The Drum Loop - A constructivist iOS rhythm tutorial system for beginners

A constructivist iOS rhythm tutorial system for beginnersby Ethan Hein

Designing theDrum Loop

Advisor:Dr. Alex Ruthmann December 17, 2013

The two measures of music above occupy the same time duration, but it would appear to a novice that the first is much longer than the second. While there are valid typographical reasons not to represent rhythms by their lengths on the page, it makes the symbology that much more difficult to understand.

Beginners struggle with the way that standard notation represents rhythm

Here are eight visual representations of son clave transcribed by Toussaint (2013).

The fifth method, the time unit box system, is the basis for most drum machine and sequencer interfaces.

What is the most intuitive way to visualize rhythm?

Standard notation as a time-unit box system

"Check the Rhime" by A Tribe Called Quest, as transcribed by Charlie Hely

Putting notation on a grid matches note durations to spatial length, making it easier to understand.

The MIDI piano roll as a time-unit box system

A drum pattern in Ableton Live's MIDI sequencer

TUBS are reasonably intuitive. However, it is still difficult to see the relationship between metrically related positions in a linear representation.

Large-Scale Design• Motivic elaboration/development• Sections and sectional functions• Similarities and differences across

events distanced in time

Mid-Level• Figures, phrases and functions• Stability/instability• Arrivals and departures

Details• Pitch and metric values• Intervals and chords• Notation

Traditional western music education begins here

Beginners arrive here

Adapted fromBamberger (1996)

Beginners work best at the mid-level of abstraction, with figures, phrases and riffs. Real-world drum patterns are more intuitive than musical "simples" like eighth notes, rests and time signatures.

Constructivist music teaching

Prototyping withMax/MSP/Jitter

The Drum Loop.maxpatmodel

controllerdrum circle

drum wedge

note on

sequencesplitter

sequencer

poltocarpresent

presentationpositioning

drum machine

drumsamples

poly drumbuffer

view

Christopher Jacoby and I were able to create a working Drum Loop prototype in six weeks using Max. However, our standalone app suffered from severe performance and responsiveness problems.

A breakbeat exercise: The Funky Drummer

Visualizing swing by resizing grid cells

A usability challenge - maximizing target area

Beyond the music classroom: math mode

A genre exercise: Four on the floor

A compositional challenge: subtractive rhythm

A kid-friendly version: the Groove Pizza

Other beginner-oriented radial rhythm apps

Propellerhead Figure

Casual Underground Loopseque

O-music O-generator

• Presents an interface of toylike simplicity• Uses culturally authentic and significant rhythms as

a springboard to the user’s own musical expression• Makes clear which events are metrically related• Reveals symmetries in the music that may not be

immediately apparent to the ear• Creates an intuitive visualization of concepts like

syncopation and hemiola

The Drum Loop's design contribution