Composition Strategies (game Rules)

LEE BARRY'S COMPOSITION STRATEGY CARDS Like Brian Eno's Oblique Strategy cards, the Composition Strategy Cards are used as a creative springboard for creating new pieces of music. They are interesting in that every aspect of the process is reduced to a random event, which eliminates the need to make conscious choices about what to compose. Very often the decision making process in songwriting can be paralyzing; compounded by the fact that creative decisions have to be made democratically in a group situation. Use of the cards is a way to break those types of creative blocks. HOW TO PLAY THE GAME The cards are designed like traditional playing cards and have 12 "suits": Rhythm, Tempo, Key, Mood, Abstractions, Arrangement, Melody, Style, Topic, Meter, Treatments and Harmony. In each "suit" are 6-12 Cards, including an "ace". When playing the game in a group situation, the cards are dealt to each band member, and each person rolls a pair of dice, one numbered 1-6 and the other 7-12, representing the 12 suits. For example, one might roll 4 and 9, which are, "Topic", and "Mood", and that person will play a card from those categories. The player that has the ace gets to play the card of his choice in that suit, even if a card from that category has already been played. For example, if someone has already played a "topic" card, the person that holds the ace of topic takes control of that category and can replace that card. Sample game result: Rhythm: Tempo: Key: Mood: Abstractions: Arrangement: Melody: Style: Topic: Meter: Harmony: Treatments:

Staccato 16th Notes Medium Fast 129-144 BPM F# Minor Religious Darkness (Light that only appears dark) Sex Work off of a riff Use an Exotic Scale Experimental The Future: Bleak/Hopeful 8/8 (3+3+2) No sevenths "Clicky" bass

To make a set of cards using the PDF files: • •

Print each card category on Avery full-sheet labels and put on index cards, or Export from Acrobat to TIF files and place into Avery 5388 3x5 labels

To make a pair of dice: Purchase a package of self-drying clay and shape a pair of dice. When dry, use a magic marker and write the numbers 1-6 on each side one die and 7-12 on the other. (You also might want to make another pair and write the categories on them.)

Copyright 1999, Lee Barry. All rights reserved.

The category numbers are as follows: Category Category Category Category Category Category Category Category Category Category Category Category

1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: 7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12:

MELODY HARMONY KEY RHYTHM METER TEMPO ARRANGEMENT MOOD TOPIC STYLE ABSTRACTIONS TREATMENTS

Lee Barry Box A3914 Chicago, IL 60690 [email protected] http://www.leebarry.net

Copyright 1999, Lee Barry. All rights reserved.

Composition Strategy Cards GAME RESULTS 004 Suit Abstraction

strategy Uncertainty

Arrangement Break up sections with licks Harmony

"Add 9" chords

Key

D major/B minor

Melody

Found voices

Meter

6/4

Mood

Expansive with 'chimey" sounds

Rhythm

Stop 'n' Go / Stutter

Style

Tango

Tempo

Medium fast: 129-144

Topic

Phantom Emotions/Stealthy Relationships

Treatment

Echoes

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Composition Strategy Cards GAME RESULTS

003 Suit Abstraction

strategy Turn on the radio and integrate something you heard into the work (news, a commercial or music)

Arrangement Drums only on the chorus Harmony

Use major 7ths

Key

A major/F# minor

Melody

Isomelody

Meter

3/4

Mood

Distorted/Grainy

Rhythm

Polyrhythm: 3 against 4

Style

Film Music

Tempo

Fast: 148-200

Topic

History

Treatment

Acoustic

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Composition Strategy Cards GAME RESULTS

002 Suit Abstraction

strategy Space

Arrangement Fade Outro Harmony

Plagal/Blues Use ii-V progressions

Key

A major/F# minor

Melody

Arabic

Melody

Harmonic Minor

Meter

4/4

Mood

Religious Darkness (light that only APPEARS dark)

Rhythm

Polyrhythm: 3 against 4

Style

Soul

Tempo

Slow: 60-72

Topic

Wordplay/Nonsense (Use with another card)

Treatment

Gospel B3 organ with Leslie

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Composition Strategy Cards GAME RESULTS

001 Suit Abstraction

strategy Turn on the radio and integrate something you heard into the work (news, a commercial or music)

Arrangement Legato verse, staccato chorus Harmony

No thirds

Key

B-flat major/G minor

Melody

Use several contrasting pentatonic scales

Melody

Arabic

Meter

8/8 (3+3+2)

Mood

Frenzied

Rhythm

Funk

Rhythm

Robotic

Rhythm

Allow use of 2 Rhythm Cards

Style

Film Music

Tempo

Medium: 80-128

Topic

Hallucinations

Treatment

Indian Drone

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