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.
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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 |
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 |
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.