[JPL] Chord sequences can't be copyrighted

[Jae Sinnett]

I remember reading an article years ago with John McLaughlin. In it he said..."any chord can follow any chord in my book." I guess he's right as a less thought out application but the final sound of that progression will be judged as good or not so. In music theory basic harmony tells us the III goes to the VI to the II to the V to the I. This mainly happens as a result of tri tone resolutions but jazz harmony has progressed light years beyond this. 

The thing in my opinion with "certain" chord progressions is that some are so strong, logical and definitive...."Sophisticated Lady," "Body and Soul," "Lush Life," "Prelude To A Kiss," "Round Midnight," as examples...that you don't need a melody now to identify those compositions but you did initially. The harmonic movement is so strong that in some cases that could stand on it's own and consequently should be able to be copywritten in my view. Granted the chord progression isn't as definitive as a structured melodic line but never the less it helps define the composition in some cases just as much as the melody. Gershwin's "rhythm changes" is another great example although interestingly enough most that use rhythm changes aren't using what Gershwin actually wrote...only his idea as a point of departure.

Jae Sinnett  


--- On Wed, 11/19/08, Eric Jackson <eric-jackson at comcast.net> wrote:

> From: Eric Jackson <eric-jackson at comcast.net>
> Subject: [JPL] Chord sequences can't be copyrighted
> To: "Jazz Programmers Mailing List" <jazzproglist at jazzweek.com>
> Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 12:02 PM
> I think there is a logical reason why chord sequences
> can't be copyrighted. I'm not a musician so I may be
> wrong but if you take a chord (any chord) there are rules
> that dictate what chords would be the best choice to come
> after that chord. After a certain chord, you most frequently
> will follow it with this chord although sometimes you may
> follow it with that chord. What that means is that some of
> the ideas of chord progressions just follow a (natural)
> pattern.
> 
> Musicians please help me out here but I think I'm
> basically correct.
> 
> Eric Jackson
> Mon - Thurs 8 pm - mid.
> 89.7 FM WGBH Boston
> www.wgbh.org/jazz
> --
> 
> Jazz Programmers' Mailing List:
> jazzproglist at jazzweek.com
> List information:
> http://lists.jazzweek.com/mailman/listinfo/jazzproglist
> List archive:
> http://lists.jazzweek.com/pipermail/jazzproglist/
> Sponsorship information: jplsponsor at jazzweek.com