Beginning ArtSong Projects
In previous tutorials we used pre-saved project templates, presets, and patterns in order to introduce the ArtSong workspace and operations without adding complications. We learned how to start and stop the algorithmic composition process, change instrument settings, play, and save our compositions as ArtSong project files and MIDI files.
Now it’s time to take our first steps along the path to achieving greater musical expression and creativity with ArtSong by learning to use Component Property Editors.
In this tutorial we will start from a new blank project and create a project to compose a simple fractal piano etude consisting of a fractal melody over ‘fractalized’ block chords. We will use several component Property Editors to configure our composition project. In Tutorial 4 we will further develop this etude with component events.
Component Property Editors
Components are ArtSong’s fundamental unit of project-composition structure. Each component type serves a particular purpose(s) and maintains its own internal data format and rules.
Most components have user-configurable properties that control their operation. In addition, some of these properties can also be exposed to the composition engine as composition variables; variables that can be assigned to algorithms. Properties assigned to algorithms can vary continuously during the algorithmic composition process.
Component Property Editors are the user interface provided to set user-configurable properties and composition variables. For this tutorial we will use the composition, track, and the ChaosMapper algorithm Component Properties Editors to configure our project.
ArtSong Workspace
A – New Composition Button: Click to create a new blank composition.
B – Component Pane (Editor): Displays the project components; the default blank project contains 1 Composition component and 8 Track components. (Right-click for the component pop-up menu)
C – Data Pane (Editor): Displays component data. (Right-click for a pop-up menu)
D – Algorithms Palette: Tabbed Pages of available composition algorithms.
Planning
The objective of our first complete project is a short chromatic piano etude.
Our project will contain four tracks. The first track will be used to algorithmically generate the ‘chord progression’ that will be used by the remaining tracks.
The three remaining tracks will produce the piano right-hand and left-hand parts. The ‘left-hand’ piano part will play 2-note block chords; the ‘right-hand’ part will use two tracks for rhythmic independance.
Setting Composition Properties
We start our project by creating a new blank composition and setting some intial composition properties.
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Create new blank composition:
- Left click on the New Composition (A) button on the left toolbar. This will create a new blank composition and open an editor to manage it.
Initially a new blank composition has several default properties: LENGTH = 96 measures, TIME SIGNATURE = 4/4, KEY SIGNATURE = C Major, BASE DURATION UNIT = 1/8 note.
This means the default composition will be 96 measures long, ALL generated pitches will be mapped to the pitches contained the in C Major Scale, and ALL generated note durations will be multiples of an 1/8th note.
The ‘Time Signature’ property is basically for display purposes; actual meter (pattern of strong/weak beats) is controlled by algorithms.
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Open Composition Property Editor:
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Right-mouse click on the top 'composition' component in the Component Pane, this will select the ‘composition’ component (if not already selected) and open the pop-up menu.
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Select the Properties… menu item to open the composition component's Properties Editor (shown below).
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Adjust Composition Properties
We will begin by changing the default composition properties to: LENGTH = 48 measures, TIME SIGNATURE = 4/4, KEY SIGNATURE = Atonal, BASE DURATION UNIT = 1/16 note.
On the ‘General’ tab:
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Use the scroll bar at the top of the editor to set the composition length to 24 measures.
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Set Key Signature to ATONAL: click the Atonal tonality radio button in the Key Signature and Tonality group. The composition will now use the chromatic scale – no pitch filtering.
On the ‘Meter’ tab:
- Leave Time signature at 4/4.
- Set Base Duration to 1/16th Note: Click on the ‘arrow’ in the Base Duration Unit group and select ‘Sixteenth’ note from the drop down menu. This value establishes the basic time quantization of the composition.
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