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Sequences

Patterns by themselves don't do much good. They have to be combined into sequences to be of any use to you or to MMA.

A sequence command sets the pattern(s) used in creating each track in your song:

Track Sequence Pattern1 Pattern2 ...

where ``Track'' can be any of ``Chord'', ``Walk'', ``Bass'', ``Arpeggio'' or ``Drum'' or any of the numbered varieties (``Drum1'', etc.). The pattern names used do not need to be defined...the current definition of the pattern will be used when tracks are created.

Example 5.1: Simple Sequence


SeqClear
SeqSize 2
Drum Sequence Snare4
Drum Tone Snaredrum1
Drum1 Sequence Bass1 Bass2
Drum Tone KickDrum2
Chord Sequence Broken8
Bass Sequence Broken8


Example 5.1 creates a 2 bar pattern. The Drum, Chord and Bass patterns repeat on every bar; the Drum1 sequence repeats after 2 bars.

If there are fewer patterns than SeqSize, the sequence will be filled out to correct size. If the number of patterns used is greater than SeqSize (see Chapter 16) a warning message will be printed and the pattern list will be truncated.

When defining longer sequences, you can use the ``repeat'' symbol, a single ``/'', to save typing. For example, the following two lines are equivalent:

Bass Sequence Bass1 Bass1 Bass2 Bass2
Bass Sequence Bass1 / Bass2 /

The special pattern name ``-'' (no quotes, just a single hyphen) can be used to turn a track off. For example, if we have set the sequences in example 5.1 and decide to delete the Bass halfway though the song we could:

Bass Sequence -

Note that this will also reset the following track options:

Enabling that track, later, can be done with another Sequence command.

Bass Sequence Straight4

You will have to restore the Invert and SeqRnd settings as well.

A special sequence, ``z'', is predefined which is the equivalent of a rest or ``tacet'' sequence. For example, in defining a 4 bar sequence with a 1-5 bass pattern on the first 3 bars and a walking bass on bar 4 we might do something like:

Bass Sequence Bass4-13 / / z
Walk Sequence z / / Walk4-4

There is nothing to prevent you from creating a pattern with the name of ``z'', but it will never be used. Perhaps we should make MMA do some checking??

When a sequence is defined the actual pattern names are saved in the definition. This means that if you change the definition of a pattern later in your file, the new pattern will be used. Note, however, the comments in ``Grooves'', Chapter 6.

Sequences are the workhorse of MMA. With them you can set up many interesting patterns and variations. This chapter should certainly give more detail and many more examples.


next up previous
Next: Grooves Up: Reference Manaul Previous: Patterns
2004-04-19