Building up patterns

Some examples of how a melody or rhythm can be built up from simple parts. Originally started for the Amsterdam Powcademy workshop

Patterns as numbers

Building an arpeggio from notes

-- simple sequences of notes
d1 $ n "c a f e"
  # sound "supermandolin"

-- play one per cycle
d1 $ n "<c a f e>"
  # sound "supermandolin"

-- on top of that, put a copy of the sequence, offset in time and pitch:
d1 $ n (off 0.125 (|+ 7) "<c a f e>")
  # sound "supermandolin"

-- add some structure to the original sequence
d1 $ n (off 0.125 (|+ 7)  "<c*2 a(3,8) f(3,8,2) e*2>")
  # sound "supermandolin"
  # legato 2

-- reverse in one speaker
d1 $ jux rev $ n (off 0.125 (|+ 7)  "<c*2 a(3,8) f(3,8,2) e*2>")
  # sound "supermandolin"
  # legato 2

-- add another layer
d1 $ jux rev $ n (off 0.125 (|+ 12) $ off 0.125 (|+ 7)  "<c*2 a(3,8) f(3,8,2) e*2>")
  # sound "supermandolin"
  # legato 2

Building an arpeggio from chords

-- start with c major

d1 $ n "c'maj"
  # sound "supermandolin"
  # legato 2

-- arpeggiate up
d1 $ arp "up" $ n "c'maj"
  # sound "supermandolin"
  # sustain 0.5

-- add another note to the chord
d1 $ arp "up" $ n "c'maj'4"
  # sound "supermandolin"
  # sustain 0.5

-- add another chord
d1 $ arp "up" $ n "c'maj'4 e'min"
  # sound "supermandolin"
  # sustain 0.5

-- change the arpeggiator
d1 $ arp "pinkyup" $ n "c'maj'4 e'min"
  # sound "supermandolin"
  # sustain 0.5

-- pattern the arpeggiator
d1 $ arp "<pinkyup down thumbup up>" $ n "c'maj'4 e'min"
  # sound "supermandolin"
  # sustain 0.5

-- change the chords, add some reverb
d1 $ jux rev $ arp "<pinkyup down thumbup up>" $ n "<c'maj'4 e4'min'8 f4'maj'4>"
  # sound "supermandolin"
  # sustain 2 # room 0.3 # sz 0.9

-- add some variety with 'chunk'
d1 $ chunk 4 (|- note 5) $ jux rev $ 
  arp "<pinkyup down thumbup up>" $ n "<c'maj'4 e4'min'8 f4'maj'4>"
  # sound "supermandolin"
  # sustain 2 # room 0.3 # sz 0.9

Building up a rhythm

-- Simple bass drum - snare
d1 $ sound "bd sn"

-- Choose a different snare sample
d1 $ sound "bd sn:3"

-- Change the rhythm
d1 $ sound "bd*2 [~ sn:3]"

-- Add some toms
d1 $ sound "bd*2 [[~ lt] sn:3] lt:1 [ht mt*2]"

-- Start to transform, shift a quarter cycle every other cycle
d1 $ every 2 (0.25 <~) $ sound "bd*2 [[~ lt] sn:3] lt:1 [ht mt*2]"

-- Pattern the shift amount
d1 $ every 2 ("<0.25 0.125 0.5>" <~) $ sound "bd*2 [[~ lt] sn:3] lt:1 [ht mt*2]"

-- Add some patterned effects
d1 $ every 2 ("<0.25 0.125 0.5>" <~) $ sound "bd*2 [[~ lt] sn:3] lt:1 [ht mt*2]"
  # squiz "<1 2.5 2>"
  # room (slow 4 $ range 0 0.2 saw)
  # sz 0.5
  # orbit 1

-- More transformation
d1 $ jux' [id,rev,(# speed 2)] $ every 2 ("<0.25 0.125 0.5>" <~) $ sound "bd*2 [[~ lt] sn:3] lt:1 [ht mt*2]"
  # squiz "<1 2.5 2>"
  # room (slow 4 $ range 0 0.2 saw)
  # sz 0.5
  # orbit 1

Building up another rhythm

-- start with a sequence..
d1 $ n "0 0 [2 0] [2 3]" # sound "feel" # speed 1.5

-- Add a bit of flavour
d1 $ n "0 <0 4> [2 0] [2 3]" # sound "feel" # speed 1.5

-- Swap the samples round every other cycle
d1 $ every 2 (rot "<1 3 2>") $ n "0 <0 4> [2 0] [2 3]" # sound "feel" # speed 1.5

-- Always worth trying a jux rev
d1 $ jux rev $ every 2 (rot "<1 3 2>") $ n "0 <0 4> [2 0] [2 3]" # sound "feel" # speed 1.5

-- Calm it down a bit by reducing the amount of panning
d1 $ juxBy 0.4 rev $ every 2 (rot "<1 3 2>") $ n "0 <0 4> [2 0] [2 3]" # sound "feel" # speed 1.5

-- Vary the speed
d1 $ juxBy 0.4 rev $ every 2 (rot "<1 3 2>") $ n "0 <0 4> [2 0] [2 3]" # sound "feel" # speed "1.75 2"

-- Add an offset vowel effect
d1 $ off 0.25 (# vowel "<a o i>")
  $ juxBy 0.4 rev $ every 2 (rot "<1 3 2>") $ n "0 <0 4> [2 0] [2 3]" # sound "feel" # speed "1.75 2"

-- Give it a friend
d1 $ off 0.25 (# vowel "<a o i>")
  $ juxBy 0.4 rev $ every 2 (rot "<1 3 2>") $ n "0 <0 4> [2 0] [2 3]" # sound "feel" # speed "1.75 2"

d2 $ juxBy 0.5 rev $ chunk 4 ((+ speed (1 + sine)) . ply 8) $ note "3(3,8)" # sound "bass"
  # speed "<2 4>"
  # legato 1