MUS303 Proposal: Composition Gloves
The Problem
Many people feel they are unable to engage with music because of a lack of instrumental ability or perhaps a lack of theoretical understanding. For children especially, engagement with music helps brain development and learning (Daily Mail. 2010). I think it is important to break the potential social barriers created by the terms ‘musician’ and ‘non musician’. I believe any individuals should be able to express themselves musically, even if only at a basic level, without having to invest hours learning music theory and practicing an instrument.
Many people feel they are unable to engage with music because of a lack of instrumental ability or perhaps a lack of theoretical understanding. For children especially, engagement with music helps brain development and learning (Daily Mail. 2010). I think it is important to break the potential social barriers created by the terms ‘musician’ and ‘non musician’. I believe any individuals should be able to express themselves musically, even if only at a basic level, without having to invest hours learning music theory and practicing an instrument.
The Solution
I’m going to create gloves that will allow anybody to create basic compositions. The idea of escaping generic instrumental interfaces and minimising the users room for error would allow anybody using the gloves to create simple melodies over basic chord structures. The tapping of fingers onto a surface will be the action required to accomplish this. The user should be able to set whatever key they want to work in, and assign three chords within that key for their chord progression. The other seven fingers will default to the scale of the selected key (not counting the octave). Whilst I am aware this is similar to the ‘Scale’ function within Ableton Live, I don’t know of any other DAW that has this feature. This should allow the MIDI from the gloves to run through Max and into any DAW using Rewire. This way any plugin or synth can be used with the gloves. Alternatively I could trigger sampled notes within max and output the audio to the DAW but this would limit the user to only whatever the sampled sounds were. I understand that the use of gloves to control sound is not a new idea. I have researched gloves that help the users practice finger positioning for learning the piano, compared to gloves that control multiple parameters within stage performances. For example Imogen Heap uses gloves to perform and live, using delays and reverbs and other technical effects. My initial idea however is to use the gloves as compositional tools, rather than to control effects or be a performance tool.
I’m going to create gloves that will allow anybody to create basic compositions. The idea of escaping generic instrumental interfaces and minimising the users room for error would allow anybody using the gloves to create simple melodies over basic chord structures. The tapping of fingers onto a surface will be the action required to accomplish this. The user should be able to set whatever key they want to work in, and assign three chords within that key for their chord progression. The other seven fingers will default to the scale of the selected key (not counting the octave). Whilst I am aware this is similar to the ‘Scale’ function within Ableton Live, I don’t know of any other DAW that has this feature. This should allow the MIDI from the gloves to run through Max and into any DAW using Rewire. This way any plugin or synth can be used with the gloves. Alternatively I could trigger sampled notes within max and output the audio to the DAW but this would limit the user to only whatever the sampled sounds were. I understand that the use of gloves to control sound is not a new idea. I have researched gloves that help the users practice finger positioning for learning the piano, compared to gloves that control multiple parameters within stage performances. For example Imogen Heap uses gloves to perform and live, using delays and reverbs and other technical effects. My initial idea however is to use the gloves as compositional tools, rather than to control effects or be a performance tool.
Method
One of the main choices I will need to make will be the type of sensors I will be using to send data. So far piezoelectric sensors seem to be a good choice as they are relatively cheap. They also have a wide measuring range and a high rigidity (Gautschi, 2002). I will also need to take into account what Arduino board would be the best for this project and I will likely have to research more into Arduino in order to make best choice. The sensors will need to be coded in Arduino so when touched they each input pressure data. I am going to need to make ten MIDI inputs correlate to a particular key and save presets for each key in Max. For three of those inputs I will need to achieve polyphony in order to make a chord from a single touch of a sensor. Finally the rewiring of the MIDI output in max to the input within a DAW will allow the gloves to work with any virtual instrument.
One of the main choices I will need to make will be the type of sensors I will be using to send data. So far piezoelectric sensors seem to be a good choice as they are relatively cheap. They also have a wide measuring range and a high rigidity (Gautschi, 2002). I will also need to take into account what Arduino board would be the best for this project and I will likely have to research more into Arduino in order to make best choice. The sensors will need to be coded in Arduino so when touched they each input pressure data. I am going to need to make ten MIDI inputs correlate to a particular key and save presets for each key in Max. For three of those inputs I will need to achieve polyphony in order to make a chord from a single touch of a sensor. Finally the rewiring of the MIDI output in max to the input within a DAW will allow the gloves to work with any virtual instrument.
Aims &
Objectives: Compositional Gloves
1. The gloves must be simple to understand and ergonomic to maximise their usability
2. At least three fingers must be capable of triggering polyphonic sounds such as chords
3. Have a minimum range of seven notes to accommodate common scales associated within western music
1. The gloves must be simple to understand and ergonomic to maximise their usability
2. At least three fingers must be capable of triggering polyphonic sounds such as chords
3. Have a minimum range of seven notes to accommodate common scales associated within western music
4. Have the option of selecting different keys to play in
5. Have the option to change chord structure within the selected key
6. Be used effectively by ‘non musicians’ as well as musicians
5. Have the option to change chord structure within the selected key
6. Be used effectively by ‘non musicians’ as well as musicians
Aims &
Objectives: Personal Development
1. Use Max/MSP to achieve the above aims efficiently
2. Develop my knowledge of Arduino and the use of pressure/force sensors
1. Use Max/MSP to achieve the above aims efficiently
2. Develop my knowledge of Arduino and the use of pressure/force sensors
Bibliography
Daily Mail.
2010. Why playing a musical instrument 'can help children learn with language
skills'. [online] Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1252652/Learning-play-musical-instrument-helps-young-brains-develop-language-skills.html [Accessed: 05 Nov 2013].
Gautschi, G.
2002. Piezoelectric sensorics. Berlin: Springer.
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