SongTrellis
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Author:  David Luebbert Posted:  1/13/04; 9:06:25 PM Topic:  Blue in Green Msg#:  4088 (in response to 4087) Prev/Next:  4087/4089 Reads:  894

Joe,

   That is pretty much the case. It is possible that when the usual phrasing of chords in a tune follows an invented rhythm pattern as in Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage, you might be considered to infringe by emulating  that feature from the original arrangement of the tune.

 If you check the posted version of Maiden Voyage, I don't use the tune's characteristic rhythm figure in the chord accompaniment despite the fact that it would improve the arrangement mightily to use it. That way I won't have to worry about receiving nasty letters from a zealous copyright attorney.

In most tunes, where the chord transitions happen at bar boundaries, half bar boundaries, or on the beat,  just leaving the melody out does remove the possibility of infringement.

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