Playing live

▶ Open in Aratu to hear the examples, change them and do the exercises

In Aratu, playing live means changing the text while the music plays. A few ideas make it easy.

Everything loops. Each line plays over and over, each over its own length: a one-bar hi-hat, a two-bar bass and a four-bar progression line up as a band's parts do.
A change comes in at the next bar. Nothing restarts: the other parts keep their place.
An error stops nothing. While the text has an error, the last version that was right keeps playing.

Patterns

A pattern is a named group of lines, prepared ahead. play chooses which pattern sounds:

tempo: 110
pattern groove {
  hh = cc cc cc cc
  bd = b - b -
  sd = - s - s
}
pattern fill {
  sd = ss ss SS SS
  bd = b - - -
}

play groove x3, fill

play groove x3, fill plays the groove three times, then the fill, and loops the four-bar phrase.

Varying from time to time

Try it▶ Hear it in Aratu

tempo: 110
pattern groove { hh = cc cc cc cc; bd = b - b -; sd = - s - s }
pattern fill   { sd = ss ss SS SS }
pattern crash  { cr = x - - - }

play groove
every 4 bars: play fill
every 8 bars, first: add crash

every 4 bars: play fill swaps the groove for the fill in the last bar of every four. add plays a pattern on top of the one sounding: here, a crash on the first beat of every eight bars.

Right now, at the next beat

A line written while the music plays comes in at the next bar. With now: in front, it comes in at the very next beat: now: play fill once brings the fill in at once, and the groove comes back by itself, where it would have been. The next lesson shows how to mark a change at an exact bar and beat.

Taking a part out and back in

drums: out silences a part from the next bar line, and drums: in brings it back, as on a mixer. all: out silences everything.

Try it▶ Hear it in Aratu

tempo: 110
drums { hh = cc cc cc cc; bd = b - b -; sd = - s - s }
bass = | c2 _ g1 _ | a1 _ e1 _ |
at bar 3: drums: out
at bar 5: drums: in

On stage

The Stage button, in Play, leaves only the code on the screen, full screen and in large letters, to play in front of an audience. The 2 columns button splits the code in two columns, like a newspaper: the second goes on where the first ends, so twice as much fits without scrolling, and the two scroll together. You can edit in either. Melody lists get buttons in the corner, and Esc leaves the stage.

Exercises

Use the ready-made patterns to play the phrase: the groove three times, then the fill. (x3 can also be written 3x.)

Exercise▶ Hear it in Aratu

pattern groove { hh = cc cc cc cc; bd = b - b -; sd = - s - s }
pattern fill   { sd = ss ss SS SS; bd = b - - - }
play groove

See an answer

pattern groove { hh = cc cc cc cc; bd = b - b -; sd = - s - s }
pattern fill   { sd = ss ss SS SS; bd = b - - - }
play groove x3, fill

Take the drums out at bar 2 and back in at bar 3, while the bass keeps playing.

Exercise▶ Hear it in Aratu

drums { hh = c c c c }
bass = | c2 _ _ _ |

See an answer

drums { hh = c c c c }
bass = | c2 _ _ _ |
at bar 2: drums: out
at bar 3: drums: in