Music

Theory, Algorithmic Composition, Experimentation

A collection of Perl, Python, and R scripts for generating MIDI music, exploring music theory, and experimenting with algorithmic and mathematical composition techniques.

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Overview

This repository is a sandbox of musical experiments spanning:

• Algorithmic composition — using genetic algorithms, cellular automata, fractals, and chaos theory to generate music
• Music theory exploration — scales, modes, chord progressions, intervals, cadences, and harmonic analysis
• Rhythm generation — Euclidean rhythms, drum patterns, MIDI drum machine scripts
• Real-piece transcriptions — faithful MIDI renderings of jazz standards and classical pieces
• Mathematical sonification — mapping physics and mathematics (Lorenz attractors, Mandelbrot sets, astrophysics data) to sound
• MIDI tooling — capture, routing, real-time clock control, and device configuration

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Languages & Dependencies

Language	Share
Perl 5	~81%
Python	~19%
R	<1%

Key Perl Modules

• MIDI::Util — score setup and MIDI helpers
• MIDI::Drummer::Tiny — drum pattern generation
• MIDI::Simple — low-level MIDI score building
• MIDI::Chord::Guitar — guitar chord voicings
• Music::Duration::Partition — rhythmic motif generation
• Music::CreatingRhythms — Euclidean and other rhythm algorithms
• Music::AtonalUtil — pitch-set operations (invert, retrograde, transpose, rotate)
• Music::Chord::Note — chord-to-note mapping
• Music::Note — note name/MIDI number conversions
• AI::Genetic — genetic algorithm engine
• Game::Life — Conway's Game of Life grid
• Math::Utils — scaling utilities

Key Python Libraries

• mido / rtmidi — MIDI I/O and real-time clock
• music21 — music analysis and notation
• pretty_midi — MIDI file manipulation

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Scripts by Category

Algorithmic Composition

Script	Description
ai-genetic	Uses a genetic algorithm (AI::Genetic) to evolve a pitch set scored by consonance, then optionally evolves rhythm and velocity. Applies atonal transformations (inversion, retrograde, rotation, transposition).
ai-genetic-pro	Extended version of ai-genetic with additional options.
algo-progression	Algorithmically generates chord progressions.
cope	Implements ideas from David Cope's algorithmic composition work.
cope-genetic	Combines Cope-style composition with genetic evolution.
evolver.pl	Evolves musical phrases iteratively.
fragments	Generates and combines small melodic fragments.
micro-themed	Produces micro-scale themed compositions.

Chaos, Fractals & Mathematics

Script	Description
lorenz-attractor.pl	Solves the Lorenz system using RK4 integration; maps x/y/z trajectory values to MIDI pitch ranges and writes quarter-note triads. Outputs a .csv of trajectory data alongside the MIDI file.
lorenz-attractor.py	Python equivalent of the above.
mandelbrot_music.py	Sonifies the Mandelbrot set — escape-time values drive pitch and rhythm.
barycenter, barycenter3, barycenter4	Maps gravitational barycenter calculations to musical output.
hilbert-notes	Uses a Hilbert space-filling curve to traverse a note grid.
astrophysics	Turns astrophysical data into sound.
five-parsecs, kiloparsec	Space/distance-themed algorithmic pieces.

Cellular Automata & Systems

Script	Description
game-of-life-cluster	Runs Conway's Game of Life on a 7×7 note grid; each generation's live-cell cluster becomes a chord. Uses a glider or blinker as the seed.
lindenmayer-midi	Applies L-system (Lindenmayer system) rewriting rules to produce MIDI sequences.
cryptomorphic	Explores cryptomorphic transformations of musical structures.

Rhythm & Drums

Script	Description
euclidean-beats	Distributes kick and snare onsets using Euclidean rhythm algorithm with prime-number onset counts. Hi-hat plays straight eighths.
euclidean-drums.pl	Simpler Euclidean drum machine.
clocked-euclidean-drums.pl	Euclidean drum patterns synchronised to an external MIDI clock.
clocked-euclidean-drum-fills.pl	Adds fills to clocked Euclidean drum patterns.
OMB.pl	One-Man Band: generates randomised hi-hat, kick, and snare patterns plus drum fills using Music::Duration::Partition. Six fill styles descend the tom kit with optional cymbal substitutions.
drum-circle	Multi-part drum circle simulation.
duration-selection	Explores rhythmic duration selection strategies.
figured-syncopation	Generates syncopated rhythmic figures.
five-four-durations	Experiments with 5/4 time signatures.

Music Theory

Script	Description
all-modes	Generates and plays all diatonic modes.
all-possible-chords	Enumerates and plays all possible chord voicings in a key.
intervals	Explores melodic and harmonic intervals.
circle-intervals	Generates patterns based on the circle of fifths/intervals.
inversion	Demonstrates melodic and harmonic inversions.
chord-melody	Combines chord voicings with a melody line.
chord-mutate	Mutates chord voicings algorithmically.
chordal	Chordal composition experiments.
cadences	Generates common cadential patterns.
cadence-logic.pl	Logic-based cadence generation.
blues-progressions	Generates 12-bar and extended blues progressions.
harmonic-entropy.pl	Computes and sonifies harmonic entropy values.
guidonian	References Guido d'Arezzo's hexachordal system.

Jazz & Real Pieces

Script	Description
blue-monk	Full MIDI transcription of Thelonious Monk's Blue Monk (Bb) from the Real Book, with synchronized drums, walking bass, chord comping, and melody.
coltrane	Coltrane-changes-inspired composition.
coltrane-and-company	Extended Coltrane-style harmonic exploration.
jingle-bells.pl	MIDI arrangement of Jingle Bells (plain and fancy versions included as .mp3).
in-c	Approximation of Terry Riley's In C.
in-c-randomized	Randomised version of the In C performance practice.
dice-game	Implements Mozart's musical dice game (Musikalisches Würfelspiel).

Bach Choral Analysis

Script	Description
bach-choral	Reads a CSV of Bach choral data (produced by bach-choral.R) and reconstructs melody, chord accompaniment, and bass line as MIDI.
bach-choral-freq	Analyses note frequency distributions in Bach chorals.
bach-choral-network	Builds a network graph of chord transitions in Bach chorals.
bach-choral.R	R script to pre-process the Bach choral dataset.

Guitar Tools

Script	Description
fretboard	Visualises scales and notes on a guitar fretboard.
fretting	Models guitar fretting positions.
fretting-viz	Visualisation of fretting patterns.

MIDI Utilities & Real-Time

Script	Description
capture-midi	Captures incoming MIDI events.
clock-gen-async.pl / .py	Async MIDI clock generator.
clock-listener.pl	Listens to an external MIDI clock signal.
midi-control.py	Sends MIDI control change messages.
midi-ports.py	Lists available MIDI ports.
ezd2gm.pl	Converts EZdrummer patterns to General MIDI.
irc-bot	IRC bot that triggers music generation.

Configuration Files

File	Description
capture-midi.yaml	MIDI capture configuration.
midi-rock-stone-SE-02.yaml	Roland SE-02 synthesiser MIDI map.
midi-rock-stone-microKORG.yaml	Korg microKORG MIDI map.

Subdirectories

Directory	Description
clock/	MIDI clock utilities.
cmmwp/	Supporting files for a composition project.
mrwmip/	Supporting files for a composition project.

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Getting Started

Prerequisites

Install the required Perl modules via CPAN or cpanm:

cpanm MIDI::Util MIDI::Drummer::Tiny Music::Duration::Partition \
      Music::CreatingRhythms Music::AtonalUtil Music::Chord::Note \
      Music::Note AI::Genetic Game::Life Math::Utils

For Python scripts:

pip install mido python-rtmidi music21 pretty_midi

Running a Script

Most scripts write a .mid file to the current directory with the same base name as the script. Run them directly:

perl euclidean-beats          # generates euclidean-beats.mid
perl blue-monk                # generates blue-monk.mid
perl lorenz-attractor.pl      # generates lorenz-attractor.pl.mid + .csv
python3 mandelbrot_music.py   # generates MIDI output

Many scripts accept positional arguments to control parameters such as BPM, bar count, or loop count:

perl euclidean-beats 16 8 90 100   # n=16 beats, 8 loops, 90 BPM, volume=100
perl OMB.pl 120 4 4                # 120 BPM, 4-beat motif, 4 repeats

Open the resulting .mid file in any DAW, MIDI player, or notation software (e.g. GarageBand, MuseScore, Logic Pro, Ableton).

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License

This project is licensed under the Artistic License 2.0.