[Insane Drummer]

I normaly don't like ripping stuff off other bands. I prefer to come up with my own thing. We play alot of songs differntly then normal but everything we do we came up with. I think using someone elses riff in your song is poor musicianship now drawing ideas from people is great. But unless your having fun with like a parody or something (like Amazing Grace over the music to Sweet Home Alabama with the chorus being 'Sweet Home Up In Heaven')

[Tony]

Originally Posted by Insane Drummer

I normaly don't like ripping stuff off other bands. I prefer to come up with my own thing. We play alot of songs differntly then normal but everything we do we came up with. I think using someone elses riff in your song is poor musicianship now drawing ideas from people is great. But unless your having fun with like a parody or something (like Amazing Grace over the music to Sweet Home Alabama with the chorus being 'Sweet Home Up In Heaven')

There is nothing new under the sun...

It's "poor musicianship" to think that you come up with your own stuff, and aren't influenced by other music that you hear.

Some of the best musicians in the world play in the style of other musicians.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by tonyh

There is nothing new under the sun...

It's "poor musicianship" to think that you come up with your own stuff, and aren't influenced by other music that you hear.

Some of the best musicians in the world play in the style of other musicians.

True, but there is a difference between copying a riff *exactly* like it was originally played and coming up with your riff in the style of somebody else. One is your creativity at work; the other is somebody else's.

That said, I'm not opposed to using a particular riff played by somebody else first...but I prefer to come up with my own parts 99% of the time. The only example of something I've taken directly from somebody else (that I can think of) is when I've used The Edge's delay riff from "Where the Streets Have No Name" as a fade-out riff at the end of "Holy, Holy, Holy."

Is my playing influenced by the likes of The Edge, SRV, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Michael Blake, etc? Absolutely...and there's no shame in that. But the vast majority of the parts I play are parts *I* write, and there's something so special and fulfilling about utilizing your own creavity, especially in context of worship.

[Tony]

Originally Posted by R2D2

True, but there is a difference between copying a riff *exactly* like it was originally played and coming up with your riff in the style of somebody else. One is your creativity at work; the other is somebody else's.

That said, I'm not opposed to using a particular riff played by somebody else first...but I prefer to come up with my own parts 99% of the time. The only example of something I've taken directly from somebody else (that I can think of) is when I've used The Edge's delay riff from "Where the Streets Have No Name" as a fade-out riff at the end of "Holy, Holy, Holy."

Is my playing influenced by the likes of The Edge, SRV, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Michael Blake, etc? Absolutely...and there's no shame in that. But the vast majority of the parts I play are parts *I* write, and there's something so special and fulfilling about utilizing your own creavity, especially in context of worship.

I'm glad that you're able to use your own creativity, but I know lots of musicians that do not do much of that. Instead, their strength lies in their ability to mimic what someone else has created. They are no less musical than the ones gifted in improvisation.

There is absolutely no biblical requirement stating that what is used in worship be your own stuff. If there was, we'd all be in trouble.

My point (and perhaps I'm simply over-reacting to the "poor musicianship" remark) is two-fold: 1) All of us play on the shoulders of those who've gone before us. 2) It takes real talent to play what someone else has written, and it is not un-creative to include those things in one's playing.