Music Drummer

Glorified Metronome

DESCRIPTION

The methods of this package depend upon music21.

For this package (and music21 too), a duration of 1 is a quarter-note. So, 1/2 would be an eighth-note, etc.

For this package, the (general MIDI) kit is made up of the following instrument types (and defaults):

'kick' (default: 'kick1')
'snare' (default: 'snare1')
'hihat' (default: 'hihat1')
'toms' (default 'tom3')
'cymbals' (default: 'crash1')
'percussion' (default: 'woodblock1')

Each above type includes a music21 Part and a beat counter (that starts at 0 of course).

The known instruments and their names, MIDI numbers, and types can be seen by printing the return of instrument_map().

The high-hats are special-cased and are named closed, open, and pedal. All are added to the hihat Part, so that they can interact with each other. In a pattern(), besides 0 and 1, the special 2 and 3 digits can be used to indicate that the open and pedal high-hat should be played. This allows the high-hats to interact in that method.

You can change default instruments with the set_instrument() method. This is most useful for the kick and snare types, because there are two variations for each: acoustic and electric.

SYNOPSIS

from music_drummer import Drummer

# basic 4/4 metronome groove:
d = Drummer()
d.set_bpm(60) # set the beats per minute
d.set_ts() # set the default time signature of 4/4
# add a 16-beat phrase for 64 measures
for _ in range(64):
    d.pattern(
        patterns={
            'kick':  '1000000010000000',
            'snare': '0000100000001000',
            'hihat': '2310101010101010',
        },
    )
d.sync_parts() # make the parts play simultaneously
d.show(format='midi') # or nothing, ='text', etc. see music21 docs

# it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing
d.pattern(
    duration=1/2,
    swing=67,
    straight=['kick'],
    single=['snare'],
    patterns={
        'kick':  '1000000010100000',
        'snare': '0000100000001000',
        'hihat': '1010101010101010',
    }
)

# 5/8 groove with intro:
d = Drummer()

kit = d.instrument_map() # get all the known kit instruments
sidestick = d.instrument_map(name='Side Stick')
sidestick = d.instrument_map(num=37)

d.set_instrument('kick', 'kick2') # change to the electric kick
d.set_instrument('snare', 'snare2') # change to the electric snare

d.set_bpm(99) # change the beats per minute from 120
d.set_ts('5/8') # change the time signature from 4/4

d.count_in(2) # count-in on the hi-hats for 2 measures
d.rest('kick', duration=10)
d.rest('snare', duration=10)
d.rest('cymbals', duration=10)
d.rest('toms', duration=10)

# 3 known hi-hat states: closed, open, pedal
d.note('closed', duration=1/2)
d.note('open', duration=1/2)
d.note('pedal', duration=1/2)
d.note('closed', duration=1/2)
d.rest(['snare', 'kick', 'cymbals', 'toms'], duration=2)

# 7 known cymbals
d.note('crash1')
d.note('crash2')
d.note('china')
d.note('splash')
d.note('ride1')
d.note('ride2')
d.note('ridebell')
d.rest(['kick', 'snare', 'hihat', 'toms'], duration=7)

# 6 known toms
d.note(['tom1', 'tom2', 'tom3', 'tom4', 'tom5', 'tom6'], duration=1/3)
d.rest(['kick', 'snare', 'hihat', 'cymbals'], duration=2)

# add a eighth-note snare flam to the score
d.note('snare', duration=1/2, flam=1/16)
d.rest(['kick', 'hihat', 'cymbals', 'toms'], duration=1/2)

# add a 5-note snare roll for an eighth-note, increasing in volume
d.roll('snare', duration=1/2, subdivisions=5, crescendo=[100, 127])
d.rest(['kick', 'hihat', 'cymbals', 'toms'], duration=1/2)

# crash and kick!
d.note(['kick', 'crash1'], duration=1/2)
d.rest(['snare', 'hihat', 'toms'], duration=1/2)

# add a 4-part, 8-bar, eighth-note phrase to the score
for _ in range(4):
    d.pattern(
        patterns={
            'kick':   '1000000010',
            'snare':  '0000001000',
            'hihat':  '2311111111',
        },
        duration=1/2
    )

d.sync_parts() # make the parts play simultaneously

m = d.to_mido() # convert to a format mido can understand

d.show() # or format='text', format='midi', etc. see music21 docs
# or
d.write() # or filename='groove.mid' for example

Musical Examples

from music_drummer import Drummer

d = Drummer()
d.set_bpm(70)
d.set_ts()
for _ in range(8):
    d.pattern(
        patterns={
            'kick':  '1000000010000000',
            'snare': '0000100000001000',
            'hihat': '2310101010101010',
        },
    )
d.sync_parts()

d.show('midi')

import mido
import random
import sys
from music_drummer import Drummer

port_name = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else 'USB MIDI Interface'

random_bits = lambda: f'{random.getrandbits(16):016b}' # 16-bit beat-string

with mido.open_output(port_name) as outport:
    print(outport)
    d = Drummer()
    d.set_bpm(60)
    d.set_ts()
    kick = random_bits()
    snare = random_bits()
    hihat = random_bits()
    for _ in range(8):
        d.pattern(
            patterns={
                'kick':  kick,
                'snare': snare,
                'hihat': hihat,
            },
        )
    d.sync_parts()

    m = d.to_mido()
    for msg in m.play():
        outport.send(msg)

SEE ALSO

The test file and examples directory in this distribution.