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Basic Music Theory in ~200 Lines of Python
# The code for my article with the same name. You can find it at the URL below:
# https://www.mvanga.com/blog/basic-music-theory-in-200-lines-of-python
# MIT License
#
# Copyright (c) 2021 Manohar Vanga
#
# Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
# of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
# in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
# to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
# copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
# furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
#
# The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
# copies or substantial portions of the Software.
#
# THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
# IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
# FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
# AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
# LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
# OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
# SOFTWARE.
import pprint
import re
# The musical alphabet consists of seven letter from A through G
alphabet = ['C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'G', 'A', 'B']
# The twelve notes in Western music, along with their enharmonic equivalents
notes = [
['B#', 'C', 'Dbb'],
['B##', 'C#', 'Db'],
['C##', 'D', 'Ebb'],
['D#', 'Eb', 'Fbb'],
['D##', 'E', 'Fb'],
['E#', 'F', 'Gbb'],
['E##', 'F#', 'Gb'],
['F##', 'G', 'Abb'],
['G#', 'Ab'],
['G##', 'A', 'Bbb'],
['A#', 'Bb', 'Cbb'],
['A##', 'B', 'Cb'],
]
def find_note_index(scale, search_note):
''' Given a scale, find the index of a particular note '''
for i, note in enumerate(scale):
# Deal with situations where we have a list of enharmonic
# equivalents, as well as just a single note as and str.
if type(note) == list:
if search_note in note:
return i
elif type(note) == str:
if search_note == note:
return i
def rotate(scale, n):
''' Left-rotate a scale by n positions. '''
return scale[n:] + scale[:n]
def chromatic(key):
''' Generate a chromatic scale in a given key. '''
# Figure out how much to rotate the notes list by and return
# the rotated version.
num_rotations = find_note_index(notes, key)
return rotate(notes, num_rotations)
# Interval names that specify the distance between two notes
intervals = [
['P1', 'd2'], # Perfect unison Diminished second
['m2', 'A1'], # Minor second Augmented unison
['M2', 'd3'], # Major second Diminished third
['m3', 'A2'], # Minor third Augmented second
['M3', 'd4'], # Major third Diminished fourth
['P4', 'A3'], # Perfect fourth Augmented third
['d5', 'A4'], # Diminished fifth Augmented fourth
['P5', 'd6'], # Perfect fifth Diminished sixth
['m6', 'A5'], # Minor sixth Augmented fifth
['M6', 'd7'], # Major sixth Diminished seventh
['m7', 'A6'], # Minor seventh Augmented sixth
['M7', 'd8'], # Major seventh Diminished octave
['P8', 'A7'], # Perfect octave Augmented seventh
]
# Interval names based off the notes of the major scale
intervals_major = [
[ '1', 'bb2'],
['b2', '#1'],
[ '2', 'bb3', '9'],
['b3', '#2'],
[ '3', 'b4'],
[ '4', '#3', '11'],
['b5', '#4', '#11'],
[ '5', 'bb6'],
['b6', '#5'],
[ '6', 'bb7', '13'],
['b7', '#6'],
[ '7', 'b8'],
[ '8', '#7'],
]
def find_note_by_root(notes, root):
'''
Given a list of notes, find it's alphabet. Useful for figuring out which
enharmonic equivalent we must use in a particular scale.
'''
for note in notes:
if note[0] == root:
return note
def make_intervals(root):
labeled = {}
c = chromatic(root)
start_index = find_note_index(alphabet, root[0])
for i, interval in enumerate(intervals):
for interval_name in interval:
interval_index = int(interval_name[1]) - 1
note = c[i % len(c)]
note_root = alphabet[(start_index + interval_index) % len(alphabet)]
if note_root is not None:
labeled[interval_name] = find_note_by_root(note, note_root)
return labeled
def make_intervals_major(root):
labeled = {}
c = chromatic(root)
start_index = find_note_index(alphabet, root[0])
for i, interval in enumerate(intervals_major):
for interval_name in interval:
interval_index = int(re.sub('[b#]', '', interval_name)) - 1
note = c[i % len(c)]
note_root = alphabet[(start_index + interval_index) % len(alphabet)]
if note_root is not None:
labeled[interval_name] = find_note_by_root(note, note_root)
return labeled
def make_formula(formula, labeled):
'''
Given a comma-separated interval formula, and a set of labeled
notes in a key, return the notes of the formula.
'''
return [labeled[x] for x in formula.split(',')]
intervs = make_intervals('C')
print('Major :', ','.join(make_formula('P1,M2,M3,P4,P5,M6,M7,P8', intervs))) # Major
print('Minor :', ','.join(make_formula('P1,M2,m3,P4,P5,m6,m7,P8', intervs))) # Natural Minor
print('Mel. Minor:', ','.join(make_formula('P1,M2,m3,P4,P5,M6,M7,P8', intervs))) # Melodic Minor
print('Har. Minor:', ','.join(make_formula('P1,M2,m3,P4,P5,m6,M7,P8', intervs))) # Harmonic Minor
print('Major :', ','.join(make_formula('1,2,3,4,5,6,7', intervs))) # Major
formulas = {
# Scale formulas
'scales': {
# Basic chromatic scale
'chromatic': '1,b2,2,b3,3,4,b5,5,b6,6,b7,7',
# Major scale, its modes, and minor scale
'major': '1,2,3,4,5,6,7',
'minor': '1,2,b3,4,5,b6,b7',
# Melodic minor and its modes
'melodic_minor': '1,2,b3,4,5,6,7',
# Harmonic minor and its modes
'harmonic_minor': '1,2,b3,4,5,b6,7',
# Blues scales
'major_blues': '1,2,b3,3,5,6',
'minor_blues': '1,b3,4,b5,5,b7',
# Penatatonic scales
'pentatonic_major': '1,2,3,5,6',
'pentatonic_minor': '1,b3,4,5,b7',
'pentatonic_blues': '1,b3,4,b5,5,b7',
},
'chords': {
# Major
'major': '1,3,5',
'major_6': '1,3,5,6',
'major_6_9': '1,3,5,6,9',
'major_7': '1,3,5,7',
'major_9': '1,3,5,7,9',
'major_13': '1,3,5,7,9,11,13',
'major_7_#11': '1,3,5,7,#11',
# Minor
'minor': '1,b3,5',
'minor_6': '1,b3,5,6',
'minor_6_9': '1,b3,5,6,9',
'minor_7': '1,b3,5,b7',
'minor_9': '1,b3,5,b7,9',
'minor_11': '1,b3,5,b7,9,11',
'minor_7_b5': '1,b3,b5,b7',
# Dominant
'dominant_7': '1,3,5,b7',
'dominant_9': '1,3,5,b7,9',
'dominant_11': '1,3,5,b7,9,11',
'dominant_13': '1,3,5,b7,9,11,13',
'dominant_7_#11': '1,3,5,b7,#11',
# Diminished
'diminished': '1,b3,b5',
'diminished_7': '1,b3,b5,bb7',
'diminished_7_half': '1,b3,b5,b7',
# Augmented
'augmented': '1,3,#5',
# Suspended
'sus2': '1,2,5',
'sus4': '1,4,5',
'7sus2': '1,2,5,b7',
'7sus4': '1,4,5,b7',
},
}
def dump(scale, separator=' '):
'''
Pretty-print the notes of a scale. Replaces b and # characters
for unicode flat and sharp symbols.
'''
return separator.join(['{:<3s}'.format(x) for x in scale]) \
.replace('b', '\u266d') \
.replace('#', '\u266f')
intervs = make_intervals_major('C')
for key in formulas:
print(key)
for name, formula in formulas[key].items():
v = make_formula(formula, intervs)
print('\t', name, ':', dump(v))
major_mode_rotations = {
'Ionian': 0,
'Dorian': 1,
'Phrygian': 2,
'Lydian': 3,
'Mixolydian': 4,
'Aeolian': 5,
'Locrian': 6,
}
def mode(scale, degree):
return rotate(scale, degree)
intervs = make_intervals_major('C')
v = make_formula(formulas['scales']['major_I'], intervs)
print(dump(mode(v, major_mode_rotations['Phrygian'])))
print(find_note_index(notes, 'A'))
print(find_note_index(alphabet, 'A'))
def make_intervals(key, interval_type='standard'):
# Our labeled set of notes mapping interval names to notes
labels = {}
# Step 1: Generate a chromatic scale in our desired key
chromatic_scale = chromatic(key)
# The alphabets starting at provided key
alphabet_key = rotate(alphabet, find_note_index(alphabet, key[0]))
intervs = intervals if interval_type == 'standard' else intervals_major
# Iterate through all intervals (list of lists)
for index, interval_list in enumerate(intervs):
# Step 2: Find the notes to search through based on degree
notes_to_search = chromatic_scale[index % len(chromatic_scale)]
for interval_name in interval_list:
# Get the interval degree
if interval_type == 'standard':
degree = int(interval_name[1]) - 1 # e.g. M3 --> 2, m7 --> 6
elif interval_type == 'major':
degree = int(re.sub('[b#]', '', interval_name)) - 1
# Get the alphabet to look for
alphabet_to_search = alphabet_key[degree % len(alphabet_key)]
print('Interval {}, degree {}: looking for alphabet {} in notes {}'.format(interval_name, degree, alphabet_to_search, notes_to_search))
try:
note = [x for x in notes_to_search if x[0] == alphabet_to_search][0]
except:
note = notes_to_search[0]
labels[interval_name] = note
return labels
intervs = make_intervals('B#', 'major')
pprint.pprint(make_intervals_standard('C'), sort_dicts=False)
formula = 'P1,M2,M3,P4,P5,M6,M7,P8'
for key in alphabet:
print(key, make_formula(formula, make_intervals_standard(key)))
for key in alphabet:
scale = make_formula(formula, make_intervals_standard(key))
print('{}: {}'.format(key, dump(scale)))
intervs = make_intervals('C', 'major')
for ftype in formulas:
print(ftype)
for name, formula in formulas[ftype].items():
v = make_formula(formula, intervs)
print('\t{}: {}'.format(name, dump(v)))
print('\n\n')
intervs = make_intervals('C', 'major')
c_major_scale = make_formula(formulas['scales']['major'], intervs)
for m in major_mode_rotations:
v = mode(c_major_scale, major_mode_rotations[m])
print('{} {}: {}'.format(dump([v[0]]), m, dump(v)))
keys = [
'B#', 'C', 'C#', 'Db', 'D', 'D#', 'Eb', 'E', 'Fb', 'E#', 'F',
'F#', 'Gb', 'G', 'G#', 'Ab', 'A', 'A#', 'Bb', 'B', 'Cb',
]
modes = {}
for key in keys:
print(key)
intervs = make_intervals(key, 'major')
c_major_scale = make_formula(formulas['scales']['major'], intervs)
for m in major_mode_rotations:
v = mode(c_major_scale, major_mode_rotations[m])
if v[0] not in modes:
modes[v[0]] = {}
modes[v[0]][m] = v
pprint.pprint(modes['C'])
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