strategies for generating melodies and bass lines in sonic pi

mel_bas_strats.rb

# STRATEGIES FOR GENERATING MELODIES & BASS LINES

# scale pattern
##| my_mel = (scale :e, :minor) # returns a ring

# adding rings together will "concatenate" the lists
##| my_mel = (scale :e, :minor) + (ring :r, :r, :r, :r, :r, :r, :r, :r)

# call the "shuffle" method to scramble the scale and mix in rests
##| my_mel = ((scale :e, :minor) + (ring :r, :r, :r, :r, :r, :r, :r, :r)).shuffle

# use knit as short-hand to generate a ring of 8 rests
##| my_mel = (knit :r, 8)

# shuffle scale with rests as before, but with short-hand "knit"
##| my_mel = ((scale :e, :minor) + (knit :r, 8)).shuffle

# if you want to force a max of, say, 8 notes
##| my_mel = ((scale :e, :minor) + (knit :r, 8)).shuffle.take(8)

# make :e more likely to generate by concatenating 8 :e's
##| my_mel = ((scale :e, :minor) + (knit :e, 8) + (knit :r, 8)).shuffle.take(8)

# get it perfect by "auditioning seeds"
use_random_seed 6
my_mel = ((scale :e, :minor) + (knit :e, 8) + (knit :r, 8)).shuffle.take(8)

puts my_mel

use_synth :pluck
live_loop :mel do
  play my_mel.tick
  sleep 0.25
end

# when generating a bass line, consider using "chords" rather than "scales"
# try to match bass note (in this case, :e)
# try to match quality (:minor is compatible with :m9)
# consider the length of the resulting chord ring when knitting other values

use_random_seed 9
puts my_bas = ((chord :e2, :m9) + (knit :r, 8)).shuffle.take(8)

use_synth :pluck
live_loop :bas do
  play my_bas.tick
  sleep 0.25
end