What does a map sound like? This piece is part of an ongoing project called Sonic Sketches (sam-guilford.com/sonicsketches), where I translate images and data into musical notation. I’ve recently been exploring how cartographic and geospatial forms can be used to create design constraints to inform musical composition. 

Maine Coast No. 2 is written as a series of four-part chords, with the note symbols themselves delineating the Maine coastline. Land is represented by regular sets of quarter notes in the key of D major (A-D-A-F#), while the ocean is written as longer swells of whole notes in the key of C (sea!) minor (G-Eb-C-G). At the jagged intersection between land and sea, the regularity of the form breaks down as individual parts change keys independently according to where the notes fall on the coastline. This piece was recorded with four separate violin tracks, one for each part of the chords.

See the full map image here: sam-guilford.com/single-post/maine-coast-no-2

Maine Coast No. 2

This is a sonic sketch of a barracuda, played on violin(s).

Sheet music, graphic, and video at: http://www.sam-guilford.com/#!sonic-sketches/crs8

Barracuda

This is an octopus, played on violin and mandolin.

Sheet music, graphic, and video at: http://www.sam-guilford.com/#!sonic-sketches/crs8

Octopus

This is a manta ray, played on violin and guitar.

Video & graphic at: www.sam-guilford.com/#!sonic-sketches/crs8

Manta Ray

This is a pair of lobsters, played on violin and mandolin.

Video & graphic at: www.sam-guilford.com/#!sonic-sketches/crs8

Lobsters

This is a pod of porpoises, played on violin, mandolin, and guitar. Some porpoises are violins, some are mandolins.

Video & sheet music at: www.sam-guilford.com/#!sonic-sketches/crs8

Porpoises

This is a sonic sketch of a swashbuckling swordfish, played on violin, mandolin, and guitar. 

Video & sheet music at: www.sam-guilford.com/#!sonic-sketches/crs8

Sonic Sketches

Swordfish

This sonic sketch is a map image of Cape Ann, MA, written for the wedding of two good friends. Played on violin, mandolin, and guitar. 

Video, sheet music & more Sonic Sketches at: http://www.sam-guilford.com/#!sonic-sketches/crs8

Cape Ann

This is a sonic sketch of a great white shark's jawbone, played on violin and mandolin.

Video, sheet music & more Sonic Sketches at: www.sam-guilford.com/#!sonic-sketches/crs8


Great White Jawbone

This is a sonic sketch of Mount Monadnock in southern New Hampshire. I wrote it for the wedding of two good friends. It's in the key of G Major and is played on violin and acoustic guitar. Sheet music & more Sonic Sketches at: https://www.sam-guilford.com/sonic-sketches

Mount Monadnock

Sam Guilford is a multi-instrumental strings player and songwriter from a little town in Maine, currently living in Washington, DC. Instruments include violin/fiddle, guitar, bass, mandolin, mandocaster, steel drums, and occasionally some vocals.

Sam Guilford

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