Euclidean rhythms. Euclidean patterns Last week I read a really interesting article about computer generated rhythms: “Generating African rhythms using the euclidean algorithm” on Ruin & Wesen’s website. Usually I’m not so impressed by generative and algorithmic music, but this formula gives some very cool results.
The formula is simple really. It’s an algorithm to distribute an amount of notes as evenly as possible over a period of time, where time is divided in equal parts. A very basic example: Say you have one measure of sixteen sixteenth notes and there are four notes to be played, then this is how those four notes would be equally distributed by the algorithm: x . . . x . . . x . . . x . . . A basic house or techno kick drum pattern. X . . . x . . x . . x . . x . . It’s these irregular patterns that create the best rhythms.
The algorithm is very well explained in the article I mentioned, so I won’t repeat it here. Download the full source code here. Euclid of Alexandria. Www.cs.cmu.edu/~quake-papers/delaunay-refinement.pdf. Www.geometry.caltech.edu/pubs/MDDCA10.pdf. Www.geometry.caltech.edu/pubs/DMA02.pdf. Www.geometry.caltech.edu/pubs/LTD05.pdf. Applied Geometry Lab Publications.