Create Rhythms
This page is an experiment in creating rhythm by modifying a rhythmic outline. (default set to 'a4 a4 a4. a8 a4. a8 a2'). Each duration of the rhythmic outline is translated into a compatible rhythm for that duration. You can specify how many notes are in the translated rhythm (default set to '1 2 2 1 3 1 *'). The '*' symbol indicates a random elaboration will be applied. The number 1 means no change will be applied to the rhythmic outline note. For example a mod factors list of '2 2 2 2 2 2 1' would apply a translation of two notes for each duration of the rhythmic outline notes except the last one. Here are the modification factors (mod factors):
- mod factor codes:
- 1 = no change in duration
- 2 = translate duration into two notes of various shorter durations.
- 3 = translate duration into three notes of various shorter durations.
- 4 = translate duration into four notes of various shorter durations.
- 5 = translate duration into five notes of various shorter durations.
Below is an example of the lilypond output of a randomly generated rhythm created using the default values. The top staff is the original rhythmic outline and the bottom staff is the generated rhythm (with the lower note the original rhythmic outline and the upper note the added rhythms). The odds are against this exact rhythm being created again anytime soon with these settings.
When you click play you won't hear this rhythm, you'll hear a newly created rhythm using your rhythmic outline input as a guide. To see your rhythm in lilypond you'll need to copy the code at the botton of the page and paste it into lilypond. In lilypond, save the file then choose 'typeset file' to see a pdf of the created rhythm and the rhythmic outline together (similar to the image above, for more info see link at the bottom of the page). Of course you can change the rhythmic outline to anything you want as well as change the mod_factors list but be sure there is the same number of elements in both the mod_factors list and the notes of the rhythmic outline. The pitch used will be played on accented notes of the created rhythm (the same as your rhythmic outline).
NOTE: Each time you change anything in the rhythmic outline field it will cause a new mod factor list to be generated. So beware if you change only a duration in the rhythmic outline field it will trigger a new default mod factor list and write over any list you had been experimenting with, so you should copy your edited mod factor field before making the change in the rhythmic outline field (so you can paste it back in). If you add more notes to the rhythmic outline and plan on pasting in an edited mod factor list, then be sure to match the total number of mod factors to the total number of notes in the new rhythmic outline. One strategy for rhythm creation is to set all mod factors to '1', then change only some of the values to specific numbers or '*'. Then you can create a rhythm that has only some sections randomly created.