has this happened to any of you guys?
only ive wrote a cool sounding thrash riff and some lead
riffs not solos yet and i havent heard every band that has walked this earth
but i do have a feeling its already been used.
well has it?if so or if not what did you do?

hope that makes sense.

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My old band had this riff, which I wrote. I had it in my head for days, and I couldn't figure out what it was, and I listened to half of my CD collection trying to work out if it was anything I knew. I couldn't find it so thought "well, I'm not deliberately ripping it off..."

So I wrote the riff, which was just a simple sustained chord progression and put a solo over it, and a month later, I heard the original song on a compilation. The similarities were of course pretty obvious but they weren't exact, although there was a tapping solo which followed the same kind of lines! Our riffs/leads then went off on their on kind of tangents so there was enough difference for me to not bother changing it.

I guess it happens all the time. I've written riffs which have not ripped anything off, but then a well known band releases an album, with a song featuring a riff so similar you just feel you have to re-write it or get accused of plagiarism!

One of those things. At the end of the day, if you know deep down it's your own, then don't worry about it. If something is a bit too similar and you're aware of it, then it's up to you to do something about it, if you're bothered.

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I have this problem on a daily basis

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Thrash is gay so discard the riff.

i say who gives a shit if you inadvertantly make one that sounds close to one. If you had been listening to someone and then you make someone up that sounds just like it...that is lame...but if you don't know you are doing it and then you find out months later...hey it ain't your fucking fault...

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well i know i havent heard the riff ive wrote before
thats certain,but i might have to do like you did listen through
my collection and see if there's anything similar the thing is its not
a chord progression pattern etc.. id normally use either so thats somethin i guess,its very anthrax imo but its not if that makes sense lol.

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may not be your taste which is fair enough your aloud your opinion
but discard cuz you dont like thrash is a bit harsh dont you think?

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thats definatley a relief.

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good point!!
its defo not one ive deliberatly copied i can say that much atleast..

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We all have that happen sometimes. The important thing is, unless it's obviously a well-known song, writing a riff and discovering it's similar to one already used should be nothing to worry about. With so many bands out there, I imagine it would be pretty hard to come up with something that's completely original. Like rape'n'ruin said, as long as you didn't know it was similar at the time you wrote it, it's perfectly fine. There are occasions, though, where the similarities are so striking that you have to change it up a bit.

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I read an interview with Michael Amott from Arch Enemy and he said he's always writing riffs or song ideas which he thinks are great and then the rest of the band have to point out he's already done a riff or song like that on one of his previous albums!!!!!

Unless you event a new instrument to play metal on then you are going to end up writing something that sounds like something else, and sometimes you can't help being influenced in your writing by an album that really inspires you.

Years ago my friend came up with a really cool intro lick, loads of tapping, pull offs and a flanger effect he was well chuffed till I played him an Ozric Tenticals track it sounded like....the funny thing is he's never heard the Ozrics before let alone that song!!!!

I have a real problem trying to tell one screamo metalcore band from the next, is that just me or am I getting old?

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Well when I can't come up with a riff. I learn someone elses riff but play it backwards and speed it up or slow it down. I guess that's sort of cheating in a way.

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i wrote this riff that sounded like some slayer song (i coulnt figure out which one though, but it reminded me of slayer) but still used it anyway

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EVERYBODY DOES THIS

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yea its happened to me alot, i find when i go into thrash territory alot of the rythms and riffs that i try and think up end up sounding like either slayer, or early sepultura but that aint really a bad thing

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dont worry about it. As long as the rest of your song sounds nothing like whatever riff yours sounds like no one will notice

exactly, who gives a rats ass if you stole some riff

It sort of didn't....


You're a douchebag...

Anyway the only problem I have is sometimes the riffs I write sound similar to a song I wrote a year back...

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Turn your sarcasm detector on.

EDIT: Yeah you and travis both need better sarcasm detectors. Ive got an old one lying around that ill sell to ya for $20. Mint condition.

Sorry for over reacting then... You fucking comedian you....

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lol.

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Yeah hmmm.. think of it this way. Are you copying bands by being in a band.. are you copying bands by playing the same instruments as them? Are you copying bands by... ok shitty example. Point im making is you can never be 100% original. Just as long as you don't aim to make similar riffs, it's ok. sex.

wtf??
anyways yeah your right.

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Yeah i get that sometimes like apparently in my old band we ripped of a korn riff and just played it alot faster and i haven't ever took the time to listen to korn.

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As long as it's not a Metallica riff....you'll be fine.

If it is even close to a Metallica riff.....Lars will see you in court the instant you earn a penny from it.

My, you must have real writers block if you're having to pinch Metallica riffs!

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Yeah man don't worry everybody does it.

Napalm Death's Deciver is the same riff as Repulsion's Stench Of Burning Death.

Nile have that Candlemass riff they took.

There are a bunch more but I can't think of any more right now.

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man that is a relief lol.

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lol im glad its nothin like metallica
p.s hope their new album is worth buying

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Nah I'd save your cash for something a little more worth while like the new Paul Di'Anno album!!!! Download it instead, Lar$ won't mind

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when is it out?
lars is a dick sometimes

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Nah I was being silly mate, after hearing Paul's diabolical christmas carols on his web site I imagine any album he releases will be total arse, therefore more worthy of buying than Metallica's next effort

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cool

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Oh yeah jsut reminded me. Supposedly atreyu "stole" a darkest hour riff. But its just a bunch of bullshit. If you play in drop c... and play in C minor... its enevitable that you MIGHT use the same notes... i mean fucking come on.

I had to argue with a friend of mine for days about this. He failed to grasp the possibility of using a similar riff without knowing it.

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Honestly, the riffs I write are so odd that I'm sure nobody wrote it before.

true but say for e.g a band hears your riff and it sounds similar to theirs
they would react the same right?

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react how? Thinking i stole it or something? or wha?

Cause i know for a fact there was no stealing going on between the bands, for one they are supposedly good friends. Or at least were. They toured a couple of times together and are on the same label.

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mike akerfeldt did it to himself about 13 times on the MAYH album

I think, I should also try to "unintentionally" copy some riffs!!!



Anyway Yeah it has happened to me 2 or 3 times (that's because i don't write much as yet)
but was only embarrassed to admit it.

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Yeah I hear they're trying to go in a different direction from their newer stuff... http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d...rickymartin.jpg

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Is he producing it(the new album) too!!!

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No, the old guy who did their first 4 albums is.

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True, just because someone else dosnt like thrash, dosnt mean everybody has to hate it just because one person dislikes it.

So now Metallica think people's high point of the first 4 albums was the production? lol

I noticed no one has drawn perspective to this from other genres of the music industry. I can't help it now when I turn on the radio. Every song played, whether rap, pop, or rock sounds like some other old song. So in Metal, I think as long as you stay true to roots your music is going to show your influences and thats ok. Whatever you choose to write, do it for yourself not to sell records or be revolutionary, those things come with time.

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oh man this is retarded
why the fuck wood u rip metallica off
the chord progression is the same IN EVER FUCKING sONG there riffs always use penatonic scale
and well....u cant have respect for a band that blows that bad live
with the exception like 3 of there songs
personally if u rip anyone off
it shood be like
dark tranquillity cuz there amazing
same with arch enemy and carcass

btw how do they get away with the chorus chord progressions
some of the old bands 80's era did e c d chord progression in the same pattern everything was the same how come they didnt get done for copyright
i mean as someone already mentioned the chords can be the same but as long as the pattern is used in a different way they are alright.

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