What would you do if part of your composition sounded like another?

[Emmanuelle Fonsny]

Hey guys,

I'd like to ask you this:
Have you ever written something that sounds very similar to something that already exists though without meaning to? If so, what do you do about it? Do you try to vary it so that it sounds different or do you keep it as it is and hope no one notices the similarity??

I'm asking this cos it's happened to me a few times. From listening to music, I've unconsciously absorbed certain sounds and melodies and sometimes, I've regurgated them thinking it is original until I realise it's from a certain piece! It's never exactly like the original but enough for me to feel reluctant in finishing the piece off because of it!

Would love to hear your opinions. Thanks.

Manu

[Chris Alpiar]

I think for me, I have no personal qualms about that scenario, unless it is blatant enough to become a legal issue. But legal issues aside, every culmination of notes that we put on paper or into a musical work is somehow derived from previous works. There is nothing completely unique in any music today, assuming it uses the 12 tone interval system and general western music guidelines.

Another consideration is the context of the music. If it is an advertising signet you are writing for, say, a cable network promo, and it sounds REALLY close to the "N-B-C" 3 note motif, then it might not be good for your 'client', and other similar situations of course.

But as far as my own ego is concerned, if the music I wrote passes the myriad of analyzation filters that I live by, then its just fine regardless of if it sounds like something else. A good example - I wrote a piece last week with an ostinato with a P5 moving to an aug5 and back, which while it doesnt go to the Maj6 interval, it still sounds pretty James Bond-ish. Someone at my fiances office heard it and said it sounded like James Bond music. Even with a comment like that, I still have no problems with the piece. I heard it, I translated it from my ear to paper, I orchestrated it, I gave it a lot of things that no bond film has - it is my music 100%, and I dont feel even the slightest bit or embarrassment or anything negative about it. Now the context of what the music is for makes a huge difference - this is for a music library and if it sounds a little bondish that just fine, and its not a true statement of my artistic inner soul. Were I writing a symphony it might be very different how I feel about it.

[Jeremiah Pena]

I've had this happen a couple of times. One song I was working on had a melody that was almost note by note identical to a theme from "Singapore" from POTC3. After I realized I did that, I just changed it around a bit to make it less like it. I think Chris has a point though. It's almost impossible to make something that hasn't been done before. If something is similar, I leave it, but if it is the exact same I just change it so it isn't anymore.

[Emmanuelle Fonsny]

Hi,

thanks for your responses.

Yep, that's true, nothing can be 100% original. Ok, well, I'll just accept the music as it comes to me then. And like you said, Jeremiah, if it's too similar, I'll change it a bit, although I find it hard to change anything once I've written it out.

I guess one way to get away with it would be to change the title of your own composition to "Homage to so and so" (whoever you end up sounding like) , lol.

Cheers

Manu