Knowledge base
Generative Composition
What Is Voice Leading, and How Can Common Tones and Small Intervals Create Smoother Chord Changes?
Voice Leading and Chord Voicing: How to Create Smooth Harmonic MovementA chord progression is more than a sequence of harmonic blocks. It is also a collection of individual musical voices… read more
How Can Electronic Musicians Use Authentic, Plagal, Deceptive and Half Cadences in Ambient and Generative Music?
Using Musical Cadences in Electronic and Ambient Music: Controlling Tension and ResolutionCadences are traditionally associated with classical music and tonal harmony, but their… read more
What Is a Turing Machine in Modular Synthesis and How Does It Generate Controlled Random Sequences?
Turing Machine Modular Synth: How Controlled Randomness Creates Generative Music
The Turing Machine has become one of the most influential modules in modern generative modular… read more
What Are Different Ways to Create Randomness in Modular Generative Music?
Five Faces of Randomness in Generative MusicRandomness is one of the defining characteristics of generative music. However, not all randomness behaves the same way.
A random process can influence:
… read moreHow Do You Create Tempo Jumps and Melody Inversions in Modular Systems?
Changing BPM and Inverting Melodies in Generative MusicTwo simple techniques can dramatically alter musical perception: tempo changes and melodic inversion.
Jumping Between BPM ValuesTempo does not need to change… read more
How Do Additional Layers Increase Tension in Generative Music?
Building Tension Through Musical LayersOne of the most reliable methods for increasing tension is adding layers.
The listener perceives growing complexity as increasing energy.
Types of LayersLayers may include:
… read moreHow Do You Repeat Musical Ideas When Everything Is Random?
Repeating, Modifying and Inverting Relationships in Generative MusicTraditional composition relies heavily on repetition and variation.
Generative music raises an interesting question:
How can something be repeated when… read more
Should Generative Music Use Melodies or Random Pitches?
Melody vs Random Pitch Development in Generative MusicOne of the most characteristic contrasts in generative music is the opposition between recognizable melody and random pitch movement.
Unlike traditional composition, both… read more
What Is Moment Form and How Can It Be Used in Modular Music?
Moment Form and Sonic Territories in Generative MusicOne fascinating approach to generative composition originates from Karlheinz Stockhausen's concept of Moment Form.
What Is Moment Form?In Moment Form, each section exists… read more
How Do Probability Masks Shape Random Musical Events?
Probability Masks in Generative MusicOne of the most powerful ideas in generative composition is the probability mask.
Rather than determining exactly which event will occur, a probability mask influences how likely different… read more