itsflores / musika

The Music Programming Language - compose in a text editor and compile it into real music

Musika - The Music Programming Language

Musika Features

• Import 0 or more Musika files to utilize their patterns/music in a file
• Add the following metadata to a song:
  • song title
  • song author(s)
  • key signature
  • time signature
  • base tempo
  • base octave
• Define patterns/riffs that can be used in songs (like functions in a program)
• Define chords that can modularize complex macro-notes (chords)
• Take a segment of music and have it repeat a number of times
• Layer music segments on top of each other
• Change the metadata for a song in the middle of it to change aspects such as key, time, tempo, and octave
• Write notes in the specified key, give them a length, and keep the octave at the base or shift it one higher or lower
• Write comments in the code to make developer/composer notes

How to program in Musika

Basic Musika Anatomy

Every Musika file is divided into 4 sections:

• Accompaniment Section
• Info Section
• Pattern Section
• Music Section

Each of these sections are separated by three dashes (---) on a new line. The accompaniment section is optional, but the other three are required.

The Accompaniment Section

The following is an example of an accompaniment (another Musika file):

	accompany [musika_file] name new_accompaniment

You specify a Musika file within your directory (or as a part of the Musika library) solely by the name (NO FILE EXTENSION)

This statement will import the specified Musika file and it can be referenced later in the file using the name specified after the name keyword.

Each accompaniment specification must be specified on its own line. After that, place three dashes (---) at the bottom line to enter the info section:

	accompany [file1] name one
	accompany [file2] name two
	---
	title: "Song Title"
	author: "Song Author"
	coauthors: "Song coauthors"
	key: Cmaj
	time: 4 / 4
	tempo: 4 = 60
	octave: 4
	---

Note the bottom three dashes used to enter the patterns section afterwards

Sample Programs

• example1.ka

  			accompany [example2] name rhythm
  			accompany [example3] name pattern_lib
  			---
  			title: "High Noon Chorus Lead"
  			author: pattern_lib
  			coauthors: pattern_lib
  			key: pattern_lib
  			time: pattern_lib
  			tempo: pattern_lib
  			octave: 5
  			=>
  			Any notes on the piece can be written here in a multi-line comment
  			<=
  			---
  			& this is a single-line comment
  			pattern [chorus1]:
  			E....A..G..F.G.D,..A..G.F. & this is the lead pattern for high noon
  			& this is another comment
  			---
  			layer(rhythm)
  			repeat(2) {
  				chorus1
  				pattern_lib>chorus2
  				pattern_lib>chorus_end
  			}
  			---
  		

• example2.ka

  			accompany [example3] name lib
  			accompany [chords] name c
  			---
  			title: "High Noon Chorus Rhythm"
  			author: lib
  			coauthors: lib
  			key: lib
  			time: lib
  			tempo: lib
  			octave: 2
  			=>
  				This is the rhythm part of High Noon
  			<=
  			---
  			pattern [chorus]:
  			c>E5...c>B5..c>B5.c>B5.c>B5.
  			---
  			chorus*2*3
  			c>E8.*4 c>B8.*4 c>C8.*4 c>D8.*4
  			---
  		

• exapmle3.ka

  			title: "High Noon Chorus Patterns"
  			author: "Benjamin Ladick"
  			coauthors: "Masking The Fallen"
  			key: Em
  			time: common
  			tempo: 4 = 144
  			octave: 4
  			---
  			pattern [chorus2]:
  			E.B,.D,.E.A..G..F.G.D..B.A.G.F.
  			pattern [chorus_end]:
  			G..F..F.G.D,.F.E.
  			! octave: -1 !
  			B.D.B.D.B.D.E'.
  			---
  			---