Sequencer Notation proposal with examples

Elektron Gear
#1

Sequencer Notation is proposed as an easier way to record, communicate and produce scores or score snippets.

Format : Bar N / Position step - Note + Length (in steps) /

Example riffs :

Axel F - Harold Faltemayer

B1 1-F3+3 / 5-G♯3+2 / 8 F3+1 / 10-F3+1 / 11-A♯3+1 / 13-F3+1 / 15-D♯3+1 /
B2 1-F3+3 / 5-C4+2 / 8 F3+1 / 10-F3+1 / 11-C♯4+1 / 13-C4+1 / 15-G♯3+1 /
B3 1-F3+1 / 3-C4+1 / 5-F4+1 / 7-F3+1 / 8 D♯3+1 / 10-D♯3+1 / 11-C3+1 / 13-G3+1 / 15-F3+1 /

Can’t get Enough - Depche Mode

Bar 1 | 1-G3+1 / 5-G3+1 / 7-G3+1 / 8-G3+1 / 10-G3+1 / 11-G3+1 / 13-A3+1 / 15-B3+1 /
Bar 2 | 1-G3+1 / 5-G3+1 / 7-G3+1 / 8-G3+1 / 10-G3+1 / 11-G3+1 / 13-A3+1 / 15-B3+1 /
Bar 3 | 3 1-G3+1 / 5-G3+1 / 7-G3+1 / 8-G3+1 / 10-G3+1 / 11-G3+1 / 13-A3+1 / 15-B3+1 /
Bar 4 | 1-C4+3 / 5-B3+3 / 9-A3+3 / 13-B3+3 /

Cars - Gary Neuman

Bar 1 | 1-D4+1 / 5-D5+2 / 7-A4+1 / 11-B4+1 / 13-C5+2 / 15-B4+2 /
Bar 2 | 1-D4+2 / 5-D5+1 / 7-A4+1 / 11-F5+2 / 13-E5+2 /
Bar 3 | 1-D4+1 / 5-D5+1 / 7-A4+1 / 11-B4+2 / 13-C5+2 / 15-B4+2 /
Bar 4 | 1-D4+2 / 3-G4+2 / 5-A4+1 / 7-D5+3 /

Final Countdown - Europe

Bar1 | 1-D4+1 / 2-C♯4+1 / 3-D4+1 / 7-F♯3+1 /
Bar2 | 1-B3+1 / 2-A3+1 / 3-B3+1 / 5-A3+1 / 7-G♯3+1 / 9-B3+1 / 11-A3+2
Bar3 | 1-G♯3+2 / 2-A3+1 / 3-B3+2 / 9-A3+1 / 10-B3+1 / 11-C♯4+3 / 13-B3+2 / 15-A3+2 /
Bar 4| 1-G♯3+2 / 3-F♯3+1 / 7-D4+1

Jump - Van Halen

Bar 1 | [5-G3+2 5-B3+2 5-D4+2 ] [11-G3+2 / 11-C4+2 / 11-E4+2 ]
Bar 2 | [1-F3+2 / 1-A3+2 / 1-C4+2 ] [7-F3+2 / 7-A3+2 / 7-C4+2 ] [11-G3+2 / 11-B3+2 / 11-D4+2 ] [15-G3+1 / 15-B3+1 / 15-D4+1 ]
Bar 3 | [5-G3+2 / 5-C4+2 / 5-E4+2 [/] [11-F3+2 / 11-A3+2 / 11-C4+2 ] [15-C3+2 / 15-F3+1 / 15-A3+1 ]
Bar 4 | [3-E3+2 / 3-G3+2 ] [7-C3+2 / 7-D3+2 / 7-G3+2 ]
Note: Cords are grouped between [ ]

Popcorn - Gershon Kingsley

B1 1-B3+1 / 3-A3+1 / 5-B3+2 / 7-F♯3+1 / 9-D3+2 / 11-F♯3+1 / 13-B2+2 /
B2 1-B3+2 / 3-A3+1 / 5-B3+2 / 7-F♯3+1 / 9-D3+2 / 11-F♯3+1 / 13-B2+2 /
B3 1-B3+2 / 3-C♯4+1 / 5-D4+2 / 7-C♯4+1 / 9-D4+1 / 11-B3+1 / 13-C♯4+2 / 15-B3+1 /
B4 1-C♯4+1 / 3-A3+1 / 5-B3+2 / 7-A3+1 / 9-B3+1 / 11-G3+1 / 13-B3+2

CiChi - Autechre

Bar 1 | 1-A3+1 / 2-C4+3 / 5-A3+2 / 7-C4+1 / 11-G3+1 / 12-B3+2 / 14-G3+1 / 15-B3+2 /
Bar 2 | 1-G3+1 / 2-D4+3 / 5-G3+1 / 6-D4+2 / 8-G3+1 / 9-D4+2 / 11-F3+2 / 13-C4+1 / 14-F3+1 / 15-C4+3 /
Bar 3 | 2-E3+3 / 5-E4+1 / 6-E3+3 / 9-E4+1 / 10-E3+2 / 12-E4+1 / 13-D3+2 / 15-C4+2 /
Bar 4 | 1-D3+1 / 2-C4+1 / 3-D3+3 / 6-C4+3 / 9-E3+1 / 10-C4+3 / 13-E3+1 / 14-C4+2 / 16-E3+1 /
Bar 5 | 1-C4+3 / 4-F3+2 / 6-B3+1 / 7-F3+3 / 10-B3+3 / 13-G3+1 / 14-B3+2 /
Note: Beyond 4 bars but then Autechre

Sweet Dreams - Eurythmics

Track 1
Bar 3 | 1-A0+1 / 3-A0+1 / 5-A1+1 / 7-A1+1 / 9-C2+1 / 11-C2+1 / 13-A1+1 / 15-A1+1 /
Bar 4 | 1-F0+1 / 3-F0+1 / 5-F1+1 / 7-A1+1 / 9-E0+1 / 11-E0+1 / 13-G1+2 / 15-A1+1

Track 2
Bar 3 | 5-A2+1 / 7-A2+1 / 9-A2+1 / [11-A2+1 / 11-C3+1] / 13-C3+1 / [15-C3+1 / 15-A2+1] /
Bar 4 | 1-A2+1 / [3-F2+1 / 3-A2+1] / 5-F2+1 / [7-F2+1 / 7-A2+1] / 9-A2+1 / [11-E2+1 / 11-A2+1] / 13-E2+1 / [15-E2+1 / 15-A2+1] /
Note: There can be multitracks

Golden Brown - The Stranglers

Track 1
Bar 1 | 1-A♯1+1 / [2-C♯3+1 / 2-F3+1] / 4-F2+1 / [5-C♯3+1 / 5-F3+1] / 6-A♯1+1 / 7-F1+1 / [8-C3+1 / 8-F3+1] / 11-C2+1 / [12-C3+1 / 12-F3+1] / 13-F1+1 / 14-F♯1+1 / [15-C♯3+1 / 15-F♯3+1] /
Bar 2 | 1-C♯2+1 / [2-C♯3+1 / 2-F♯3+1] / 3-F♯2+1 / 4-F2+1 / [6-C♯3+1 / 6-F3+1] / 7-D♯2+1 / [8-C♯3+1 / 8-F3+1] / 9-C♯2+1 / [10-C♯3+1 / 10-F3+1] / 11-C2+1 / [12-C♯3+1 / 12-F3+1] / 13-A♯1+1 / [14-C♯3+1 / 14-F3+1] /

Track 2
Duplicate Track 1

Track 3
Bar 1 | [3-C♯4+1 / 3-F4+1] / [5-C♯4+1 / 5-F4+1] / [9-G♯3+1 / 9-C4+1] / [12-G♯3+1 / 12-C4+1] / [16-A♯3+1 / 16-C♯4+1] /
Bar 2 | [2-A♯3+1 / 2-C♯4+1] / [7-F3+1 / 7-G♯3+1] / [9-F3+1 / 9-G♯3+1] / [15-C♯4+1 / 15-F4+1] /

Track 4
Bar 1 | 1-A♯2+2 / 4-F3+1 / 6-A♯2+1 / 7-F2+2 / 10-C3+1 / 13-F2+1 / 14-F♯2+2 /
Bar 2 | 1-C♯3+1 / 3-F♯3+1 / 4-F3+1 / 7-D♯3+1 / 9-C♯3+1 / 11-C3+1 / 13-A♯2+2 /

Developer Notes

The basic idea is to. make it easy to program in steps rather than relying on hardware input or trying to decipher traditional scores or piano roles.

Sequencer Notation is text based to make the notation independent to any hardware and software requirements

It can be can be used in any text program and easily communicated via email, twitter, forums etc.It can even be handwritten into notebooks.

The notation is general enough for step sequencers across a wide range of instruments.
(Though the notation could include @ for Elektron sequencing if required:
– 7-F3+1@1st )

The notation is the starting point for the sequence is is not necessarily for reproducing the riff sonically. Different sounds and effect can be used. The notes and scales can be changed. LFOs can sweep across the parameters. (Personally I am using Monomachine presets so the riffs sound very different)

Sequencer Notation can also be used to record your own riffs and bass lines outside of your DAW or sequencer and applied to other productions.

For drums there is : Conditional Breakbeats with rytm in 1 bar

I would appreciate any feedback oh how useful this notation is and any improvements.

thanks tladb

1 Like
#2

Sorry if I’m missing something obvious but is there a way to apply this method of notation to polyphonic sequencers?

#3

How do you mean?

#4

Your examples are note based melodies, is that correct? I’m just thinking with (for example) digitone where the sequencer is polyphonic how would you notate the polyphony using this method? I apologize if I’m missing something obvious here though, it’s the first time I’ve seen sequencer transcription like this. Would you just substitute the note for a chord form/transposition/inversion?

#5

If chords for the same track the notes on the same step can be grouped:
[5-G3+2 5-B3+2 5-D4+2 ]
The notes can also be duplicated across tracks.

Examples in notation for ‘Jump’ and ‘Golden Brown’

#6

I see, so you aren’t naming the chords, you’re calling out the notes that make up the chords. Brackets indicate a chord. Thanks for clarifying.

#7

Chord names could be used for steps if that was convenient . This is an idea of mine so anyone if free to use it how they want; if at all.

1 Like
#8

It’s a great concept. I know this is probably not the first thing on your mind but do you have a way you can think of to notate position in front of or behind the actual note divisions to indicate swing or microtiming?

I did see wgat you said about the @ for elektron sequencing but I wasn’t clear on the usage.

Just as a sidenote I used to have to do something similar because back in the day I would use a hardware 16 track digital recorder to sequence things so I would use a similar notation system in that after having recorded individual notes in scale grouping or key groupings, I would then chop the notes into the desired lengths and then place them on tracks and then adjust volume and eq to get a better sound because sometimes you can get a more realistic chord voicing by accentuating the notes you would hear more prominently (top note etc) in a real instrument, then I would record/ bounce the chords down to single tracks, but in the case of creating for example, human sounding chords like guitar strums, I would note how many milliseconds before or after the actual note division so I could recreate a chord with the same sound. I would have the length of the note then +/- milliseconds difference from the note that fell on the logical division of time. Elektron devices don’t operate in time based sequencing though so I wasn’t sure how to apply my own system to the elektron sequencer and I just wondered if this had been something you already thought of.

#9

The initial idea for this notation was to make it general enough for a range of sequencers. While I mainly use Elektron I also wanted to have a notation I could apply to Roland or Korg sequencers which don’t have the same functionality.

The notation is just a starting point to which additional elements such as micro timing or swing could be applied. These additional could be added as text notations as required. However my idea was not to construct a fully prescriptive system but an initial outline for the producer to iterate on.

The '@" symbol is for Elektron conditional trigs such:

  • @75 for a 75% chance
  • @1st / @_1st for the first bar or not first bar
  • @PRE / @_PRE for the previous conditional or not previous conditional trigger
    The post : Conditional Breakbeats with rytm in 1 bar goes into this with more detail.