Learning to compose music from complete novice in a year. My first ever composition based on my music teacher's assignment. Using only the following notes: D, F, B, A#, C#, G (played in order). I could use any four voices (one high, two mid and a low) using synths without any added effects. As I have logic I choose to use 3 Alchemy presets and the low baseline was recorded using a Moog Sub37 and a custom patch. For structuring the piece I was advised to look into Balinese Gamelan music.

Twisted Trumpet

A little experiment of writing an algorithm to convert an image into music. I used the Mona Lisa as the source image, scaled it down to fit within a 25 x 25 pixel square and then used the colour data from each pixel to pick the note, duration and velocity.

Every note played, and how it is played is from the algorithm. So credit mainly to Leonardo DaVinci for this interesting piano piece.

Let me know what you think.

Algorithm for Mona Lisa

Inspired by Arvo Pärt's Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten

A chromatic walk up the notes from Ab to Ab using morse code of each letter A-G as the note duration and rhythm.

Matt Chromatica

My entry to Deru and Native Instruments deruxform contest. The contest was to use Deru's samples and Native Instrument’s Form synthesiser.

In Japanese, Deru means to exit or go outside, so this became the theme of the piece.

I took a mathematical approach to the composition. In the tradition of the many classical composers that have created compositions using names and a method of musical cryptography, I used Deru’s name for the basis of the composition. Firstly using the French method of musical cryptography, I converted the letters D, E, R, U to the notes D, E, D, G. Then for the note duration in the melody I used morse code so that D, E, R, U became -..  .  .-.  ..-

Form is a fantastic and very easy to use sound design tool. Deru provided a variety of samples such as humming, electro-static, notes from a clarinet and ukulele, etc to use with Form. I started picking a few samples at random and shaped the sounds until I found interesting textures. 

Form was used in this track for the organic bass line that opens the track, using the Resonating Drum sample. The ethnic (almost panpipe-esque) sound was created using the humming sample and the main melody that comes in after the drop, with it’s almost steel plucked sound, uses the Ukulele sample.

I then added some string quartet samples with Kontakt and a dance rhythm to give it a laid back sunset dance vibe and finally underlaid the whole track with an environmental binaural recording taken in the field behind our house, bracketing the whole track with a sample of a metal gate closing. Oh and as Deru mentions twice in the promo video about going outside, I sampled him to tie the track together.

Let me know what you think.

Outside

A simple ABA composition between D and it's relative (B) minor key.

Jon Milet

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