kenny_g.rb: Making Ruby Write Smooth Jazz
summary
Uses Ruby with the micro_midi gem to send MIDI note numbers and velocities, records short prerecorded phrase snippets in a custom notejs format (JSON), and transposes them to any starting key so four user chords produce continuous piano music. The system reduces all needed transitions to about 15 transitions, packages the logic as the patent-named kdgrb algorithm, the code is on GitHub, and the demo plays but relies on pregenerated transitions rather than real-time composition.
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chapters (15)
- 0:00Start
- 5:21MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface
- 8:37MIDI is fun!
- 9:43first strategy: algorithmic harmony
- 10:40user persona!!
- 12:09play back pre-recorded "transitions" between chords
- 12:57BIG MUSIC SECRET!!!
- 13:30transpose using the first note as "zero"
- 13:43we need to record a "phrase" a short bit of music that transitions from "zero" to an interval
- 14:54saving notes! sounds like a job for MIDI!
- 15:38big news!!
- 17:38tech demo 4: playback better!
- 18:31the patent-pending kenny_g.rb algorithm
- 18:51convert list of intervals to list of phrase transitions
- 19:03play back pre-recorded phrases, transposed into starting key
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