Subtraction

Run the NFT and then click anywhere on it to play the chord (sound). Please note that on iOS the sound playback might not work if the device is in mute mode.

"Subtraction" is a text-score from the book "ImageAudio: A Post-Digital Event Score Anthology" by Zach Dawson (22.02.24). This NFT my realisation and interpretation of "Subtraction”. Each iteration triggers an editor, allowing users to set parameters like the number of notes in a chord, the duration of the longest note, and the frequency range between notes. Each iteration creates one chord.

You are invited to mint as many chords as you want, with each new chord building on the previous ones to form a continuous piece of music. Consider the parameters of previous chords when creating your iteration. In the future, I plan to release a webpage that collects metadata on this NFT’s minted parameters and plays back the entire composition, making the minters of this NFT co-composers of the musical work.

Subtraction (text-score by Zach Dawson):

“Programme a dense chord.
Each pitch within the chord should end
at different times over a short duration.
Gradually crush the sound to 8-bit over
the decided duration.”

ImageAudio book: https://archive.org/details/imageaudio-book/mode/2up

In the code, the chance for a chord to crush the sound to 8-bit is 1 in 5.

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Credits:
Music, visuals, and composition coded by Adam Łukawski (sunsetsobserver).
Commissioned by Zach Dawson, author of the ImageAudio project.

Libraries used:
Tone.js (MIT License)
JZZ.js (MIT License)
JZZ-MIDI-SMF.js (MIT License)
Html-midi-player (BSD 2-Clause License)
FxHash (MIT License)

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Find more of my projects at:
www.adamlukawski.com

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Minting Instructions
You have the ability to customise your chord by adjusting the following parameters:

Number of Notes: Choose how many notes will be in your chord. You can select from 5 to 50 notes.

Frequency of the Root Note: Set the frequency of the root note, which is the starting note of your chord. This can range from 2 Hz to 500 Hz.

Minimum Step Between Notes: Define the smallest possible random frequency difference between notes in your chord, ranging from 1 Hz to 500 Hz.

Maximum Step Between Notes: Define the largest possible random frequency difference between notes in your chord, ranging from 1 Hz to 500 Hz.

Duration of the Longest Note: Set how long the longest note in the chord will last.

Loudness (chordLoudness): Adjust the volume of your chord.

Tips for Composing Interesting Chords
Variety in Note Count: Experiment with different numbers of notes. A chord with 5 notes will sound much simpler in timbre compared to one with 50 notes, which can create a richer, more complex sound, but chords with less notes can be more striking for the harmony created by their intervals. Thus, the tradeoff is between the focus on timbre and the focus on harmony.

Root Note Frequency: Use lower root note frequencies for deeper, bass-heavy chords, and higher frequencies for a lighter, more treble-focused sound.

Steps Between Notes:
Set a small minStep and maxStep to create closely spaced notes (possibly creating the beating effect). Use larger steps for a more open chord.

Duration: Vary the duration of the longest note to change the feel of the chord. Shorter durations can make the piece feel more rhythmic and staccato, while longer durations add a more sustained and ambient quality.

Loudness: Adjust the volume to create dynamics in your composition. Softer chords can be gentle and soothing, while louder chords can add intensity and presence. You cannot control the volumes of individual notes, which is (fxhash)-random. Just the general volume of the chord.

Ideas for Composing a Sequence
Build Gradually: Start with fewer notes and lower loudness, gradually increasing these parameters with each new chord to create a building effect.

Dynamic Shifts: Alternate between chords with high and low loudness or short and long durations to create contrast and keep the composition engaging.

Harmonic Exploration: Experiment with different rootNote frequencies and steps between notes to explore various harmonic landscapes, from consonant to dissonant.

Repeat: keep the params of the previous chords in multiple further iterations to maintain and evolve certain qualities of the musical fragment minted so far.

By thoughtfully manipulating these parameters, you can craft a unique and evolving musical piece, contributing to a collaborative and continuous composition.