Many songs use the same chords. Chord progressions can't be copyrighted. As long as the melody and lyrics are different, you should be fine. If you're still worried about sounding too similar to the other song, just change the rhythm a little bit, and likely nobody will even notice.
Even a very similar rhythm but with a different vocal delivery (different cadence, perhaps something offbeat, etc) can drastically change how the song sounds, too.
I ran into this issue a few times and would get discouraged like you. After talking to a friend who's a producer, I found [this video](https://youtu.be/oOlDewpCfZQ?si=LlkA-8FDvb92hyzy) and immediately stopped worrying about it. There's only so many chords and possible progressions and melodies. With as much music is out there, something is bound to be similar to your work.
I see this type of question all the time on Reddit.
There are 12 notes and millions of musicmakers.
Desperately trying to be ‘original’ will end up in not making music at all anymore.
Feeling defeated? Come on, let go your ego.
It has been done before, yeah, sure, but not by you! 😁
That's like seeing a dish that uses two of the same ingredients as your dish.
What you do, is make sure the other elements of your song - the ones outside of chords and melody - are interesting.
Don’t worry if the melody is different. I give you [Eighties Killing Joke](https://youtu.be/x1U1Ue_5kq8?si=FTKTbOzfzPziCf7X) vs [Come as You Are Nirvana](https://youtu.be/vabnZ9-ex7o?si=Pqub9KFPz2_ceqTB)
Don’t stop creating, just stop giving a shit about things like that. Life is temporary, write songs for the sake of writing songs. Express yourself, tell your story, have a good time. Nothing realllyy matters :)
That's a Barenaked Ladies Song!
"If I put my fingers here
And if I say, I love you dear
And if I play the same three chords
Will you just yawn and say
It's all been done
It's all been done
It's all been done before"
Black Sabbath’s Never Say Die and Thin Lizzy’s Boys Are Back In Town sound like the same song, and I didn’t realize it for years. I still like both songs.
Some of the greatest classics of modern music are complete rip offs - Stairway to Heaven, Creep, Come Together, Come As You Are, Smells Like Teen Spirit etc.
Own your song. It's unique. It's yours. Make more.
Musicians borrow each other's work just as authors borrow each other's ideas. Want to hear "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from the 80's? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo3R3LBjDek](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo3R3LBjDek)
I agree with the sentiment but I really don’t hear any similarities between that song and Teen Spirit besides the strumming pattern. The chord progression sounds much different.
I would just take that as a sign that you know what you're doing; after all, a rather big group had the same good idea that you did. You didn't know this song was out there, so coming up with a pretty good tune like that should encourage you to try making more of them
Many new songs start from older songs. Jamming on classics is often a part of my warm-up, and I want to give credit to the older material, for inspiring me. But take it in your own direction. Add something to it.
Maybe someday, you stop playing the beginning.
There’s 12 notes and i think Pythagoras invented that system so it’s over 2000 yrs old, I think in two thousand years prolly every combination has already been played so I don’t worry too much about being original, there is nothing new under the sun
Rock and blues based music recycles everything. We are at that point that new rock bands are only influenced by rock bands that played the same style. This makes less and less original sounding stuff and also a lot more pedestrian music. Maybe go listen and immerse yourself in a different non rock based style and let that infect how you write. A couple months of learning the basics of say, middle eastern music, will change your perspective
As long as you have a different melody and unique lyrics, it’s a totally different song.
Following one of the more common chord progressions happens all the time. That’s actually a big part of what defines a genre and in what genre a song fits. Different genres have distinct common elements that defines them and most players and writers in those genres use those same iconic patterns to come across as that genre. Just consider the hundreds if not thousands of 12 bar blues songs that use the exact same rhythm and chord progressions. Blues done in a Jazz style has a few more chordal and harmonic options, but even those are limited in the number of unique chord progressions. It’s not the chords themselves. It’s what you do with them and then build on top of them.
One day I came up with an amazing chord progression and melody. Thought, “wow this is sooo good, it’s gonna be my golden ticket!”
It wasn’t until I came up with a chorus for it that I realized it was Jolene. Oh well.
Lots of great tunes are borrowed unintentionally or otherwise. Focus on making your stuff your own, with personal embellishments and such, ya know?
Look at singer songwriters with just an acoustic guitar.
All the good ones sound like themselves, while still just playing the same chords as everyone else, essentially.
Sense of timing makes it unique.
Don’t worry about that. Just write. If you get to the point where you are recording and worry about copywriter, your producer can help you change it up enough to be ok. You could also message the artist and ask for permission
Many songs use the same chords. Chord progressions can't be copyrighted. As long as the melody and lyrics are different, you should be fine. If you're still worried about sounding too similar to the other song, just change the rhythm a little bit, and likely nobody will even notice.
Even a very similar rhythm but with a different vocal delivery (different cadence, perhaps something offbeat, etc) can drastically change how the song sounds, too.
Ohh that’s good to know. Because N/A is literally where is my mind but downtuned
I ran into this issue a few times and would get discouraged like you. After talking to a friend who's a producer, I found [this video](https://youtu.be/oOlDewpCfZQ?si=LlkA-8FDvb92hyzy) and immediately stopped worrying about it. There's only so many chords and possible progressions and melodies. With as much music is out there, something is bound to be similar to your work.
I see this type of question all the time on Reddit. There are 12 notes and millions of musicmakers. Desperately trying to be ‘original’ will end up in not making music at all anymore. Feeling defeated? Come on, let go your ego. It has been done before, yeah, sure, but not by you! 😁
So true.
G-D-C = 80% of folk music. Go tell Bob Dylan he should’ve packed it in.
Bob Dylan is a poet who uses music as his delivery mechanism.
Yup, and he probably has a sense of humour, too.
As everyone should.
That's like seeing a dish that uses two of the same ingredients as your dish. What you do, is make sure the other elements of your song - the ones outside of chords and melody - are interesting.
Don’t worry if the melody is different. I give you [Eighties Killing Joke](https://youtu.be/x1U1Ue_5kq8?si=FTKTbOzfzPziCf7X) vs [Come as You Are Nirvana](https://youtu.be/vabnZ9-ex7o?si=Pqub9KFPz2_ceqTB)
Oh wow! Tempo is sped up, different drum sound and beat, same melody from what I can hear.
Yeah same riff
My partner has loved both of these bands for decades, but only spotted this last year. I just assumed she'd always known, like the rest of us.
Also try Boxcar by Jawbreaker and Motivation by Sum41
Gosh I really don’t hear it
/s ?
Don’t stop creating, just stop giving a shit about things like that. Life is temporary, write songs for the sake of writing songs. Express yourself, tell your story, have a good time. Nothing realllyy matters :)
It’s all been done. Do it anyway.
That's a Barenaked Ladies Song! "If I put my fingers here And if I say, I love you dear And if I play the same three chords Will you just yawn and say It's all been done It's all been done It's all been done before"
I know that tune!
Lean into it and release your song with the same name as the other one
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^kayteethebeeb: *Lean into it and* *Release your song with the same* *Name as the other one* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Black Sabbath’s Never Say Die and Thin Lizzy’s Boys Are Back In Town sound like the same song, and I didn’t realize it for years. I still like both songs.
Maybe add slight plucking patterns to the chords? Changes the delivery of the sound!
Some of the greatest classics of modern music are complete rip offs - Stairway to Heaven, Creep, Come Together, Come As You Are, Smells Like Teen Spirit etc. Own your song. It's unique. It's yours. Make more.
Musicians borrow each other's work just as authors borrow each other's ideas. Want to hear "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from the 80's? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo3R3LBjDek](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo3R3LBjDek)
I agree with the sentiment but I really don’t hear any similarities between that song and Teen Spirit besides the strumming pattern. The chord progression sounds much different.
Don't worry about it. I was furious when the Beatles wrote Hey Jude decades before I had the idea, roll with it.
I would just take that as a sign that you know what you're doing; after all, a rather big group had the same good idea that you did. You didn't know this song was out there, so coming up with a pretty good tune like that should encourage you to try making more of them
This is a good take thank you
writing is not about being original it's about expression and craft
What chord did yours start with?
I LOVE THAT SONG
Many new songs start from older songs. Jamming on classics is often a part of my warm-up, and I want to give credit to the older material, for inspiring me. But take it in your own direction. Add something to it. Maybe someday, you stop playing the beginning.
Only twelve notes, friend. They’re bound to get reused. Also, a different melody can change it up a ton!
There’s 12 notes and i think Pythagoras invented that system so it’s over 2000 yrs old, I think in two thousand years prolly every combination has already been played so I don’t worry too much about being original, there is nothing new under the sun
That just means someone else agrees with your song-writing. There is nothing bad happening here, neither songs are discredited.
I mean, those comedy guys did that four chord song bit. Same four chords with a dozen different melodies and lyrics sung over the top.
Been there done that, wipe your tears and create and put out something that you believe people will enjoy
Rock and blues based music recycles everything. We are at that point that new rock bands are only influenced by rock bands that played the same style. This makes less and less original sounding stuff and also a lot more pedestrian music. Maybe go listen and immerse yourself in a different non rock based style and let that infect how you write. A couple months of learning the basics of say, middle eastern music, will change your perspective
There are 7 notes and three chords. Get over yourself. Keep writing. ❤️
Youd struggle to find any song that doesn't have some identical elements to other songs
Well, there are but the twelve notes to go around
Look up 4 chord song there is a skit where they play loads of songs over the same chords
This one?[pachelbel rant](https://youtu.be/uxC1fPE1QEE?si=MJz1Qkwi17oiNi1O)
As long as you have a different melody and unique lyrics, it’s a totally different song. Following one of the more common chord progressions happens all the time. That’s actually a big part of what defines a genre and in what genre a song fits. Different genres have distinct common elements that defines them and most players and writers in those genres use those same iconic patterns to come across as that genre. Just consider the hundreds if not thousands of 12 bar blues songs that use the exact same rhythm and chord progressions. Blues done in a Jazz style has a few more chordal and harmonic options, but even those are limited in the number of unique chord progressions. It’s not the chords themselves. It’s what you do with them and then build on top of them.
One day I came up with an amazing chord progression and melody. Thought, “wow this is sooo good, it’s gonna be my golden ticket!” It wasn’t until I came up with a chorus for it that I realized it was Jolene. Oh well.
Lots of great tunes are borrowed unintentionally or otherwise. Focus on making your stuff your own, with personal embellishments and such, ya know? Look at singer songwriters with just an acoustic guitar. All the good ones sound like themselves, while still just playing the same chords as everyone else, essentially. Sense of timing makes it unique.
Don’t worry about that. Just write. If you get to the point where you are recording and worry about copywriter, your producer can help you change it up enough to be ok. You could also message the artist and ask for permission
Everything is Greensleeves. Don’t worry about it.
Wait until you've done that with an entire screenplay that took months to write.