Music Index 

Midi Flower Music 

.... Pushing the limits of your (creative) boundaries.

Or exploring, developing and expanding your creative powers of expression. That is what this article is about. Read on if you are interested in these matters, otherwise go to my main page and select another topic of your interest.

These exercises, explorations or suggestions are meant as a way to inspire you in making better music and midi-files. They widen up your expressional capabilities in composing and arranging your (MIDI) music. 

2 Music without rhythm or pulse.  

3 Transformational music. 

4 Contrasting music.

5 One note music in any octave.  

1

Get to know your midi hardware and software.

Try to make a piece of music / sound using mainly the expression controllers and dynamics of your sound generator and sequencer (See MIDI controllers). Experiment with Pan, Volume, Reverb en Chorus, Brightness, Vibrato, Modulation, expression, Release time and brightness. Don’t worry about the music, anything will do, but focus on applying controllers and listen to their impact on your sounds.

Listen to this one: ‘The Attic’ by Midi Flowers.  

Music without rhythm or pulse.

Create a sequence using anything other than a beat or tempo. Use for example as many timbres as you want but pay attention to whether it is rhythmic. If so, skip it, save it (Never throw away something you like: you can work on it some other time) and start all over again.

While working on this one you’ll probably figure out the importance of pulse.

Listen to this one: ‘Desiderius Awakes’ by Midi Flowers.  

2

3

Transformational music.

Start a composition and add minimal imperceptible changes over time (no abrupt changes!) and work towards an ending. Pay attention to the following; the start and ending of your composition should be completely different. Perhaps applying a loop is a good idea: work towards a circle, let your compositional start and ending overlap. Listen to some music made by Philip Glass.

Contrasting music.

Create a piece of music containing sudden changes in style, rhythm or key but try to keep these changes ‘natural’ or ‘logical’.  

4

5

One note music in any octave.

Create a piece of music by choosing just one single note. Use any octave you like but stick to that one single note. Durations or timbres may vary to your taste. There is a song out there called ‘Samba de uma nota so’ (‘one note samba’ ) from Carlos Jobim, a Brazilian musician. It’s build around a one note solo and the other instruments play ‘around’ this note.

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