Harmony & Melody

This page will present you all the functions that can be used to deal with harmonies, scales and various musical objects. Each function will be presented following the same model:

• Type signature: how the function is declared on the Haskell side.
• Description: verbal description of the function.
• Examples: a small list of examples that you can copy/paste in your editor.

Scales

scale

Type: scale :: Num a => Pattern String -> Pattern Int -> Pattern a

The scale function interprets a pattern of note numbers into a particular named scale. For example:

d1 $ jux rev $ chunk 4 (fast 2 . (|- n 12)) $ off 0.25 (|+ 7) $ struct (iter 4 "t(5,8)")

$ n (scale "ritusen" "0 .. 7") # sound "superpiano"

caution

Prior to Tidal version 1.0.0, scale had a very different function as a range operator. Veteran users will need to switch to using range for this functionality.

scaleList

Type: scaleList :: String

The scaleList function outputs all the available scales, at the time of writing:

minPent majPent ritusen egyptian kumai hirajoshi iwato chinese indian pelog

prometheus scriabin gong shang jiao zhi yu whole wholetone augmented augmented2

hexMajor7 hexDorian hexPhrygian hexSus hexMajor6 hexAeolian major ionian

dorian phrygian lydian mixolydian aeolian minor locrian harmonicMinor harmonicMajor

melodicMinor melodicMinorDesc melodicMajor bartok hindu todi purvimarva

bhairav ahirbhairav superLocrian romanianMinor hungarianMinor neapolitanMinor

enigmatic spanish leadingWhole lydianMinor neapolitanMajor locrianMajor

diminished octatonic diminished2 octatonic2 messiaen1 messiaen2 messiaen3

messiaen4 messiaen5 messiaen6 messiaen7 chromatic bayati hijaz sikah rast

saba iraq

getScale

Type: getScale :: Num a => [(String, [a])] -> Pattern String -> Pattern Int -> Pattern a

You can build your own scale function with additional scales if you wish, using getScale. For example:

let scale = getScale (scaleTable ++ [("techno", [0,2,3,5,7,8,10]),

("broken", [0,1,4,7,8,10])

])

The above takes the standard scaleTable as a starting point, and adds two custom scales to it. You'll be able to use the new function as normal:

d1 $ n (scale "techno" "0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7") # sound "superpiano"

toScale

Type: toScale :: Num a => [a] -> Pattern Int -> Pattern a

toScale allows you to quickly apply a scale without naming it. For example:

d1 $ n (toScale [0,2,3,5,7,8,10] "0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7") # sound "superpiano"

Chords

chordList

Type: chordList :: String

The chordList function outputs all the available chords. At the time of writing:

major maj aug plus sharp5 six 6 sixNine six9 sixby9 6by9 major7 maj7 major9 maj9 add9 major11 maj11 add11 major13 maj13

add13 dom7 dom9 dom11 dom13 sevenFlat5 7f5 sevenSharp5 7s5 sevenFlat9 7f9 nine eleven 11 thirteen 13 minor min diminished

dim minorSharp5 msharp5 mS5 minor6 min6 m6 minorSixNine minor69 min69 minSixNine m69 mSixNine m6by9 minor7flat5 min7flat5

m7flat5 m7f5 minor7 min7 m7 minor7sharp5 min7sharp5 m7sharp5 m7s5 minor7flat9 min7flat9 m7flat9 m7f9 minor7sharp9 min7sharp9

m7sharp9 m7s9 diminished7 dim7 minor9 min9 m9 minor11 min11 m11 minor13 min13 m13 one 1 five 5 sus2 sus4 sevenSus2 7sus2

sevenSus4 7sus4 nineSus4 ninesus4 9sus4 sevenFlat10 7f10 nineSharp5 9s5 m9sharp5 m9s5 sevenSharp5flat9 7s5f9 m7sharp5flat9

elevenSharp 11s m11sharp m11s

caution

You'll need to run import Sound.Tidal.Chords before using this function.

Arpeggios

arpeggiate

Type: arpeggiate :: Pattern a -> Pattern a

The arpeggiate (alias arpg) function spreads chords of note numbers over time. For example, using the 1.0 version of Tidal, chord name notation & older list notation:

d1 $ n (arpg "'major7 [0,4,7,11]") # sound "superpiano"

arp

Type: arp :: Pattern String -> Pattern a -> Pattern a

The arp function takes an additional pattern of arpeggiate modes. For example, using the 1.0 version of Tidal, chord name notation (root note / chord type / additional notes above the chord):

d1 $ n (arp "<up down diverge>" "<a'm9'8 e'7sus4'8>") # sound "superpiano"

The different arpeggiate modes are:

up down updown downup up&down down&up converge

diverge disconverge pinkyup pinkyupdown

thumbup thumbupdown