Carmen Variations — Layered NoteSequences
Overview
- Uses Magenta’s browser SoundFont player to schedule a multi‑layer rendition inspired by Habanera. All parts are written into a NoteSequence with start/end times derived from beats and current tempo.
Parts
- Bass ostinato: Long‑short‑long‑short cell in D minor; occasional octave jumps and velocity variance add life.
- Melody phrase: A two‑bar motif repeats with small transpositions and ornaments controlled by a variation percentage.
- Harmonies: Dyads/triads under the melody locked to the diatonic collection.
- Arpeggios: Broken chords providing motion after the theme is established.
- Canon/counter‑melody: Staggered entries echo the tune at offsets, creating a simple round.
Controls
- Tempo: QPM slider affects beat→seconds conversion when constructing sequences.
- Variation: Probability gates add transpositions, grace notes, octave leaps, and duration jitter.
Flow
- First play lazily loads the piano SoundFont; subsequent plays reuse buffers. A log panel shows part starts and scheduling events.
Ideas
- Add key changes, reharmonizations, or user‑selectable modes (natural/harmonic minor). Export to MIDI via NoteSequence serialization.