“Plagiarizing” yourself

[maxquaini]

Sounds like a silly one but I was wondering, have you ever found yourself almost “plagiarizing” yourself? Writing at least a couple of songs a week for a few years I realized many times I was closer to that – hopefully not too close, but not even too far.
Even if you’re trying to keep your composing fresh and original, somehow there’s also a sort of pattern you’re using while composing and some songs might sounds very similar.
I was wondering if it never happen to you. A couple of times I’ve been balrely composing the same song, maybe the rhythm was a little different and other parts where different as well but mainly thy hook was there.
What you’re doing in this case? If the song is working fine it’s a shame to modify or even thrash it away.
Last but not least. did you issued a copyright infringement claim vs yourself?! (Never mind, I’m kidding :))

[Art Munson]

LOL! All the time. I think, to some degree, it’s unavoidable. Too help avoid this there are many times I find other music I can use as models. By the time I’m finished it sounds nothing like the model or anything I have written before.

[PAMMusic]

Hehe I am very guilty of this. I think when the aim is to produce around 1500 tracks it’s very hard not to!

I think making sure you don’t just rely on the same old software instruments etc for certain genres can help avoid it a bit though.. Keep getting new gear to keep things feeling fresh.

[maxquaini]

Thanks God! 😀

Art, is refreshing to hear I am not alone, especially coming from an expert like you!

Pam, yeah, it makes sense, actually, very close to GAS pleasing too lol

[LAwriter]

Haha! Of course. 🙂

[PAMMusic]

Pam, yeah, it makes sense, actually, very close to GAS pleasing too lol

Yeah any excuse to buy new gear. Every time I make a sale i say to my wife “See! I did need to buy that synthesiser!” 😉

[Michael Nickolas]

Absolutely! I did hundreds of work for hire songs for educational projects over my career. There were times I would stop and think wait, haven’t I written this already?

[maxquaini]

It’s genuinely refreshing to hear we all are on the same page 🙂
love ya guys, thanks for reaching out!

[MichaelL]

I prefer to call it “re-purposing.” 😀

[maxquaini]

I’ll save it! :))

[Denbo_17]

I took myself to court and won…. and lost….

[DavidM]

Isn’t any artist or composer who has a recognisable style effectively plagiarising themselves anyway? Almost every John Williams piece I can think of begins with a perfect interval on an anacrusis, every Duran Duran song sounds like Duran Duran because of Le Bon’s voice, and if I hear a woman on the Radio complaining about her boyfriend to music, I can pretty much know it’s going to be Taylor Swift.

[Gael MacGregor]

It’s inevitable. We all have patterns.

I find that I write certain kinds of songs with the guitar, and certain kinds at the piano.

The solution? I took a page from Stephen Sondheim’s playbook: I write melodies away from any instrument. He said he did that in order to not be bound by the limitations of his instrumental prowess.

After I’ve solidified the melody I’ll start chording & arranging. It helps keep me from following my hands’ patterns and allows more creativity in the writing process.

[LAwriter]

I get briefs to “plagiarize” myself all the time. They send me cues I did last season and am told to “copy” them as close as possible. I always as “why not just use it again”, and am constantly told that they need new material, but make it as close as possible to the old material. LOL. I oblige. If they are using it, who cares….

[boinkeee2000]

funny you mentioned that. had the same thing happen recently. so now i wonder, does the old track become obsolete? am i really growing my catalog or just revising it?

[Author]

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