Composition libraries (4) |
Creation of a melody folder [Professional] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] In this lesson, we will learn about combinations, also called folders. It is possible to
create rhythms, melodies, themes and chords folders. The
basic principles of a folder are similar all elements. We
will start by studying in detail the melody folder.
A folder is an object which can contain several elements of
the same type. In a melody folder, you can place one or more
melody cells such as we defined them in the preceding lessons. It
is then possible to assign options which will be valid for all
melodies in a melody folder. Eighth note is a rhythm that contains only one eighth
note, repeated ad infinitum. The 7 melodies are elements
containing each one only one note, indicated by the name of the
element. For example, double-click on the melody named G.
Its contents is: Close this view. It represents a small bag, a folder that may contain melodies.
For the moment, it is empty, because we placed nothing in it. It displays the icons contained in the folder. The window
title shows the folder name. Horizontal and vertical scroll bars
are used to move in the window, when there are too many elements
inside. You can also use the zoom box. Close this window with the
closing box. A melody folder can be used in the same manner as a melody
cell. It can be placed in a measure and be associated with a
rhythm. Double-click on Score 1 and place the Eight
note element in the score first measure. Then drag the C
scale in it. The score becomes: The rhythmic values (eighth notes ad infinitum) were
associated with the 7 melodies of one note each, in the order in
which they were placed in the folder. Options of a melody folder [Professional] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] We will see in practice what are the effects of the options
located in the dialog box of the characteristics of the melody
folder. The 7 melodies were sequenced 3 times. The Do not transpose and Do not arrange
options are exactly the same as for the definition of a melody or
a theme. They have an influence only when a chord combines with
the melody folder in the same measure. When they are checked,
they prevent Pizzicato from transposing or arranging the melody
cells located in the folder, even if these options are not
checked in the individual melodies. The number of notes extracted from the folder was limited to
16, filling exactly two 4/4 measures with eighth notes. The sequence of the melodies contained in the C scale was
used in the opposite order. The result is a random mixture (notes randomly selected by
Pizzicato) of the 7 melodies of one note each. Notice that you
will probably not get the notes here above. When you select the
Random option in a folder, each time Pizzicato calculates
it, a different result is generated. The number of notes is limited to 16 notes, as indicated in
the options. As soon as a random option is selected, the folder
becomes an ad infinitum generator, which randomly generates
elements among those in the folder. If you wish a limited number
of random melodies, you must then select the Limit to
X notes option. It can be used to define some arrangement options for the
melodies. It is also available for the themes folders. The higher part fixes the notes range that will be generated
in the score. Menus let you select the note and the octave, lower
and higher. The 4 following menus select two lower and upper split points.
When a generated note exceeds the upper split point, it is
automatically transcribed on the upper staff. Similarly, when the
generated note go lower than the lower split point, it
automatically goes to the lower staff. These options allow for
example to split the right and left hands for the piano. The following slider determines the notes arrangement rate on
a chord. When the Do not arrange option of the preceding
dialog box is not checked, the percentage applies to the notes
arrangement. By default, it is fixed at 100 %, which means that
all notes will be arranged in relation to the chord. By placing
for example 50 %, only half of the notes will be arranged, this
in a random way, the other notes being not modified. The following text box limits the repetition of the same note.
A value of 0 makes this option inactive. By placing for example
"2", Pizzicato will remove notes automatically if the
same note is repeated more than twice in a random way. By placing
"1", you are sure never to have twice the same note in
sequence. The last menu selects what should be done if a note exceeds
the range specified above. The default choice is to transpose the
note. It is also possible to remove the note. Click OK
and again OK. It shows the list of the elements contained in the folder. A
text box shows the priority of the element selected in the list.
The priority is used in combination with the random option of the
other dialog box. The possible values vary from 0 to 15. The
larger the priority, the more Pizzicato will select this element.
We may then influence the chance of using an element. For
instance, we want the 2 main notes C and G to appear in majority
and the other notes to appear much less. Replace the 8 by 15.
Then click the G and place a priority of 15 also. For all other
elements, set a priority of "1", by clicking first on
the line then by changing the number which appears in the text
box. By default, all priorities were placed at 8 (middle
priority). Click OK and generate the score. You get
something like: Calculate the score several times. The result will be each
time different but the notes in majority will be C and G, i.e.
the notes which have the highest priorities. One can state as a
rule that a priority "15" note will be used 15 times
more often (on average) than a priority "1" note. The melodies are in sequence again, but the order was modified
as required. When you place library elements (rhythms, melodies, themes or
chords) in a measure, they remain associated with the measure.
When the contents is calculated starting from the libraries,
Pizzicato first erases all notes and rests of the measure and
then calculates and places the rhythmic notes and values, as we
have seen before. Once this operation is done, the contents of
the measures can be modified with every tools located in the
Pizzicato palettes. You can modify the notes exactly as if they
were introduced manually by you. With the composition libraries
you can save time to compose because they help you quickly
generate systematic accompaniments. You can then modify those to
adapt some passages or details which disobey the rules introduced
into the definitions of the library elements. After the
modifications, be careful not to generate the score again,
because Pizzicato will erase everything to start again from the
original library elements. Multiplying combinations [Professional] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] Once a melody folder is created and one or more melodies have
been introduced in it, this folder behaves itself like a melody.
It can thus be placed in a measure but also in another melody
folder. This other folder, also behaving like a melody, may
itself be placed in another melody folder. Each folder can have
different options and contain a great number of distinct elements
combined in order, inverted order or in a random way with
priorities. It is possible to build increasingly complex
structures which generate very structured melodies directed for
example towards jazz improvisation, arpeggio accompaniments,
chromatic, pentatonic scales,... The only limit is
imagination. We will further see that it is possible to do the
same kind of constructions with rhythmic folders, themes and
chords. A lot of possibilities is then offered to the composer to
create composition libraries to his appreciation. The novice
composer will be able to use the libraries provided with
Pizzicato to make his first steps in composition. By combining
these various libraries and by playing his choice ability on the
multiple possible combinations, he will be able to execute his
first compositions. Gradually, he will be able to build his own
libraries, the further he will be acquainted to the various
musical elements. We now will execute an example containing a
combination of 3 melody folders to generate a melody more
specific than the above example. They are 7 melodies with the 7 notes of the C
scale. We will place them in a folder, as for the above example. They represent groups of 2 related notes taken
in the 7 notes of the C Major scale. Create a new random melody
folder as above. Name it 2 notes. Select the Limit
to 2 notes option. Click OK and drag one by one
these 14 melodies into the new folder which appeared in the main
view, with the Control key. The 26 melodies located lower form groups of
three related notes: The folder named 1 note thus contains
one note randomly taken among 7 notes. The folder named 2
notes contains a melody with 2 notes randomly taken among 14
melodies. The folder named 3 notes contains a melody of
3 notes randomly taken among 26 melodies. We will now create a
new folder where we will successively place these 3 folders while
observing the result on the score. Indeed, Melody 1 contains only one
element, which is the 3 notes folder. Generate the score several times in order to
see several examples of it. Do not hesitate to read this lesson several
times because it introduces essential concepts concerning the
composition library. A good understanding of these concepts is
needed so that you can use this musical construction system to
the maximum of its possibilities.