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What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 10:36 am
by Mad_EP
Have you ever been working on a track for a bit, then while messing about on the keyboard or whatever, get a good riff going...

and then all the sudden get the feeling that you might have heard it before, and that you might be subconsciously biting that riff. However, how in the world (if you can't think of it offhand) are you supposed to go about finding out? For anything text-based, you can always do a Google search or whatever.

I would love it if there was a search engine where you could sing or play a snippet and see if it comes up too similar anything existing.


I've been messing around with a new beat this morning, starting jamming out some riffs... and I am sure I lifted one of em from somewhere, but I literally have NO idea what it could be.

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 10:50 am
by nowaysj
Hahaha, hard in this day and age not to say such things only to realize it already exists. Ask your iphone what you're having for lunch, it already knows.

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 10:53 am
by Basic A
Search engine, you enter your notation...

Search engine, that scans your midis.

Your a fuckin genious man.

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 11:00 am
by kejk
EVERY melody has been used before.

GG.

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 11:23 am
by +3
kejk wrote:EVERY melody has been used before.

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 11:28 am
by Snafu
kejk wrote:EVERY melody has been used before.

GG.
True.. I wouldnt give a shit about biting a melodie.. if its unintentional and not note for note.. If your tune has a different feel, who is gonna notice that? But I would never go ahead and just try to copy some guys bass.. Thats just not me..

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 11:34 am
by Mad_EP
kejk wrote:EVERY melody has been used before.

Perhaps... but context is everything. If I am making a hiphop track, I don't really care if the melody was used previously on an Eastern European polka band's out of print 78 record from 1922... but I would care if it has already been widely used in a track last year that was in the charts, used in adverts and otherwise plastered all over the place..

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 11:38 am
by kejk
Mad EP wrote:
kejk wrote:EVERY melody has been used before.

Perhaps... but context is everything. If I am making a hiphop track, I don't really care if the melody was used previously on an Eastern European polka band's out of print 78 record from 1922... but I would care if it has already been widely used in a track last year that was in the charts, used in adverts and otherwise plastered all over the place..
Put it this way.

If you can't place the melody, there is a high chance a lot of people can't.

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 11:40 am
by Snafu
Well I never lsiten to music thats in the charts so I guess I would feel "inspired to use or write anything thats in the back of my head. I never watch mtv or listen to the radio,, But yeah lol I try to keep away from those catchy melodys..

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 11:49 am
by AllNightDayDream
when you're talking about sequences of notes, nothing is original.

I hear filthy augmented bass is the new fad, though. Darn kids!

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 11:51 am
by Mad_EP
See- I don't listen to popular radio, but my kids do. Plus they watch the videos as well... so stuff creeps in without me knowing.

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 12:03 pm
by Mad_EP
Found out what it was... fucking Timbaland - a track with Jay-Z no less. hahaha, not gonna use that one then.

I already got some new riffs down. No problem.

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 12:24 pm
by gnome
Mad EP wrote:See- I don't listen to popular radio, but my kids do. Plus they watch the videos as well... so stuff creeps in without me knowing.
you should start writing it BEFORE they do...simple!

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 12:56 pm
by qiao
dunno if it would work with just the same melody.... but the iphone app Shazam can id songs by listening to it for about 15 seconds

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 1:30 pm
by JBE
It's hard to come up with a progression that hasn't been used already. But I think if the sound is different and the tempo is different and the exact note progression isn't exactly the same you probably wouldn't even realize it's been used. There's a lot there to play off of. Chances are if you don't realize, then most people listening to it aren't going to realize it either.

Look at trance music for example. From what I can tell the majority of trance music is done in Am. I mean there's only so many variations you can come up with for that key, so chances are there are tons of trance tracks that use the same notes, but because of the sound and tempo variations it's not always noticeable. Not to mention all the other things going on that divert the attention of the listener.

As for the OP's idea. I think that would be fantastic. It would be useful for those times when you have songs stuck in your head as well. Those songs without lyrics, all you have to go by are the notes that get stuck in your head and you may never be able to figure it out.

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 3:25 pm
by 5-0-what
they already have this it was an app on a smart phone a few years ago you can put it to a speaker it listens and tells you what the song is cant remember the phone or company though

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 3:48 pm
by Snafu
Mad EP wrote:See- I don't listen to popular radio, but my kids do. Plus they watch the videos as well... so stuff creeps in without me knowing.
Yep treu they do have the tendency to creep up from the back of your mind. I have a problem getting those notes out of my head. There actually is a psychology behind writting tracks like that... Mindcontrol lol..

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 3:58 pm
by FSTZ
Mad EP wrote:I wish someone would invent....
it's simple...

invent a time machine and go back and sue Jay-Z and Timbaland

WHY DIDN'T YOU THINK OF THAT???

Image

ya turkey

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 4:02 pm
by narcissus
honestly, if it doesn't hit you over the head WHAT tune your jacking, i wouldn't worry about it. whenever i listen to the radio, i hear 3 or 4 note runs all the time that are exactly the same melody as another song. as long as the whole thing isn't exactly the same, nobody but diligent musicians notices. and who cares what we think? i'm too busy making my own tunes and subconsciously jacking riffs..

Re: What I wish someone would invent....

Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 4:59 pm
by Mortal
Mad EP wrote:Found out what it was... fucking Timbaland - a track with Jay-Z no less. hahaha, not gonna use that one then.

I already got some new riffs down. No problem.

haha, which one by timbaland? and how similar was it? :D