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Merge pull request #1230 from tidalcycles/voicings-doc
understand voicings page
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Felix Roos
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@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ export const SIDEBAR: Sidebar = {
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{ text: 'Coding syntax', link: 'learn/code' },
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{ text: 'Pitch', link: 'understand/pitch' },
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{ text: 'Cycles', link: 'understand/cycles' },
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{ text: 'Voicings', link: 'understand/voicings' },
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{ text: 'Pattern Alignment', link: 'technical-manual/alignment' },
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{ text: 'Strudel vs Tidal', link: 'learn/strudel-vs-tidal' },
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],
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325
website/src/pages/understand/voicings.mdx
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325
website/src/pages/understand/voicings.mdx
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---
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title: Understanding Chord Voicings
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layout: ../../layouts/MainLayout.astro
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---
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import { MiniRepl } from '../../docs/MiniRepl';
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import { PitchSlider } from '../../components/PitchSlider';
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import Box from '@components/Box.astro';
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# Understanding Chords and Voicings
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Let's dig deeper into how chords and voicings work in strudel.
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I'll try to keep theory jargon to a minimum, so hopefully this is approachable for anyone interested.
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## What is a chord
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Playing more than one note at a time is generally called a `chord`. Here's an example:
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<MiniRepl client:visible tune={`note("<[c3,eb3,g3] [f3,a3,c4]>").room(.5)`} />
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Here's the same with midi numbers:
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<MiniRepl client:visible tune={`note("<[48,51,55] [53,57,60]>").room(.5)`} />
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Here, we have two 3-note chords played in a loop.
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You could already stop here and write chords in this style, which is totally fine and gives you control over individual notes.
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One downside is that it can be difficult to find good sounding chords and maybe you're yearning for a way to organize chords in some other way.
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## Labeling Chords
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Chords are typically given different labels depending on the relationship of the notes within.
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In the number example above, we have `48,51,55` and `53,57,60`.
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To analyze the relationship of those notes, they are typically compared to some `root`, which is often the lowest note.
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In our case, the `roots` would be `48` (= `c3`) and `53` (= `f3`).
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We can express the same chords relative to those `roots` like this:
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<MiniRepl client:visible tune={`note("<[0,3,7] [0,4,7]>".add("<48 53>")).room(.5)`} />
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Now within each chord, each number represents the distance from the root.
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A distance between pitches is typically called `interval`, but let's stick to distance for now.
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Now we can see that our 2 chords are actually quite similar, as the only difference is the middle note (and the root of course).
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They are part of a group of chords called `triads` which are chords with 3 notes.
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### Triads
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These 4 shapes are the most common types of `triads` you will encounter:
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| shape | label |
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| ----- | ---------- |
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| 0,4,7 | major |
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| 0,3,7 | minor |
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| 0,3,6 | diminished |
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| 0,4,8 | augmented |
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Here they are in succession:
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<MiniRepl
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client:visible
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tune={`note("<[0,4,7] [0,3,7] [0,3,6] [0,4,8]>".add("60"))
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.room(.5)._pitchwheel()`}
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/>
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Many types of music often only use minor and major chords, so we already have the knowledge to accompany songs. Here's one:
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<MiniRepl
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client:visible
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tune={`
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note(\`<
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[0,3,7] [0,4,7] [0,4,7] [0,4,7]
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[0,3,7] [0,4,7] [0,3,7] [0,4,7]
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>\`.add(\`<
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a c d f
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a e a e
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>\`)).room(.5)`}
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/>
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These are the chords for "The House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals.
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So far, it doesn't sound too exciting, but at least it's recognizable.
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## Voicings
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A `voicing` is one of many ways a certain chord shape can be arranged.
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The term comes from choral music, where chords can be sung in different ways by assigning different notes to each voice.
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For example we could add 12 semitones to one or more notes in the chord:
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<MiniRepl
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client:visible
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tune={`note("<[0,3,7] [12,3,7] [12,15,7] [12,15,19]>".add("48"))
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.room(.5)`}
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/>
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Notes that are 12 semitone steps apart (= 1 `octave`) are considered to be equal in a harmonic sense, which is why they get the same note letter.
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Here's the same example with note letters:
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<MiniRepl
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client:visible
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tune={`note("<[c3,eb3,g3] [c4,eb3,g3] [c4,eb4,g3] [c4,eb4,g4]>")
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.room(.5)`}
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/>
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These types of voicings are also called `inversions`. There are many other ways we could `voice` this minor chord:
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<MiniRepl
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client:visible
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tune={`note("<[0,3,7,12] [0,15,24] [0,3,12]>".add("48"))
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.room(.5)`}
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/>
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Here we are changing the flavour of the chord slightly by
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1. doubling notes 12 steps higher,
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2. using very wide distances
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3. omitting notes
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## Voice Leading
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When we want to meaningfully connect chords in a sequence, the chosen voicings affect the way each chord transitions to the next.
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Let's revisit "The House of the Rising Sun", this time using our newly acquired voicing techniques:
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<MiniRepl
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client:visible
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tune={`note(\`<
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[0,3,7] [7,12,16] [0,7,16] [4,7,12]
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[0,3,7] [4,7,12] [0,3,7] [4,7,12]
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>\`.add(\`<
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a c d f
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a e a e
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>\`)).room(.5)`}
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punchcard
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/>
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These voicings make the chords sound more connected and less jumpy, compared to the earlier version, which didn't focus on voicing.
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The way chords interact is also called `voice leading`, reminiscent of how an
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individual choir voice would move through a sequence of chords.
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For example, try singing the top voice in the above example. Then try the same
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on the example not focusing on voice leading. Which one's easier?
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Naturally, there are many ways a progression of chords could be voiced and there is no definitive right or wrong.
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## Chord Symbols
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Musicians playing chord-based music often use a `lead sheet`, which is a simplified notation for a piece of music.
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These sheets condense the essential elements, such as chords, into symbols that make the music easy to read and follow.
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For example, a lead sheet for "The House of the Rising Sun" might include chords written like this:
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```
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Am | C | D | F
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Am | E | Am | E
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```
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Here, each symbol consists of the `root` of the chord and optionally an `m` to signal it's a minor chord (just the root note means it's major).
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We could mirror that notation in strudel using the `pick` function:
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<MiniRepl
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client:visible
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tune={`"<Am C D F Am E Am E>"
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.pick({
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Am: "57,60,64",
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C: "55,60,64",
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D: "50,57,66",
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F: "57,60,65",
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E: "56,59,64",
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})
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.note().room(.5)`}
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punchcard
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/>
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## The voicing function
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Coming up with good sounding voicings that connect well can be a difficult and time consuming process.
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The `chord` and `voicing` functions can be used to automate that:
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<MiniRepl client:visible tune={`chord("<Am C D F Am E Am E>").voicing().room(.5)`} punchcard />
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Here we're also using chord symbols but the voicings will be automatically generated with smooth `voice leading`, minimizing jumps.
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It is inspired by the way a piano or guitar player would pick chords to accompany a song.
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## Voicing Dictionaries
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The voicing function internally uses so called `voicing dictionaries`, which can also be customized:
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<MiniRepl
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client:visible
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tune={`addVoicings('house', {
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'': ['7 12 16', '0 7 16', '4 7 12'],
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'm': ['0 3 7']
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})
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chord("<Am C D F Am E Am E>")
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.dict('house').anchor(66)
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.voicing().room(.5)`}
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punchcard
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/>
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In a `voicing dictionary`, each chord symbol is assigned one or more voicings.
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The `voicing` function then picks the voicing that is closest to the `anchor` (defaults to `c5`).
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The handy thing about this approach is that a `voicing dictionary` can be used to play any chord progression with automated voice leading!
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## The default dictionary
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When using the default dictionary, you can use these chord symbols:
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```
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2 5 6 7 9 11 13 69 add9
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o h sus ^ - ^7 -7 7sus
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h7 o7 ^9 ^13 ^7#11 ^9#11
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^7#5 -6 -69 -^7 -^9 -9
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-add9 -11 -7b5 h9 -b6 -#5
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7b9 7#9 7#11 7b5 7#5 9#11
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9b5 9#5 7b13 7#9#5 7#9b5
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7#9#11 7b9#11 7b9b5 7b9#5
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7b9#9 7b9b13 7alt 13#11
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13b9 13#9 7b9sus 7susadd3
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9sus 13sus 7b13sus
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aug M m M7 m7 M9 M13
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M7#11 M9#11 M7#5 m6 m69
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m^7 -M7 m^9 -M9 m9 madd9
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m11 m7b5 mb6 m#5 mM7 mM9
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```
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The available chords and the format is very much inspired by [ireal pro chords](https://technimo.helpshift.com/hc/en/3-ireal-pro/faq/88-chord-symbols-used-in-ireal-pro/).
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Some symbols are synonymous:
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- "-" is the same as "m", for example C-7 = Cm7
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- "^" is the same as "M", for example C^7 = CM7
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- "+" is the same as "aug"
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You can decide which ones you prefer. There is no international standard for these symbols.
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To get a full chord, the symbols have to be prefixed with a root pitch, e.g. D7#11 is the 7#11 chord relative to the pitch D.
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Here are all possible chords with root C:
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<MiniRepl
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client:visible
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tune={`chord(\`<
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C2 C5 C6 C7 C9 C11 C13 C69
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Cadd9 Co Ch Csus C^ C- C^7
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C-7 C7sus Ch7 Co7 C^9 C^13
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C^7#11 C^9#11 C^7#5 C-6 C-69
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C-^7 C-^9 C-9 C-add9 C-11
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C-7b5 Ch9 C-b6 C-#5 C7b9
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C7#9 C7#11 C7b5 C7#5 C9#11
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C9b5 C9#5 C7b13 C7#9#5 C7#9b5
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C7#9#11 C7b9#11 C7b9b5 C7b9#5
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C7b9#9 C7b9b13 C7alt C13#11
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C13b9 C13#9 C7b9sus C7susadd3
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C9sus C13sus C7b13sus C Caug
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CM Cm CM7 Cm7 CM9 CM13 CM7#11
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CM9#11 CM7#5 Cm6 Cm69 Cm^7
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C-M7 Cm^9 C-M9 Cm9 Cmadd9
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Cm11 Cm7b5 Cmb6 Cm#5
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>\`).voicing().room(.5)`}
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punchcard
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/>
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Note that the default dictionary contains multiple ways (= `voicings`) to play each chord symbol.
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By default, the `voicing` function tries to minimize jumps.
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You can alter the picked voicings in various ways, which are now explained in further detail:
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## anchor
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The `anchor` is a note that is used to align the voicings to:
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<MiniRepl client:visible tune={`anchor("<c4 g4 c5 g5>").chord("C").voicing().room(.5)`} punchcard />
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By default, the anchor is the highest possible note the voicing can contain.
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When deciding which voicing of the dictionary to pick for a certain chord, the voicing with a top note closest to the anchor wins.
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Note that the anchors in the above example match up with the top notes in the pianoroll.
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Like `note`, anchor accepts either midi numbers or note names.
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## mode
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With `mode`, you can change the way the voicing relates to the `anchor`:
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<MiniRepl
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client:visible
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tune={`mode("<below above duck root>").chord("C").anchor("c5").voicing().room(.5)`}
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punchcard
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/>
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The modes are:
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- `below`: the top note of the voicing is lower than or equal to the anchor (default)
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- `above`: the bottom note of the voicing is higher than or equal to the anchor
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- `duck`: the top note of the voicing is lower than the anchor
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- `root`: the bottom note of the voicing is always the root note closest to the anchor
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The `anchor` can also be set from within the `mode` function:
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<MiniRepl client:visible tune={`mode("<below above duck root>:c5").chord("C").voicing().room(.5)`} punchcard />
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## n
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The `n` control can be used with `voicing` to select individual notes:
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<MiniRepl
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client:visible
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tune={`n("0 3 1 2").chord("<C <Fm Db>>").voicing()
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.clip("4 3 2 1").room(.5)`}
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punchcard
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/>
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## Example
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Here's an example of a Jazz Blues in F:
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<MiniRepl
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client:visible
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tune={`let chords = chord(\`<
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F7 Bb7 F7 [Cm7 F7]
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Bb7 Bo F7 [Am7 D7]
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Gm7 C7 [F7 D7] [Gm7 C7]
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>\`)
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$: n("7 8 [10 9] 8").set(chords).voicing().dec(.2)
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$: chords.struct("- x - x").voicing().room(.5)
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$: n("0 - 1 -").set(chords).mode("root:g2").voicing()
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`}
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punchcard
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/>
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The chords are reused for melody, chords and bassline of the tune.
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