[HANASHIR:4075] Re: Lower Keys

[Daniel A. Singer <dasinger...>]

I agree with you, Adrian, and when I wrote the last note, I wasn't sure of
the ramifications, but since I've looked in my copyright books, it is
indeed a breach of copyright to disseminate music without consent of the
composer, assuming that it falls under the 50 year rule.  I wasn't arguing
the legality of transposition and I don't know where anyone came up with
that argument.  I  do question all of the transcriptions that you can find
posted "legally" (go see www.tabledit.com) of guitar music that simply
contains a disclaimer that states that the webpage owner is not responsible
for posted material that might have been derived from copyrighted material.
 I don't know how they get away with it, but perhaps it is because a lot of
the music was simply transferred to another format (guitar tablature) and
so it is then no longer considered the same notation as the first.
However, the people owning the web site do not necessarily post the
information themselves.  They simply open up the opportunity to other
people and leave the responsibility up to the other people posting the
material onto the web page.  Of course, it is difficult to track who posted
what, but even if they did catch the people who posted it, the web page
owner would not be held responsible because of the disclaimer they post on
the web site.  I think it is pretty clever but questionable on legal terms.
 BTW, you can download a free demo of Tabledit and have access to all of
that music.  The program is actually really great, and if you register the
product, you can print your own tablature of your favorite sheet music.
I'm still working on getting a guitar synth so I can use my guitar with my
computer, but I've got a program called Interactive Guitar Deluxe that
plugs your guitar direct w/o MIDI.  But it doesn't have notation
capability, so oh well.

To "echo" Rick's situation, I sang as a soloist this High Holidays for the
first time and the Cantor (who is a tenor) simply gave me the music a
couple weeks in advance and I, being a basso, had to deal with singing
music in his key.  Well, instead of transposing the music, I just squeezed
on a really tight pair of underwear and couldn't help but sing in his key.
I managed to make it all the way through to Kol Nidre like this, at least
until I got to the title song.  I had already gotten so skinny just from
those couple hours of fasting that when I went to sing it, the underwear
fit me better and my voice dropped over an octave.  I too was immediately
apprehended by this same musical vice squad.  Even in suburban Michigan,
there is no escape from this terrible offence.  I was charged for changing
keys in the middle of a song, illegal use of octave, failure to yield at a
fermata, and wreckless singing.  I'm still awaiting judgement on charges
for fraudulent undergarments, but I don't think they'll get me on that one
because their "briefs" contained inappropriate material.

Hag Sameach
Dan

At 07:00 AM 10/1/99 -0500, you wrote:
>Daniel et al:
>
>This thread is getting off track, The issue is not whether transposition is
>"legal" as that's jus a plain silly question. Of course it is. The question
>is whether you can publish someone else's music publicly, in your own
>transcription, without permission.
>
>While it may be legal to transpose it, the question is: is it legal to post
>a printable FINALE file of your transposed transcription of the music
>without the owner's permission? I'm sure it's not. And even if it is, I
>suspect Jewish tradition would tell us it was unethical. We really should
>ask the songwriter first.
>
>Adrian
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org [mailto:owner-hanashir (at) 
>shamash(dot)org]On
>Behalf Of Daniel A. Singer
>Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 1999 10:47 PM
>To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>Subject: [HANASHIR:4063] Re: Lower Keys
>
>
>Obviously I haven't investigated it fully, but my understanding is that as
>long as you own the original copy, you are free to transpose that music to
>whatever key you wish, so long as you are not transposing for profit.  In
>this situation, I believe that it is lawful if you state the purpose of the
>transposition and add a disclaimer.  I'll refer to my copyright books and
>get back to you on that one.
>
>Dan Singer
>
>At 06:19 PM 9/29/99 -0500, you wrote:
>>Ahem...
>>
>>We must carefully investigate the legal ramifications of such a move before
>>we do it.
>>
>>Adrian A. Durlester
>>List Owner
>>Hanashir
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: owner-hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org [mailto:owner-hanashir (at) 
>>shamash(dot)org]On
>>Behalf Of Daniel A. Singer
>>Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 1999 9:34 AM
>>To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
>>Subject: [HANASHIR:4034] Re: Lower Keys
>>
>>
>>I think that we should start putting up transposable files of cantorial
>>music up on our own web pages if people have them.  I am starting a
>>collection now that I have a MIDI keyboard and Finale for IBM.  I also have
>>access to Mac Finale, but I have to travel to use the university computers.
>> I believe that the files transfer very easily from one to the other,
>>though.  It's a great idea especially considering there are so many
>>different types of voices out there singing cantorial music, not just the
>>traditional lyric tenor.  My 2 cents.  I don't have any files for you yet,
>>but I hope to have many in the years to come.
>>
>>Dan Singer
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>***********************************************************************
>>Daniel A. Singer      H: (734) 397-1950  W: (810) 238-1350 ext. 4253
>>1713 Glenshire Dr.    Flint Institute of Music, Temple Beth El
>>Canton, MI 48188      Bass Voice, Guitar
>>***********************************************************************
>>"If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
>>       If I am for myself alone, who am I?
>>                         If not now, when?"
>>***************************************************************************
>*
>>***
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>***********************************************************************
>Daniel A. Singer       H: (734) 397-1950  W: (810) 238-1350 ext. 4253
>1713 Glenshire Dr.     Flint Institute of Music, Temple Beth El
>Canton, MI 48188       Bass Voice, Guitar
>***********************************************************************
>"If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
>        If I am for myself alone, who am I?
>                          If not now, when?"
>****************************************************************************
>***
>
>
>


***********************************************************************
Daniel A. Singer        H: (734) 397-1950  W: (810) 238-1350 ext. 4253
1713 Glenshire Dr.      Flint Institute of Music, Temple Beth El
Canton, MI 48188        Bass Voice, Guitar
***********************************************************************
"If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
         If I am for myself alone, who am I?
                           If not now, when?"
****************************************************************************
***

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