,024 notes to choose from. And your four-note riff could now be one of 1024^4 = 1,099,511,627,776 different combinations.

And that's only with a very simple configuration. Throw in three rhythm values or allow three or five notes per riff as well, and it balloons even further. Bottom line: There are more possible riffs, even very basic ones, than there are people who have picked up a guitar since the instrument was invented. LOTS more.
 
lord667 said:
There's a lot of riffs on a guitar. You can cover four octaves on a 24 fret, which is 8x4 = 32 notes.

Let's say you want to write a four-note riff, one bar of common time. There are 32^4 = 1,048,576 possible combinations.

Now let's make it interesting, and say that each note could have one of two rhythm values. There are now 32^2 = 1,024 notes to choose from. And your four-note riff could now be one of 1024^4 = 1,099,511,627,776 different combinations.
.
Click to expand...

:hypno:

Where's my calculater.... uummm.. let's see, carry the 4.... yep, he's right. :)
 
so, it sounds like most of you are ok with "borrowing", but I bet you guys have written some song that is very original, and you are proud of and woulndt. want anyone to steal it, I mean, I have one, but I would think twice before putting it on a demo.
 
The saYer said:
so, it sounds like most of you are ok with "borrowing", but I bet you guys have written some song that is very original, and you are proud of and woulndt. want anyone to steal it, I mean, I have one, but I would think twice before putting it on a demo.
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if you do put it on a demo sayer,just make sure you copyright it.its not expensive-then you can sue the motherfucker who nicks it! :grin:
 
I do it all of the time, though it is unintentional. There are onlt so may combinations of chords/notes that sound good together. It's especially difficult on acoustic to write something unique. I like to make acoustic intros, but prefer the open chords when possible as they have a more full sound to them, but all the cool chord progressions have been used to death.
I have found te best way to keep your Em C D sounding different than every other Tom, Dick and Harry's Em C and D is to find unique ways to phrase and/or pick the chords. There is too much music out there to be totally original, so finding your own way of playing the same chord progressions everyone plays is the best trick.


Bryant
 
baldyboy said:
if you do put it on a demo sayer,just make sure you copyright it.its not expensive-then you can sue the motherfucker who nicks it! :grin:
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I may be wrong, but I've been under the impression that unless you're huge, it's usually very hard to sue over someone stealing your stuff. :-\

But still, it can't hurt, and as you said, it's not expensive.
 
does that mail to yourself trick work?
what about the demo thing, I mean, is it worth getting out there, waiting for a really big unexpected break, or never using it at all?
 
The saYer said:
does that mail to yourself trick work?
what about the demo thing, I mean, is it worth getting out there, waiting for a really big unexpected break, or never using it at all?
Click to expand...

I was told by some of the people on alt.uk.legal that the mailing-to-yourself trick is defeatable by a very good lawyer. Basically, they claim that you mailed yourself an open, empty envelope, waited for something you wanted to rip off, re-recorded it, popped it in the envelope, and hey presto, falsified evidence. The reason it takes a very good lawyer to make this accusation is that it reeks of bullshit and usually has absolutely no evidence to back it.

I can only speak for me, but it's worth getting my demos out there even if I never get a "big break", just for the joy of putting out music for people to hear and criticise. I didn't spend ages writing and recording the stuff for it to just languish on my hard drive.
 
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