Hello, I'm new to these forums, and pretty new to composing, too. Whenever I write a melody for a song, I always worry that someone out there may have already written that exact same melody, just by chance. And you can't exactly Google a melody to see if it already exists (as far as I know). I'm not sure if this is a common concern, or if I'm just being paranoid. I was wondering if you folks here could gimme a hand and tell me if some of the songs I've made sound like other songs that have already been made by other people. Even if they have, I'd certainly rest easier knowing. And if they haven't, you guys can tell me what's wrong with them and why they suck! Anyway, I attached the two melodies I've written that I'm most worried about (especially that second one). Let me know what you think! I hope this is the right part of the forum for this sort of thing...

I've heard things similar to the melodies you've posted, but they're not the same melodies. To the best of my knowledge, they're your own works, so don't fret over it too much.

Yeah you're fine dude. A lot of the time you think you have plagiarized because you've listened to your melody so many times that it sounds oddly familiar to you.

Welcome to Ichigo's! ^_^

I haven't heard of them before so I think you are all right, and they were actually pretty good, keep on composing!

Eh, I remember when I was composing a battle song. I was pretty sure some parts sounded like FF. But as PorcheGTIII said, that is because you've listened to it many times.

Now I look back at that song, and sounds so horrible that I know there's no way in hell that could sound like FF.

all composers copy ideas from each other- whether a chord progression or even a specific fragment of a melody.

example Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu has a section that is virtually lifted straight out of the 3rd movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata

so if Chopin can do it, then i'd say its allowed =P

Wow, thanks guys! I actually feel a lot better!

all composers copy ideas from each other- whether a chord progression or even a specific fragment of a melody.


Yeah, I sort of subconsciously copied a chord progression from my solo and ensemble piece which was "Il Pleure Dans Mon Coeur" by Debussy when I wrote my string quartet. Furthermore, I accidentally copied the melody "Oath to Order" from Majora's Mask when I was little and I was writing a song for piano XD. It's all good. I made both of them my own (although neither of them are obviously as well used as in their original places at this point). Don't fret about it.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y107/Fish_Wet/chopbeet.jpg

there you go- proof. chopin fantasie on the left, beethoven moonlight on the right.

I think that worry sometimes is normal between composers. And I have never heard anything alike to those two melodies. I don't think you should worry much of it.

Plagiarism is something that happen often accidentally as intentionally. Most of time is because the music stayed in the sub-conscious of the mind. And the composer may end with something similar of what heard before or even with the same notes. Or maybe ended with the same idea that someone else had, accidentally! And I saw a case like that. Where two composers had the same melodic pattern and neither of them heard the music of the other before.

And sometimes is hard to know if you are having the same ideas as someone else. How much music is in the world? Millions of pieces and songs! Chances are that there will be a piece that will have a similar melodic patter that was unintentionally used. This tend to happen mostly with generic music. Where the melodic lines are quite simplistic. Then copyright problems! (unless is public domain).

I really have heard lots of songs that have used similar melodic patterns but their approach is what make them different of each other. The harmonies used, the instrumentations, the textures, the rhythms, the structures, etc. And I am sure various of those were unintentionally. As others could be intentionally.

Also if you listen to a specific kind of music you probably may start to emulate that music. And again, intentionally or accidentally. I after listen to lots of songs by Luca Turilli, I found myself doing some techniques that he does in his music (Which I am not so fond of them really; is not much my taste).

Otherwise there is the "quotes" where one composer is quoting another composer's work in a passage, intentionally. Also in music to take ideas of others tend to be something normal. Is not that why we have genres? Boogie-woogie started with someone then others copied it! And of course with some changes and new ideas used.

At thorn: I never noticed of that!

yea that happens to me sometimes too... i listen to music and all of a sudden i come up with a melody and i always suspect it's somewhere in my songs. to this day i'm still not sure... but hey, as long as only parts of it sound similar to other pieces, it's totally alright. maybe it's just a similar mood =D

and thorn, nice detective work xD who would have thought it?

Isn't there some famous quote that goes: "good composers write, great composers steal"? I can't remember where I heard it.

yes there is

could have sworn i first read that quote on here

yes there is

could have sworn i first read that quote on here

Oh, you :P.

"Good composers borrow, Great composers steal" - Igor Stravinsky

This quote originally was not by Igor Stravinsky but T.S. Elliot. Speaking about a guy's play when critics said it was to similar to Shakespeare, and he used the word "poets" not "composers". Stravinsky stealing this quote is adding ironic humor.

I am not sure about the original sources, but that is what I have read.

Edit:

I just saw someone saying: "Picasso once said, Good artists copy, great artists steal." I think the quote itself was stolen by various people. XD