: Adding words to an instrumental only piano piece. Can I perform the song as my own? A search finds no words to the copyrighted song title.

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Melodies are copyrightable. You probably can not legally use the melody without permission.

Chord progressions are not copyrightable. You may use chord progressions freely.

For a piano piece, the distinction between melody and chord progression may not be easy to determine.

As always, check with a copyright attorney. The Copyright Handbook by Nolo Press may help.

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