Exercise 12.1 - Modelling Music

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In this exercise, your task is to reproduce any well-known piece of music, from any era or genre, using the Manhattan software. The goal is to develop your ability to identify patterns and processes in music you hear, and explore modelling pieces using digital music notation and code. You are encouraged to select a piece you know and like, but a list of suggestions, corresponding to different levels of challenge, is also provided for you, with links to online resources enabling you to audition the original, and help determine melodies, harmonies, rhythms, instrumentation, etc. (see page 2).

General tips:

• Do not try to model every detail of a track or performance at first; focus on the key elements (e.g. harmony, structure, rhythm) that make a given piece recognisable. Melodies (especially vocals) may be harder to reproduce, so you might consider skipping them initially, and focus on creating instrumental versions (or backing tracks).
• Listen for repetitions of bass line and harmony (such as chord progressions). Use musical repeats (SB0/x), references to the past (e.g. [-4]), or jumping back to earlier in the pattern (Cxx).
• Rhythm/percussion parts are often repetitive, and can represent a good starting point.
• Keep track of where you are in a piece. For musical repeats, use the .repeat property, but otherwise create "counters" (cell values that increment everytime they're played) to keep tabs on repeated sections. Use such data in combination with formulas or conditional (if) statements to vary aspects of the music between repeated sections:

  condition ? if-clause : else-clause

• Use probability to add further variation and nuance. The function, rnd(x,y), will generate values in within the range x to y. In Manhattan, if statements can also be used with values below 1.0 to define the likelihood that the condition will be true (e.g. 0.25 ? a : b - has a 25% of a, and 75% chance of b).
• Locate the score or MIDI file on the Internet and transcribe the key elements. There are many MIDI file archives online, but MuseScore.com is great resource for free scores.
• Use the code techniques from the tutorials to affect changes in the musical pattern.
• Look at the examples (also in the Tutorials menu) for demonstrations of various techniques to model changing harmonies, melodies, and musical forms.

Exercise 12.2 - Suggested Pieces

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The following are a selection of pieces that are in some way based on patterns and processes that repeat and develop, and thus suited to modelling in Manhattan (sorted by complexity), with links to external sites hosting scores, MIDI files, or videos.

Note: the availability and quality of these third-party resources may vary. The Manhattan project is in no way responsible for the provision, use, or misuse of these files or external sites.

EASY
(simple repeating patterns and rhythms)

Michael Jackson – Billie Jean.
POP Score | MIDI | YouTube

Ed Sheeran – Shape of You.
POP Score | MIDI | YouTube

Berlin – Take My Breath Away.
POP Score | MIDI | YouTube

The Proclaimers – I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles).
ROCK Score | MIDI | YouTube

Rag'n'Bone Man – Human.
SOUL Score | MIDI | YouTube

Fatboy Slim – Right Here, Right Now.
DANCE Score | MIDI | YouTube

Major Lazer (feat. MØ & DJ Snake) – Lean On.
DANCE Score | MIDI | YouTube

Kraftwerk – The Model.
SYNTH POP Score | MIDI | YouTube

INTERMEDIATE
(longer, denser patterns and progressions)

Michael Jackson – Beat It
POP Score | MIDI | YouTube

Vangelis – Theme from Blade Runner (End Titles).
FILM Score | MIDI | YouTube

Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells.
NEW AGE Score | MIDI | YouTube

The Blues Brothers – The Peter Gunn Theme
BLUES Score | MIDI | YouTube

Bill Withers – Ain't No Sunshine
SOUL Score | MIDI | YouTube

Gustav Holst – "Mars" from The Planets.
CLASSICAL Score | MIDI | YouTube

Clint Mansell – Lux Aeterna (fr. "Requiem for a Dream")
FILM Score | MIDI | YouTube

Depeche Mode – Enjoy the Silence.
SYNTH POP Score | MIDI | YouTube

ADVANCED
(more complex foregrounds / developments)

Ronny Jordan / Miles Davis* – So What
JAZZ Score* | MIDI | YouTube

Dave Brubeck – Take Five
JAZZ Score | MIDI | YouTube

Erik Satie – Gymnopédie No.1
CLASSICAL Score | MIDI | YouTube