PATTERN THINKING IN MUSIC

A Visual Aid to Using Musical Patterns

   

VIEWING THE DEMOS

  Prepare to view

  1. Set the screen resolution set to 800 x 600.

  2. Use the Full Screen view of your browser. For Internet Explorer, Mozilla or Netscape:
    • Open the View menu and click Full Screen
      or, press <F11>
    • To return to regular view, click the Restore button on the right hand side of the title bar of the window
      or, press <F11>

  Overview Demo
An Overview  (1413 KB)
Run through the main features of the program.
Shows the program in operation with a few brief comments.
Demos below display more detailed instructions.


  Basic Demos

Bass Lines - Basic  (207 KB)
How to use the Bass Lines window.
Bass Lines can be created automatically by clicking the Bass button in the Main window, but these patterns can be set manually in the Bass Lines window.

Chords - Basic  (307 KB)
How to use the Chords window.
These patterns can be classified by the point in music where they are usually found.  For example, chord progressions ending on the tonic chord are normally used to end a piece or section.

Form - Basic  (365 KB)
How to use the Form window.
Combining phrases (and sometimes partial phrases) into larger 4-bar, 8-bar and 16-bar sections.

Melody - Basic  (678 KB)
How to use the Melody window.
In this program, a melody consists of one or more phrases which in turn have several features that appear as patterns eg, number of pitches, number of onsets, movement/ interval on the scale and contour or shape.


  Advanced Demos

Chords - Phase Shifting  (361 KB)
Phase Shifting a chord progression, starting it on other than the first chord, can result in a seemingly different pattern.

Chords - Time Shifting  (356 KB)
Time Shifting chords, moving their onsets to different beats ie, changing where the chords change, can result in a seemingly different pattern.

Melody - Conversion  (285 KB)
Converting repeated notes into notes with different pitches.

Melody - Insertion  (388 KB)
Changing the point where melody notes will be inserted into a phrase.

Melody - Rhythm Abacus  (130 KB)
Treating melody onsets, points at which they start to sound, can be moved within the phrase like beads can be moved on a rod of an abacus.  In this way, rhythm can be considered without reference to note values.

Melody - Sliders  (164 KB)
Using the sliders to vary the length and range of a phrase.

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