(Court TV) -- Radio stations and Web sites were flooded yesterday with news that the seminal heavy metal band, Metallica, had launched yet another lawsuit to protect its music from theft. This time, the rock pioneers were purportedly suing a Canadian band called Unfaith for trademark infringement over the use of a "Metallica-branded" chords E and F.

The only problem: The story was a ruse.

"That's a hoax," Metallica's Los Angeles-based lawyer, Jill Pietrini, told Courttv.com.

.....AND so the story goes, yada yada.

Full story at: http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/07/17/ctv.metallica/

Chord changes by themselves are NOT copyrightable. In fact bebop jazz musicians commonly improvised over the chord changes to well known popular songs, composing entirely new melodies. For example, the Classic jazz number, "Donna Lee", composed by Charlie Parker is played over the same chord changes as the old standard "Back Home Indiana". And don't forget the Gershwin classic: "I Got Rhythm" in which its chord progression is now commonly referred to as "Rhythm Changes':
http://www.mandolincafe.com/rhythmchanges.html

and found in Ellington's "Cottontail" & "Lester Leaps" among many hundreds of other songs which incorporate these same chord changes.

Scott

That is very interesting Scott. I don't have a problem improvising on chords (new melody line), but coming up with new chord progressions is a little bit more challenging.
Star

E,F....who in their right mind wants to sound like Metallica???

If it brings in million of dollars, I don't care what I sound like!

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Roy-Andrè

Hmmmm, that's where we are different. i don't ever expect to get rich during my lifetime, but I sure do intend to enjoy the ride !

Damn, Leon, I wanted that one... okay I'm claiming AbMaj7 ....
"in tune" ?!? .. what's that ...
t.

UD,
I'd spend some years playing crap for zillions, then I'd spend the rest enjoying the ride......tremendously, at least as much as you! Imagine, never again worrying if I ever got paid for a single job!!
Ok, if you now tell me we are different, I don't believe you......
Roy-Andrè

Just to expand on Scott's post, here are some of the tunes and chord sequences used by Charlie Parker:

Ah-Leu-Cha - I Got Rhythm
Bird Gets the Worm - Lover Come Back to Me
Chasing the Bird - I Got Rhythm/Honeysuckle Rose
Half Nelson - Ladybird
Klaunstance - The Way You Look Tonight
KoKo - Cherokee
Little Willie Leaps - All God's Chillun Got Rhythm
Meandering - Embraceable You
Ornithology - How High the Moon

etc.

As Scott says, there's no copyright on chord sequences.

Bryan

I would just like to repeat Nigel Tuffnel's (of Spinal Tap) famous quote, "Dm is the saddest of all keys".