On - Being Difficult

It started as such a simple idea - and not really an original one either. I just wanted to try it for myself and see where it goes. I love a bit of minimalism, and this idea is common to composers like Steve Reich, Terry Riley, John Cage, Brian Eno and so on and so on. It's also a bit "math rock" if you're that way inclined, but it's definitely minimalism defined.

Take the first 5 prime numbers; 1, 3, 5, 7 & 11.
Give each part a musical note - so sequence 1 is one note - say C;

Sequence 3 has three notes - so for example, a short arpeggio like C major = C, E, G,
Sequence 5 has five notes - such as C, E, G, C, E, 
Sequence 7 has seven notes - so sticking with our C major scheme - C, E, G, C, E, G, C
etc.

Yeah? You get the idea. These are just simple examples to explain the concept. In reality, each of the prime sequences would be in a different key, or octave up/down or something more interesting. This is just a basic compositional structure. The actual allocation of notes to numbers in the sequence needs more consideration than I'm giving it here, I've just simplified so I can explain the concept.

Now we build a grid sequence - we can skip 1, 'cos that's just going to repeat the same note every note - and no one wants to listen to that, it's just boring. (*One note is not an 'arpeggio' - discuss...)

So :
      Step.|1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20  21 22 23  24 .....
Sq 3  =  |1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3,  1,  2,  |3, 1,  2,  3,  1,  2,   3,  1,  2,  3,   1, |2,  3, ....
Sq 5  =  |1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 4,  5,  1,  |2, 3,  4,  5,  1,  2,   3,  4,  5,  1,   2, |3,  4, ....
Sq 7  =  |1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1, 2,  3,  4,  |5, 6,  7,  1,  2,  3,   4,  5,  6,  7,   1, |2,  3, ....
Sq 11 = |1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 1, 2,  3,  4,  5,  6,   7,  8,  9, 10, 11, 1,  2, ....

 

Very quickly the sequences start to moveout of line with each other, then we start to look for resonance where two or more values from different prime sequences coincide. In the example above, all four sequences begin in unison. Three drops out first, then five, then seven. We can calculate the number of steps between each of the sequences until they resonate again.

Sequence 3 and 5 resonate again after 
3 x 5 = 15 steps have completed   

    Step 16 is the start of the resonance.

Sequence 3 and 7 resonate again after 
3 x 7 = 21 steps are complete 

    Step 22 is the start of the resonance.

Three, five and seven will resonate together after 

3 x 5 x 7 = 105 steps are completed 

    Step 106 is the start of the resonance

So:    Seq 1 x Seq 2 (x Seq 3 x Seq 4) + 1 = Res step

All 4 sequences resonate together again after 3 x 5 x 7 x 11 + 1 steps are completed = 1,155 steps.

So I drew up a grid by hand and started to colour code the harmonic resonances according to whichever sequence(s) were resonating.... My grid is just under 8 metres long.... Here are some photos of bits of it. It looks like a DNA sequence, part of a genome. Yes I could  have done it in Excel or on a spreadsheet, but where's the fun in that? 'Cos that's a really important part of all this for me. Yup, I'm 're-inventing the wheel'. And yeh, sure there are probably multiple downloadable, pre-programmed versions of this sequence/composition on Reddit forums or whatever for every imaginable modern and vintage sequencer and yes it really would be much easier and quicker to just go get one of those.

But, I like the minds-ercise. I like the brainy-trainy-ness. I'm not a mathematician or a musician. I love thinking about stuff like this. How will it sound? Dunno yet. But the plan is to turn this  ^^^^ sequence/plan into a hand-made artists book and include a recording somehow, somewhere - maybe a tape, maybe a download - I dunno. I guess I'll let you know - eventually. 

Meanwhile, if you reckon you can find a recording by someone whose already done this, well done. Good for you. By all means ping me over a copy.

Cheers all,

Los Dave