Taurus vs. Stairway
Can copyright suits be resolved through harmonic analysis alone?
A comparative analysis of both songs shows that Taurus is kind of "wrong". The progression is a common sequence of inverted triads in A minor. Stairway does it correctly by completing the phrase with an V-i cadence, whereas Taurus hangs on the iv chord. But that's typically how things work in music: an idea is born, released into the world in a provisional state, and it "learns" as it evolves. Jimmy Page perhaps was more aware of functional harmony and voice-leading, and "fixed" it.
This video is a play-by-play of the development of the song. (A few hours after I watched this I realized Page had some blues roots, and we all know how blues musicians were borrowed to oblivion).
Ultimately it isn't a question of the harmony. It's how that progression has formed a sonic impression. Music isn't just made of theory or figured bass. This gives more power to the idea that it's about the sound. Recording technologies have allowed music to evolve from pure theory to electronic "paintings", where elements of a work are added over a period of time. Recordings are really more like films in the way they are cut and edited.
There are also other peripheral elements to the story that are more important, including the circumstances surrounding California's death, and the "poetic justice" that the court is being asked for.
Pop music has never been entirely about the music, but about the sound and the cultural meanings. Since the two songs can't be entirely resolved musicologically, how can such a case prevail?
It will be interesting how the musicologist experts will parse the intro.
I must say though, use of A minor by LZ is a bad choice. If you were going to use it, at least change the key.
A comparative analysis of both songs shows that Taurus is kind of "wrong". The progression is a common sequence of inverted triads in A minor. Stairway does it correctly by completing the phrase with an V-i cadence, whereas Taurus hangs on the iv chord. But that's typically how things work in music: an idea is born, released into the world in a provisional state, and it "learns" as it evolves. Jimmy Page perhaps was more aware of functional harmony and voice-leading, and "fixed" it.
This video is a play-by-play of the development of the song. (A few hours after I watched this I realized Page had some blues roots, and we all know how blues musicians were borrowed to oblivion).
Ultimately it isn't a question of the harmony. It's how that progression has formed a sonic impression. Music isn't just made of theory or figured bass. This gives more power to the idea that it's about the sound. Recording technologies have allowed music to evolve from pure theory to electronic "paintings", where elements of a work are added over a period of time. Recordings are really more like films in the way they are cut and edited.
There are also other peripheral elements to the story that are more important, including the circumstances surrounding California's death, and the "poetic justice" that the court is being asked for.
Pop music has never been entirely about the music, but about the sound and the cultural meanings. Since the two songs can't be entirely resolved musicologically, how can such a case prevail?
It will be interesting how the musicologist experts will parse the intro.
I must say though, use of A minor by LZ is a bad choice. If you were going to use it, at least change the key.
