Originally Posted by
MikeA
There is a finite number of combinations of chord progressions possible on guitar. Granted, with all the variations on each chord (any combination of notes produces a chord of some sort!), that list of progressions possible seems almost infinite....BUT there are a limited number of progressions that actually harmonize and flow.
You'll hear songs that sound nothing at all alike that have the same chords and chord sequences.
It is mildly irritating that anyone would imply that a song was "stolen" even it it was done light-heartedly by Anderson. And who knows Chaim...maybe Bernie and Felder were kickin' it one night and Bernie played it remembering it from the Jethro Tull days and Felder picked it up not even realizing it...or maybe realizing it.
Whatever the case, only the basic chord progression remains of the song that Anderson and Jethro Tull came up with. It does have a vaguely familiar sound to it.