Exploring YourMusical Creativity

usingImpro-Visor

Robert KellerHarvey Mudd College

keller@cs.hmc.edu

Byte of LearningOctober 8, 2012

Impro-VisorImpro-Visor (for Improvisation Advisor)is software originally designed tohelp jazz musicians.

Others have made diverse uses of it.

Free, open-source, on all major platforms(coded in Java): Windows, MacOSx, Linux

http://www.cs.hmc.edu/~keller/jazz/improvisor/

for tutorials and other info

Example of Unexpected Usesn Argonne National Laboratory

Ecological Researchers: Microbial Bebop

n “Scientists convert oceanic microbe data intomusic”

n http://www.bio.anl.gov/microbialbebop.htm

Today’s Talkn Non-technical introduction

n Inviting you to become a user

n For “Edu-tainment” purposes

Acknowledging Developers: HMC

n Prof. Belinda Thomn Stephen Jones ‘07n Aaron Wolin ‘07n David Morrison ‘08n Martin Hunt ‘08n Sayuri Soejima ‘10n Stephen Lee ‘10

n Greg Bickerman ‘10n Emma Carlson ‘11n Paul Hobbs ‘12n Xanda Schofield ‘13n August Toman-Yih ’13n Audrey Musselman-Brown ’14n Kevin Choi ‘15

Acknowledging Developers from Elsewhere

n Steven Gomez, Dartmouth Collegen Jim Herold, Cal Poly Pomonan Brandy McMenamy, Carleton Collegen Jon Gillick, Wesleyan Universityn Kevin Tang, Cornell Universityn Chad Waters, Winthrop Universityn Peter Swire, Brandeis Universityn Sam Bosley, Stanford Universityn John Goodman, UKn Lasconic (Nicolas Froment), France

n Julia Botev, Rice Universityn Ryan Wieghard, Pomona Collegen Zack Merritt, University of Central Floridan John Davison, Harvard Universityn David Halpern, Columbia Universityn Brian Howell, Belmont Universityn Amos Byon, Troy H.S., Fullerton, CAn Nicholas Chung, Troy H.S., Fullerton, CAn Caitlin Chen, Los Osos H.S., RC, CA

Basic Elements of Musicn Rhythm

n Harmony

n Bass Line

n Melody

Impro-Visor Focusn A single melody line

n Automatic accompaniment in the form ofpercussion, bass, chords

n Various accompaniment styles

n You don’t need to know how to play.

Producing Music Electronicallyn On your computer

n Audio (mp3, wav, AIFF, au, …)n MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)

n MIDI is rendered to Audion MIDI Synth program or module on Computern External MIDI instruments (e.g. digitial piano)

n Impro-Visor sounds are made using MIDI

MIDI can also be used for Input

Akai EWI-USBElectronic Wind Instrument

Kitara MIDI GuitarEVL MIDI Violin

Yamaha Tenori-On

Apple iPad

Composingn Start with some chords

n Add melody

n Listen, enjoy

Sheet Music and Lead Sheets

Chord Symbol Chord Symbol

Sheet Music Lead Sheet(from a Fakebook)

Leadsheet for “All My Loving”(Lennon&McCartney) in Impro-Visor

Chord Symbol

PlayButton

Mixer

Preferences

Mixer Panel

Adjust toSuit

Instrument Choices

Press forOptions

Style Choices

ChooseStyle bySection

Example: Create a Contrafactn A contrafact is an original melody composed

to the chord progression of an existing song.

n Contrafacts do not violate copyright, as chordprogressions are not copyrightable.

n Available is The Imaginary Book of chordchanges to over 2500 songs in Impro-Visornotation.

Contrafact Creationn Erase the original melody.

n “Punch in” new melody, hear it played with chords.

n Correct mistakes by punching in over melody orusing transpose keystrokes.

Playing Your Creation as You Go

n Return plays the selected notes

n Shift-Return plays the selection to theend.

Get Hints from Music Theory

Pull-Down Menus Document Accelerators

Make Your Own Styles withthe Style Editor

Learn About Chord Voicingsand Create Your Own

Learn to ImproviseTrade melodies with Impro-Visor

It Plays

You Play