1234567654321
123456654321
12345654321
1234554321
123454321
12344321
1234321
123321
12321
1221
121
1

Using my trusty Akai Headrush pedal, I set up a loop of about two seconds and then add layers going up the harmonic series (the notes one gets from splitting a string in half, thirds, etc.) and dividing the bar into the corresponding fraction. I speak the above pattern of numbers so that the whole thing stays symmetrical (the extra "1" on the end of each line is just for looks!)

The first loop is one in a bar on the tonic (very low... using ventricular fold phonation!): "1"
The second loop is two in a bar up an octave: "12"
3 (in a bar). Octave + a 5th: "122"
4. 2 Octaves: "1232"
5. 2 Octaves + a maj 3rd*: "12332"
6. 2 Octaves + a 5th*: "123432"
7. 2 Octaves + a min 7th*: "1234432"
8. 3 Octaves: "12345432"
9. 3 Octaves + a 2nd*: "123455432"
10. 3 Octaves + a 3rd*: "1234565432"
11. 3 Octaves + a sharp 4th*: "12345665432"
12. 3 Octaves + a 5th*: "123456765432"

*The intervals are meant to be "just" or "harmonic" intervals (those you get naturally by dividing a string into fractions), but my pitching's a little wonky. The reinforcing of octaves makes all sorts of nice stuff come out of it. (i.e. 5 in a bar and 10 in a bar are both major 3rds). Make sense? Hope so. It's apparently known as a Fourier Transform in maths circles, but an even vague understanding of such eludes me thus far. The below pic is what it looks like in Protools (recording software)... pretty, eh! Thine, Mal

©Mal Webb 2003