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Conference napalm::commusic_v1

Title:	* * Computer Music, MIDI, and Related Topics * *
Notice:	Conference has been write-locked. Use new version.
Moderator:	DYPSS1::SCHAFER

Created:	Thu Feb 20 1986
Last Modified:	Mon Aug 29 1994
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	2852
Total number of notes:	33157

1364.0. "Trill and trilling on sequencers" by ANGORA::JANZEN (Tom LMO2/O23 296-5421) Mon May 09 1988 17:37

    How difficult is it to implement trills in sequencers and sequencing
    software?
    Let's say you had a section of music for 4 voices with scores and
    scores of overlapping trills in counterpoint on variously each of
    the intervals less than an octave (i.e., a trill on a sixth, or
    a 7th or a second or a third).
    How easy would it be to tell your sequencer to play it?
    
    I came up with a trill macro for the PDP11.
    It goes:
    .TRILL	QUARTR,Ab4,Bb4,CN4,DN4,FN2,AN2,BN2,CN3
               duration ^---^   ^--^    ^---^   ^--^
                        soprano alto   tenor    bass
    Tom

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
1364.1		MIZZOU::SHERMAN	Baron of Graymatter	`Mon May 09 1988 18:39`	11
	Hmmm. Well, if I had to do it on my system, I would probably have to hack at a couple of pitch bend commands. I might do it by creating a very short measure with two pitch bends, copy it a bunch of times, then either remove the measure markers or redefine the measures. (Just guessing at this point ..) I don't think I'd try it via note on/off's, but if I had to I could use the same process or I could step-enter the notes (probably easiest). If I had to use such a trill often, I'd probably store it as a macro and call it when it was needed. Steve
1364.2	CW+	DFLAT::DICKSON	Network Design tools	`Mon May 09 1988 18:53`	6
	One of my gripes about ConcertWare+ is its lack of trill and staccato indications. I have needed both in the past and had to write them out the long way. The shortest note it will take is a sixty-fourth, which might be too long for a trill at largo tempos. I wrote staccato as a sixty-fourth (or sometimes a sixteenth) followed by appropriate rests. Luckily the editor contains a nice cut-and-paste facility, otherwise it would be so tedious as to make you weep.
1364.3	It's just RS232 for AGO keyboards...	DSSDEV::HALLGRIMSSON		`Mon May 09 1988 20:03`	7
	MIDI being a very keystroke-oriented protocol just doesn't have anything like repeats or run-length encoding. It's sort of too bad that it is so low level, but it certainly does work. Higher level concepts could be added as extensions. "Fixed in MIDI 2.0" Eirikur
1364.4		PASTA::PICKETT	David - Andante con Mojo	`Tue May 10 1988 14:47`	8
	Or you could do it the wrong way, like me. When I record a piece on my sequencer, at half speed, I often forget to slow down the trills. What comes out, when the piece is played a-tempo, is not very human sounding. Sorta like the Six Million Dollar Man meets Scarlatti. dp
1364.5	The Trill Of Victory?	DRUMS::FEHSKENS		`Tue May 10 1988 15:36`	7
	On my MC500, you do'em by hand. None of this macro stuff. This is step time programming for real men. len.
1364.6	That's no nawyfe - THISSUH nawyfe!	DYO780::SCHAFER	Brad - DTN 433-2408	`Tue May 10 1988 16:07`	6
	Real men would ignore the sequencer, and play 'em in real time - with the 4th & 5th fingers. BTW - I did this when I was 7. &*}
1364.7	The Trill of Victory, The Agony of De Feet...	JAWS::COTE	I'm caught in a dream, so what?	`Tue May 10 1988 16:15`	3
	When I was 7, I took my shoes off and did them with my toes... Edd
1364.8	Wow. What a man. {yawn}	DYO780::SCHAFER	Brad - DTN 433-2408	`Tue May 10 1988 16:22`	0
1364.9	Tootsie Rolls	PASTA::PICKETT	David - Andante con Mojo	`Tue May 10 1988 16:39`	5
	REAL men can correctly perform the trills with their FEET as scored in Cesar Ferank's Piece Heroique for Organ! dp
1364.10	THIS is what REAL musicians do	ANGORA::JANZEN	Tom LMO2/O23 296-5421	`Tue May 10 1988 16:59`	15
	.RADIX 10 .MACRO TRILL, RHYTHM,SOP,SOP2,ALT,ALT2,TEN,TEN2,BARI,BARI2 .REPT RHYTHM/6 .BYTE 3,SOP,ALT,TEN,BARI .BYTE 3,SOP2,ALT2,TEN2,BARI2 .ENDR .ENDM TRILL NOTES:: ;M1 .BYTE 0 ;MARKS END OF PIECE .EVEN .RADIX 8 .END
1364.11	Real men do indeed...	PAULJ::HARRIMAN	Let's keep sax and violins on TV	`Tue May 10 1988 17:02`	13
	re: .-1 Don't laugh - at an AGO event some years ago in Wellesley Mass, I saw someone do just that, and on a rather large pipe organ. I can't remember the name of the organist, but he played four-note chords (heel-toe, heel-toe) with both feet, and had the most amazing pedal technique. I do remember the finale - he did the Battle Hymn of the Republic, the arrangement that is intended for chorus and band (I remember doing that in junior high school)...except he did ALL the parts using two hands and two feet. /pjh
1364.12	runs	IOENG::JWILLIAMS	Zeitgeist Zoology	`Tue May 10 1988 18:05`	11
	One favorite way of mine to do wicked glissandos, arpeggios, trills, and other likewise fast complicated stuff is to first transpose the tonic to C major, do the first one at slow speed on all white keys, copy and transpose diatonically for the subsequent progression, then add flats and sharps as required. Of course, if I were a truly outstanding keyboardist, I wouldn't bother editing. Then again, emulating a harp on keyboards is not a trivial undertaking. John.