How many of you rip-off PJ songs?

JF116983

I know I always do and this practice is Stone Gossard approved as I have asked him personally (albeit 7 or so years ago). Boy how time flies!

DangDang

What do you mean by "rip-off"? Play as though your own? Steal parts therefrom for your own songs? Steals lines/words?

MichaelMcKevin

Not sure what exactly you mean, but I think my answer is more along the lines of "never"

ledvedderman

I get some chord progression ideas from them, change the key, melody, and picking pattern. I don't know if that is "ripping them off" or "being inspired by". I'd think the latter

DewieCox

I might think of a chord or a guitar sound from a PJ song and add it to my database of knowledge, but actually take sections from a PJ song and fiddle around a bit with them just to make them "orignal"? No thanks.....

I can't believe ANY musician would do that with a good conscience, though I guess it would kinda depend on what your plans are as a musician.

Wolf At Bay

DewieCox wrote:

I might think of a chord or a guitar sound from a PJ song and add it to my database of knowledge, but actually take sections from a PJ song and fiddle around a bit with them just to make them "orignal"? No thanks.....

I can't believe ANY musician would do that with a good conscience, though I guess it would kinda depend on what your plans are as a musician.

Actually, this is a long-standing practice in the music world going back to the classical composers who would re-interpret musical themes from their peers' compositions and develope them into their own piece all the way through folk and blues musicians who would make songs "their own" by changing lyrics or borrow lyrics to fit their own riffs and chord changes or jazz musicians who sometimes write new melodies to the chord changes of another song, which by the way is completely legal under copywrite law. I remember reading John Frusciante (chili peppers) saying he came up with the riff to one of their songs while jamming over a Beastie Boys track, can't remember the respective titles though. I would never defend blatantly ripping-off someone else's music, but inspiration can come in different ways and music (and all art) is an evolutionary process. Its really impossible to be COMPLETELY original, not that we shouldn't strive for originality. Anyway, I thought this information was relevant to the debate.

ScrapeMySky

Well, they basically taught me most of what I know about playing guitar. So I guess it would be foolish of me to deny a substantial influence on my style. But I don't "steal" things from them and try to sell it as my own brainchild. Although, I sometimes "quote" a great lick or two from bands that I love during live shows for the same reason that other people play covers in their set. But so do they, so I don't think it's a big deal...

MichaelMcKevin

Wolf At Bay wrote:

Actually, this is a long-standing practice in the music world going back to the classical composers who would re-interpret musical themes from their peers' compositions and develope them into their own piece all the way through folk and blues musicians who would make songs "their own" by changing lyrics or borrow lyrics to fit their own riffs and chord changes or jazz musicians who sometimes write new melodies to the chord changes of another song, which by the way is completely legal under copywrite law. I remember reading John Frusciante (chili peppers) saying he came up with the riff to one of their songs while jamming over a Beastie Boys track, can't remember the respective titles though. I would never defend blatantly ripping-off someone else's music, but inspiration can come in different ways and music (and all art) is an evolutionary process. Its really impossible to be COMPLETELY original, not that we shouldn't strive for originality. Anyway, I thought this information was relevant to the debate.

Where you from Wolf at Bay?

DangDang

Isn't imitation the highest form of flattery?

JF116983

Good stuff, I don't personally take chord progressions on purpose and take them.

Although PJ has ripped off people (given to fly for example and I'm sure many others from acts we did not know). I think if u do rip off songs, it should not matter since PJ does this.

Paul Andrews

Hmmm, the number of times your see G C D major with a E minor thown in (change key as suits) , I don't think you could call using the same chord progression 'ripping off' they've all been done a million times.

OffHeGoes29

I know what you mean....I can't use my Wah pedal with Drop D tuning with out ripping off AiC. :shock:

SomethingCreative

I often use Pearl Jam songs as an example when I'm trying to explain to my band mates how I want a certain part to sound, its not that I'm ripping them off its just that they are most most common point of reference.

btw Eddie has ripped off plenty of Who songs to point where he thanks Pete Townsend in the liner notes