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: Staccato 16th Notes Tempo: Medium Fast 129-144 BPM Key: F# Minor Mood: Religious Darkness (Light that only appears dark) Abstractions: Sex Arrangement: Work off of a riff Melody: Use an Exotic Scale Style: Experimental Topic: The Future: Bleak/Hopeful Meter: 8/8 (3+3+2) Harmony: No sevenths Treatments: "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 1: MELODY Category 2: HARMONY Category 3: KEY Category 4: RHYTHM Category 5: METER Category 6: TEMPO Category 7: ARRANGEMENT Category 8: MOOD Category 9: TOPIC Category 10: STYLE Category 11: ABSTRACTIONS Category 12: TREATMENTS Lee Barry Box A3914 Chicago, IL 60690 leebax4@yahoo.com http://www.leebarry.net

Copyright 1999, Lee Barry. All rights reserved.

Composition Strategy Cards GAME RESULTS

004

Suit strategy Abstraction 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 strategy Abstraction 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 strategy Abstraction 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 strategy Abstraction 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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