Re: Transposing


"Nil" <rednoise@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:Xns9DDAB21E09E52nilch1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On 20 Aug 2010, "JimT" <jthread@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in
alt.guitar.beginner:

I'd say if it's in the public domain, anything goes, but for
copyrighted music, musicians should adhere to the published music
when performed live, unless otherwise permitted by the original
artist.

I can't think of many composers who would would not permit
rearrangements of their music. Supposedly Richard Rodgers kept tight
reign over his music and didn't always approve the use of it. He didn't
like rock and roll versions, for example. But most modern composers
seem happy to let others do with it what they well.

I guess the question all depends on your definition of "right", which I
assume means "correct" in this context. In order to be correct or
incorrect, you'd have to have a correct example to compare it to. But
in the case of recordings, that's only one captured performance, and
the composers and performers are likely to play it differently at a
later time. Many of them make a point of doing it differently.

There is little in music that is correct or incorrect in this way. It's
nearly impossible to exactly duplicate a performance, so therefore
nearly every performance is "wrong", according to that measure. This
kind of correctness is quite unimportant, IMO. I prefer the variation.

I really should start my all my posts with IMO. Obviously there will be changes made. I'm trying to put myself in say, Tom Petty's shoes. Do you think he wants people hacking up his song? Maybe he does and maybe he doesn't. I think it's a safer assumption to assume he likes it best the way he published it or he would of published it another way. I'm absolutely positive there are exceptions to this, but I feel relatively confident Handel and Mozart want their material played as close as possible to the way it is written. To think any less of an artist, IMO, is disrespectful.

I have stronger feelings about playing something, in public, "your way" because the published way is too hard or the performer can't do it. IMO you should pass or write your own tunes like The Edge did when he couldn't match licks.

However, I do understand your point and do agree with some bias.

Jim


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