Ziffers: Numbered musical notation for composing algorithmic and generative music using Sonic Pi

Ziffers is a numbered musical notation (aka. Ziffersystem) that makes composing melodies and rhythms easier and faster in Sonic Pi.

Writing and playing melodies in any key or scale will be as simple as:

zplay "q 4 e 1 1 q 2 1 0 3 4", key: "f", scale: "major"

or playing loops:

zloop :ride, "q2 e4 3 3 3 2 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 2 3", key: :c, scale: :chromatic

or loops with generative live rules:

z1 "e1", rules: {
  "1"=>"3",
  "3"=>"2",
  "2"=>"4",
  "4"=>"(1,6)",
  "5"=>"1",
  "6"=>"2"
}

or complex drumlines with custom sample or midi mapping:

breakbeat = "| q HB H | HS (H B) | (H B) (H B) | HS (H B)  |
             |   HB H | HS H     | (H H) (r B) | HS (H H)  |"

samples = {
  B: :bd_tek,
  S: :drum_snare_soft,
  H: {sample: :drum_cymbal_closed, amp: 0.2}
}

z1 breakbeat, use: samples

or play infinite sequences. Easy as:

zplay pi, rhythm: "|:q q h:|: h q ee :|"

and much more ...

See Ziffers wiki for how to make your own.

Quick start

Requirements

• Sonic Pi
• Git (if you haven't used git before see full instructions)

Install ziffers

Install Ziffers to your Sonic Pi by cloning this project into your home directory (this makes referencing easier as most of the examples use ~ shorthand to require stuff). Ziffers can then be required to your Sonic Pi project using:

require "~/ziffers/ziffers.rb" # ~ references ziffers under users home folder, works also in Windows

Stay up to date as the Ziffers is an ongoing project. Post Issues to report bugs or to ask questions.

Examples

Try out one line examples and more complex examples.

Documentation

Syntax and methods are documented in Ziffers wiki.

Help

Post issue or ask help from chat.