Pitchr

A python library and framework for composing music. Pitchr on PyPI

Targets most Linux environments.

Features

1. Enables creation of music by composition of music objects (notes, chords, measures, and staffs)
2. Unified interface for playing any music object (note.play(), staff.play())
3. Unified interface for showing any music object (note.show(), staff.show())

• Spawns an image of the music object

4. Unified interface for exporting any music object (note.save('note.pdf'), staff.save('staff.pdf'))
5. Flexible manipulation of music

• easily access notes by indexing a measure by beat: note0 = measure[0]
• edit note attributes' pitch via methods transpose, octave_up, augment

6. Intelligently generates harmonies from your melodies
7. Finalizes your composition as beautiful standard sheet music
8. Enables interactive development in Jupyter Notebook

Installation

To install: pip3 install pitchr. Other dependencies that must be installed (available via your package manager):

• libasound2
• lilypond

Pitchr downloads models to ~/.pitchr/. Set the PITCHR_PATH environment variable to change this behavior.

Documentation

Documentation is hosted on Github Pages here

Getting Started

from pitchr import *

# Instantiate notes
n = Note(pitch='C4', duration=1.0)

# Play them
n.play()

# Write music

m = Measure([
    Note('C', 1.0),
    Note('D', 1.0),
    Note('E', 1.0),
    Note('D', 1.0),
])

# See what you've written
m.show()

# Export to PDF
m.save('MySong.pdf')

Helper UI

To access the helper UI, run from the command line: python3 -m pitchr.helper

More Detailed Notes

Note() class

Init:

• pitch ("C#6")
• duration in beats
• dynamic (piano, forte, crescendo)
• articulation (staccato, accent, fermata)

Note()

from pitchr import *
note1 = Note("C4", 1, "forte")
note1.mingus_note # 'C-4'
note1.duration # 1
note1.dynamic # "forte"
note1.augment() or note1.diminish()

Chords

note2. = Note("E4", 1)
chord1 = Chord([note1, note2])
chord1.determine() # "Major third"

Measure is a collection of Notes

measure1 = Measure([note1, note2])
measure1.contains(note1) # True
measure1.append(note3)

Staff is a collection of Measures

Init:

• measures
• clef
• voicehttps://thedpws.github.io/pitcher/

staff1 = music.Staff(measure1, Clef.TREBLE, Voice.PIANO)

Part is a collection of Staffs

part1 = Part(staff1, tempo, time_signature, key_signature)
part1.add_staff(staff2)
part1.time_signature = 3/4

Score is a collection of Parts

score1 = Score("My Song", "Wonderful Subtitle", "Author Me", "me@email.com")
score1.get_author() # "Author Me"
score1.get_title() # "My Song"
score1.add_part(part1)

Harmony generation

from pitchr.harmony_maker import build_harmony
my_melody = Staff(my_measures)
my_harmony = build_harmony(my_melody)

my_harmony.play()

Running all Pitchr tests

./run_pitchr_tests.sh

Contributing

Setting up dependencies

• python3.8 is required for pitchr and python3 should link to python3.8 to run the tests
• ln -s /usr/bin/python3.8 /usr/bin/python3
• To create the virtual environment, cd into the project directory and python3 -m venv env
• To install dependencies to the virtual environment, source env/bin/activate && pip3 install -r requirements.txt
• Install these dependencies using your local package manager (ex. sudo apt install python3-dev python3-venv libasound2 libasound2-dev lilypond):
  • python3-dev
  • python3-venv
  • libasound2
  • libasound2-dev
  • lilypond

Working on the project

• Before working, activate the environment by source env/bin/activate
• Deactivate by deactivate