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This is a very cool take on the piano roll visualization. I’d love to see something similar that focuses on harmonic relationships rather than linear pitch relationships, perhaps using something like the lattice: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lattice_(music)

The only lattice visualizations I know of are Gary Garrett’s: http://www.garygarrett.me/




I've done a few experiments in visualizing pitch-class relationships.

The one I use regularly is to map the color wheel to the circle of fifths (for a fuller description, see http://www.musanim.com/HarmonicColoring/ ).

y MIDI Player has a hexagonal pitch grid mode (for a list of features, see http://www.musanim.com/Player/ ).

I've done some experiments in showing interval classes (to highlight differences between consonance and dissonance), but the techniques don't work well for most pieces, and this is the only sample I've published: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xu2cSEko6M

When I learned more about auditory neurology, I did some experiments with that (see this page in my project timeline http://www.musanim.com/mam/hist33.html ).

But mostly, I don't think any of these approaches (or anybody else's, for that matter), really do the job.


Funny thing, I recently attempted exactly same thing, just as interactive toy.

I had notes arranged in lattice (Tonnetz, harmonic table layout, however you want to call it) with full chromatic range of 3 and half octaves. The lattice responds to touches by playing correct note. The patterns really become obvious on lattice layout. Major and minor chords are visually recognizable and harmonic shifts are just graphical translations due to lattice isomorphic properties.

I extracted notes of Moonlight Sonata, and did simple analysis to determine how likely note M appears after note N (Markov chains). After few notes are played on lattice, the Moonlight Sonata analysis is used to suggest (highlight) some choices that could follow played notes.

If you follow these suggestions, the Moonlight Sonata 'feel' is easily recognizable to listener. Player still has full control of tempo, composition structure and embellishments. It was meant to be an experiment into interactive music, sort of auto-complete embedded in musical instrument.

Unfortunately the highlighting worked only in original key of composition (C#). When I tried to analyze intervals instead of absolute pitches, the suggestions became erratic and no longer musical. Also I found it hard to analyze and visualize polyphony. I might revisit this project and make it work in the future.




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