Live Coding Score · Strudel

On the Nature of Awe

by Brian Ellis, for the Flash Laptop And Phone Orchestra

Everyone begins from the same passage of code, then each performer slowly reshapes their copy: reducing, transforming, and growing it through the course of the piece.

To begin, open the starting passage in strudel.cc, then follow the score below.

▸ Open in Strudel

Section to copy

note(`< c3@2 c5 c3@2 c5 c3 c4 e g c a2 c3 e3 d a2 c3@2 c5 c3@2 c5 c3 c4 c@2 c2 c3 c2@0.25 e2@0.25 g2@0.5 c2 c3 c2@0.25 e2@0.25 g2@0.5 c2 g4 c3@2 d5 c3@2 d5 c3 d3 e f e a2@0.5 c@0.5 e3 c3 d3 c3@2 e5 >*10`.transpose(0)) .sound("square") .adsr("0.01:0.01:1:0.01")

The Score

Except for the first two code snippets in this score, which are exact, all the rest of the snippets are loose suggestions/example examples of what your line should look like. You do not need to reach the exact length, no values, etc. Ware notes are important, they are highlighted. Where they are unimportant, they are left as X#s

Play your Strudel on cue #1 from the leader.
c3@2 c5 c3@2 c5 c3 c4 e g c a2 c3 e3 d a2 c3@2 c5 c3@2 c5 c3 c4 c@2 c2 c3 c2@0.25 e2@0.25 g2@0.5 c2 c3 c2@0.25 e2@0.25 g2@0.5 c2 g4 c3@2 d5 c3@2 d5 c3 d3 e f e a2@0.5 c@0.5 e3 c3 d3 c3@2 e5
Delete one row (or note) at a time
until you are left with only the second-to-last line
Update your strudel player after each edit
e3 c3 d3

Gather here before moving on.
move on when you see cue #2

Copy and paste sections of your line
making it longer
Until you have a long random line
Update after each edit
X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3
Replace random notes in your line
with one of the following seven notes:
c6 a5 a6 g6 c6 c7 e6
Until you have inserted all seven notes
Update after each replacement
X3 c6 X3 X3 X3 a5 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 X3 a6 X3 X3 X3 g6 X3 X3 c7 X3 e6 X3 X3
Delete the low notes between the high notes
One “span” at a time
(so that high notes start grouping together)
Until you only have high notes left
Update after each deletion
c6 a5 a6 g6 c6 c7 e6

Gather here before moving on.
move on when you see cue #3

One note at a time, lower the octave
Of the note by 1 or 2 octaves
update after each edit
c0 a0 a0 g0 c0 c0 e0

Gather here before moving on.
move on when you see cue #4

One note at a time, replace the note
With a new note c in any octave (0 to 7)
update after each edit
c2 c1 c3 c7 c6 c5 c6

Gather here before moving on

Pause your Strudel on cue #5 from the leader.