Melopy (Melo-pee)

Getting Started

Install

$ pip install melopy

Fire it up

$ python
Python 2.7.2 (default, Jun 20 2012, 16:23:33)
[GCC 4.2.1 Compatible Apple Clang 4.0 (tags/Apple/clang-418.0.60)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import melopy
>>> melopy.major_scale('C5')
['C5', 'D5', 'E5', 'F5', 'G5', 'A5', 'B5']
>>>

Development

Grab a copy:

$ git clone git://github.com/jdan/Melopy
$ cd Melopy
$ python setup.py install

To run tests:

$ cd Melopy
$ python tests/melopy_tests.py

For examples, check out the examples directory:

$ python examples/canon.py
$ python examples/parser.py entertainer < examples/scores/entertainer.mlp

Organization

Melopy is broken down into 3 subcategories - melopy, scales, and utility.

• melopy.py contains the Melopy class
  • this is used for creating a Melopy and adding notes to it, rendering, etc
• scales.py contains methods for generating scales
  • for instance, if you want to store the C major scale in an array
• utility.py contains methods for finding frequencies of notes, etc

melopy.py

>>> from melopy import Melopy
>>> m = Melopy('mysong')
>>> m.add_quarter_note('A4')
>>> m.add_quarter_note('C#5')
>>> m.add_quarter_note('E5')
>>> m.render()
[==================================================] 100%
Done

Produces the follow result

scales.py

• chromatic_scale
• harmonic_minor_scale
• major_pentatonic_scale
• major_scale
• minor_scale
• major_triad
• minor_triad
• melodic_minor_scale
• minor_pentatonic_scale

>>> from melopy.scales import *
>>> major_scale('C4')
['C4', 'D4', 'E4', 'F4', 'G4', 'A4', 'B4']
>>> major_scale('C4','dict')
{0: 'C4', 1: 'D4', 2: 'E4', 3: 'F4', 4: 'G4', 5: 'A4', 6: 'B4'}
>>> major_scale('C4','tuple')
('C4', 'D4', 'E4', 'F4', 'G4', 'A4', 'B4')
>>> minor_scale('D#5')  # has some bugs
['D#5', 'F5', 'F#5', 'G#5', 'A#5', 'B5', 'C#6']
>>> major_triad('A4')
['A4', 'C#5', 'E5']
>>> major_triad('A4', 'tuple')
('A4', 'C#5', 'E5')

utility.py

• key_to_frequency
• key_to_note
• note_to_frequency
• note_to_key
• frequency_to_key
• frequency_to_note

>>> from melopy.utility import *
>>> key_to_frequency(49)
440.0
>>> note_to_frequency('A4')
440.0
>>> note_to_frequency('C5')
523.2511306011972
>>> note_to_key('Bb5')
62
>>> key_to_note(65)
'C#6'
>>> key_to_note(304) # even something stupid
'C26'
>>> frequency_to_key(660)
56
>>> frequency_to_note(660)
'E5'

Scores

Scores are files with a .mlp extension that Melopy can easily process into music. They have a basic, comprehensible syntax that makes creating noise a painless process.

m.parse('5EDCDEE[E]')

Is translated as...

m.octave = 5
m.add_quarter_note('E')
m.add_quarter_note('D')
m.add_quarter_note('C')
m.add_quarter_note('D')
m.add_quarter_note('E')
m.add_quarter_note('E')
m.add_half_note('E')

In this syntax...

• Whitespace does not matter
• Octave can change at any time by specifying a number or shift (+, -, ^, or v)
• Accidentals (# or b) can be placed after any note
• Comments are written between forward slashes (/ this is a comment /)
• Tracks (left and right hand) are split between three ampersands (&&&)

Quick reference

Examples

2 C+ C+ C+ C+ [[C]]
C - C - C - [[C]]

5
(ED#ED#E
  vB
  ^DC)
  vA(_)

4 (DD#)
    (E)^Cv
    (E)^Cv
    (E)^[C]_

5 (CDD#E CD)Ev(B)^D[C]_

&&&

_
3 C^C
2 G^Bb
2 F^A
2 E^G

2 G4C
2 G^B
2 C4CC