Hello all! Ive been trying to figure out lately, about the components or break down of songwriting and what it is considered to be. For instance. I create music, but in the sense of it being a song. So I structure my music to fit the lyrics that will go with that. I have heard about songwriter credits being 50/50...lyrics and melody and music. When it comes to music, are they meaning, chords, melodies? by piano, guitar. Or instruments. Drums, keys, bass, synths, and any other instruments that the songwriter wants to add. Iam trying to make out, what is really songwriting when it comes to a real breakdown. Some friends/musicians are saying, iam the composer of the music, but I feel that title really means or is related to actually writing music for an ensemble to play later. While I think that most or all composers write music without a structure of song in their heads. They kinda follow a different creed. I can understand, if Im composing notes as a songwriter, but being called a music composer is kind of not where my hearts at. Can someone give me feedback on this matter, when you get time.
Components of Songwriting
- Thread starter Micro79
- Start date
bandcoach
Zukatoku - Mod Scientist
lyrics = all the words
music = melodies only
so a lyricist is someone who writes the words
a composer is someone who creates the melody for those words
you cannot copyright a chord progression or we would all be paying the estate of WC Handy for the 12 bar blues and any variations thereof - he tried to copyright this progression (back in the 1910's) and took it all the way to the supreme court and was rejected at every step of the way.
you can however, copyright a specific arrangement of musical events for a piece of music, in this sense the composer also becomes the arranger, writing or performing the individual parts to be used in the recording or other performances
regardless of what you actually do create you are a composer if you are engaged in creating parts for a singer or any other melodic instrument including most percussion
i.e. whilst the word composer has grand suggestions of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven amongst many others, it really is s simple as writing the tune for a song or as complex as writing like Stravinsky in the Rite of Spring (L'Sacre Du Primtemps) - have a listen to this to hear a modern composer form a 100 years ago
music = melodies only
so a lyricist is someone who writes the words
a composer is someone who creates the melody for those words
you cannot copyright a chord progression or we would all be paying the estate of WC Handy for the 12 bar blues and any variations thereof - he tried to copyright this progression (back in the 1910's) and took it all the way to the supreme court and was rejected at every step of the way.
you can however, copyright a specific arrangement of musical events for a piece of music, in this sense the composer also becomes the arranger, writing or performing the individual parts to be used in the recording or other performances
regardless of what you actually do create you are a composer if you are engaged in creating parts for a singer or any other melodic instrument including most percussion
i.e. whilst the word composer has grand suggestions of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven amongst many others, it really is s simple as writing the tune for a song or as complex as writing like Stravinsky in the Rite of Spring (L'Sacre Du Primtemps) - have a listen to this to hear a modern composer form a 100 years ago
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Raz Klinghoffer
New member
As a producer you can sometimes site in the studio making the whole music, but if someone else wrote the lyrics and the actual vocal melody you end up with almost nothing (you are only part of the composition)
I usually make an agreement before actually starting working with an artists on % rather than an actual payment
One thing that did change thing today was the last lawsuit against Pharrell, Pharrell actually lost for stealing a composition rather than the melody or lyrics, I believe it was the first time court have acknowledged the importance of the production
bandcoach
Zukatoku - Mod Scientist
that is why it is important to ensure that you are recognised as the performer of however many different lines you play/mouse in for each track - you get the mechanical rights sent to you
- if you play multiple instruments from the same family of instruments (woodwinds, brasswinds, strings) you may get reducing percentage claim but if you play drums, bass, guitar and keys then they are each separate performances so register as 4 separate claims on the playback rights (mechanical reproduction rights - the fee is currently 8c per track per play split amongst all performers according to the ratio set at the time of publication)
that was civil litigation not criminal and it will not survive an appeal once it is filed
- Pharrell did not lose for "stealing a composition' but for replicating stylistic elements associated with the work of Marvin Gaye and other artists of that period
- the musicologist for the Gaye family said that is all he did but made it out as though there was something unique about the use Marvin Gaye made of those elements and that Pharrell did not do anything different to those unique circumstances
- as such the decision is wrong on the facts of the case, as prior to this case the courts have held that only the melody and lyrics and specifically notated parts subsequently published are able to be copyright; i.e.
- I can copyright a specific written arrangement and expect to be paid a fee for using that arrangement in performance or recording by any one who chooses to use it,
- I cannot however expect to be paid a fee for an arrangement whilst derivative of the stylistic elements of the original work is a wholly new one
- for the decision in the Pharrell case to be a reasonable one, Pharrell must have had access to the original charts and copied the performances note for note without deviation, interpolation or embellishment - on the facts educed at trial this is not what was done
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rhythmgj
Character in Spades...
Landmark case, which has a lot of folks up in arms, and they certainly seem to have changed the criteria, if not the rules themselves, for original work. I think it's obvious to most that they grabbed the feel of the Marvin Gaye tune, but it still shouldn't have (legally) been seen as infringement, according to established policy. Interesting times...
Speaking of "blurred lines"-- The lines between composer, arranger, producer, and songwriter have been fuzzy for many years, and increasingly so since the advent of the "digital revolution." A lot of these terms (legally, not musicologically) tend to be defined by how we use them in written agreements, so again, it comes back to getting your agreements and paperwork done right the first time!
GJ
Speaking of "blurred lines"-- The lines between composer, arranger, producer, and songwriter have been fuzzy for many years, and increasingly so since the advent of the "digital revolution." A lot of these terms (legally, not musicologically) tend to be defined by how we use them in written agreements, so again, it comes back to getting your agreements and paperwork done right the first time!
GJ
I agree. I guess it can get blurred depending on what you write and how you write it. I've always felt that just because I composed the music, doesn't actually make me a music composer. Ive called myself this in the past, and have gotten mistaken for someone who writes music notes for an ensemble to play. And writing for each instrument for a movie or tv, video game, theatre. Im aware of the term compose. You can compose the lyrics. You can compose a note to someone. Or compose music also. Compose means to write or make. When I compose the music for the song I'm doing. I also have it in my head that I'm writing the foundation of the song, the music/instruments. Drums, keys, synths, bass, sound ex's. No lyrics. So I consider myself a songwriter, but on the music side. And the other songwriter composes the lyrics and melody. 50/50 split. One song complete song. 100%. Now when the recording comes into play. If I don't produce the song myself, I can get one of my good producer buddies to do that.Or we can produce it together. I thought the difference between compose and songwriter were, songs vs scores. Records vs Music with Visuals, like film, tv, etc. Just so musicians wouldn't get confused. I always thought I was a songwriter first, producer second, engineer third. But when my boys started this composer stuff, I start getting confused..... Oh yeah! and thanks for everyone's feedback too.