Ziffers: Numeric notation for composing algorithmic and generative music using Sonic Pi

Ziffers is a generative numbered musical notation (aka. Ziffersystem) and a live code golfing framework that makes composing melodies and rhythms easier and faster in Sonic Pi.

Writing and playing melodies in any key or scale will be as simple as:

zplay "q 4 e 1 1 q 2 1 r #3 4 ", key: "f", scale: "major", synth: :piano

or playing loops:

zloop :ride, "e 3 3 2 2 1 1 2 2", key: :c, scale: :chromatic, synth: :piano

or loops with generative live rules:

z1 "e1",
rules: {
  "1"=>"3",
  "3"=>"2",
  "2"=>"4",
  "4"=>"(1,6)",
  "5"=>"1",
  "6"=>"2"
}, synth: :pretty_bell

or play infinite sequences. Easy as:

zplay pi, rhythm: "q q h q q h h q ee h q ee"

or simple aleatoric melodies:

z1 "[0,3,5] 4 (1,3) (4,6) 2 e <3 0 (2,4)> (5,7)", scale: :ahirbhairav, key: :e, synth: :piano, attack: 0.25

or go crazy and create lists and do list operations using transformations and nested notation:

z1 "q (0 1 (3,7) 3)~<*>(4 [6,4,[5,4,2,7]] (0,(5,8)) (1,6))", synth: :kalimba

and much more ... See Ziffers wiki or download A4 cheatsheet to learn more.

Here is a cheatsheet you can copy to Sonic Pi editor:

# Pitches: -2 -1 0 1 2
# Chords: 0 024 2 246
# Note lengths: w 0 h 1 q 2 e 3 s 4
# Subdivision: [1 2 [3 4]]
# Decimal durations: 0.25 0 1 <0.333>2 3
# Octaves: ^ 0 ^ 1 _ 2 _ 3
# Escaped octave: <2> 1 <1>1<-2>3
# Roman chords: i ii iii+4 iv+5 v+8 vi+10 vii+20
# Named chords: i^7 i^min i^dim i^maj7
# Modal interchange (a-g): iiia ig ivf^7
# Escape/eval: {10 11} {1.2 2.43} {3+1*2}
# Randoms: % ? % ? % ?
# Random between: (-3,6)
# Random selections: [q 1 2, q 3 e 4 6]
# Repeat: [: 1 (2,6) 3 :4]
# Repeat cycles: [: <q e> (1,4)  <(2 3) (3 (1,7))> :]
# Lists: h 1 q(0 1 2 3) 2
# List cycles: (: <q e> (1,4) <(2 3) (3 (1,7))> :)
# Loop cycles (for zloop or z0-z9): <0 <1 <2 <3 <4 5>>>>>
# Basic operations: (1 2 (3 4)+2)*2 ((1 2 3)+(0 9 13))-2 ((3 4 {10})*(2 9 3))%7
# Product operations: (0 1 2 3)+(1 4 2 3) (0 1 2)-(0 2 1)+2
# Euclid cycles: (q1)<6,7>(q4 (e3 e4) q2) or (q1)<6,7<(q4 q3 q2)
# Transformations: (0 1 2)<r> (0 1 2)<i>(-2 1) etc.
# List assignation: A=(0 (1,6) 3) B=(3 ? 2) B A B B A
# Random repeat: (: 1 (2,6) 3 :4)
# Conditionals: 1 {%<0.5?3} 3 4 (: 1 2 {%<0.2?3:2} :3)
# Functions: (0 1 2 3){x%3==0?x-2:x+2}
# Polynomials: (-10..10){(x**3)*(x+1)%12}

Quick start

Requirements

Sonic Pi
Clone using git or download latest release

Install ziffers

Install Ziffers to your Sonic Pi by cloning this project into your home directory (this makes referencing easier as most of the examples use ~ shorthand to require stuff). Ziffers can then be required to your Sonic Pi project using:

require "~/ziffers/ziffers.rb" # ~ references ziffers under users home folder, works also in Windows

Stay up to date as the Ziffers is an ongoing project. Post Issues to report bugs or to ask questions.

Examples

There are some pretty random examples in the Examples-folder. You can also try out one line examples from tests or browse trough wiki. If you make some nice tunes do a pull request to Examples folder to share! Thanks!

Documentation

Syntax and methods are documented in Ziffers wiki.

Help & Contributions

For bugs post an issue or a fix using merge request. Use discussions for general questions and feature requests.

amiika / ziffers

readme