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Copyrighting Classical arrangements

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(@joehempel)
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I've been messing around with some classical pieces in a few books, and I see in the beginning that the pieces are under copyright, and cannot be performed in public, recorded etc.

Can they do that for music that is in the public domain? I've compared to whats in the book to whats freely available, and they are the same thing.

In Space, no one can hear me sing!


   
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(@fretsource)
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Joined: 18 years ago
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I've been messing around with some classical pieces in a few books, and I see in the beginning that the pieces are under copyright, and cannot be performed in public, recorded etc.

Can they do that for music that is in the public domain? I've compared to whats in the book to whats freely available, and they are the same thing.

In the case of public domain pieces, it's not the music that's under copyright but those particular arrangements of it. Those pieces in the book will have chord voicings, fingerings, position indications, some note omissions and additions, all worked out by the arranger. That's what under copyright, not the original music.


   
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(@joehempel)
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Topic starter  

hmm....okay....I had just seen that and was like...well I've performed this...this...and this....guess I'm under copyright infringement....but I guess since I may not play it EXACTLY like they have it written then I'm safe.

In Space, no one can hear me sing!


   
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(@adrianjmartin)
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Joined: 16 years ago
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Depends on the book publishers t & c....

from Hal Leonards web site:
http://www.halleonard.com/permissions/faq.jsp#a11

In the US it the venue that must secure the permissions......


   
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(@noteboat)
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Joined: 21 years ago
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Those pieces in the book will have chord voicings, fingerings, position indications, some note omissions and additions, all worked out by the arranger. That's what under copyright, not the original music.

Publishers go to extremes to protect stuff. I know map publishers will often include a town that doesn't exist - the only purpose is to sue anyone who copies their work. And mailing list rental houses (which rent lists on a per-use basis) will include the names of their employees on the list - so if I rent a list of 100 orchestra conductors, I'm probably getting 98, plus two ringers - that way they can sue me if I use the same names without paying another rental.

I had one musical experience like that - I was studying a Chopin waltz on piano. My teacher was listening, and said "that should be A#." I looked at the music and said "where?". He came to the piano, pointed at my score and said "right there... oh for God's sake!". He then went to a filing cabinet, pulled out his own copy of the music, and sure enough, his had A#; mine had A.

At the time I passed it off as a typo. But after thinking about what Fretsource wrote, maybe it was deliberate.

Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL


   
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(@joehempel)
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All good information thanks guys!! I guess if Hal Leonard happens to be in Borders when I'm playing I'm in trouble LOL.

In Space, no one can hear me sing!


   
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