Bob Zimmerman.. now a Nobel Prize winner ..

The most prolific plagiarist in modern times to include music, lyrics and paintings,

When I first met him he was a creep who could not sing, play guitar or harmonica.. who faked the brooding artist when in fact he was a morose malcontent parasite... who ripped off Woody Guthrie, Japanese poets, classical painters..

what a friggin putz.

Music has always built on the works of others. You hear and interesting rendition and add it to your music base. The old masters got their inspiration from the folks that they listened to and tomorrow's masters will build on todays greats.

What makes a great player is not the licks, runs and phasing they use; it is the insight and ability to combine those items into their unique style.

One can record and duplicate the great players note for note, to no avail, because the next time you hear them play the tune it will be in their style, but not note for note repetition.

All music uses the same notes. But the order in which they are used is an individual's gift.

In theory if you use another's song for profit, you owe them royalties, to not pay and credit them is plagiarism. To use another's songs and style for entertainment is simply imitation. This is often called the most sincere form of flattery.

If one could capture the royalties due from every bar room band, for every pop song they sang; the music industry would be even more lucrative. :)