Counter-Melody Generator

It’s called the Counter-Melody Generator. This interactive tool weaves two independent melodic lines into one. Simply click with your mouse to create the counter melody or use your computer keyboard to edit notes precisely. Each note on the score can be moved around and harmony changes in real-time as you go.

In the example above, the workspace has two staves: one is in key of C major (the harmonic base) and the other is for the counter-melody you are creating (the upper staff). Clicking on a note allows you to choose it. Then by dragging it up or down you alter the note’s pitch but always inside the C major scale. Everything is kept in key as the note snaps into valid scale steps. This allows you to edit the score efficiently, using just your keyboard.

How to Use the Counter-Melody Generator

To get started, hit tab to place a cursor in the score area (this gives it focus). To step through the bars use the left and right arrow keys. Up and down change pitch of the highlighted note. To select another note in the other staff, press C or S to toggle the selection between the source and counter staves. To play back the interval created vertically by the two selected notes, hit Space or Enter.

The big button marked Thread the duet lens plays back an eight-beat audio loop. It plays one beat at a time to underline the two notes that form the beat. Another click pauses it. Using the tempo slider speeds up or slows down the playback from a minimum of 52 BPM through to 144 BPM. If you find that the sound is either too quiet or too loud there’s a dedicated volume slider to control the master volume.

The Motion shuttle regenerates the counter-melody below the score following certain rules of composition. Choose Contrary weave to make the upper voice move in the opposite direction of the source. For it to remain static while the source moves select Anchor tone. Contour shadow mirrors the overall shape of the source melody.

Adjusting the rhythmic weave controls lets you alter when the counter-melody hits. You can have it attack together with the source, anticipate by an eighth note, or answer a beat behind. These kinds of shifts add rhythmic interest without making the lines sound more rigid.

For more complex editing, there are three transformation tools available within the Counterline press section: Click Mirror to turn the pitch direction of this counter-melody into mirror image. Play Reverse to reverse the journey through time. Cast consonant sixths force the upper voice to stay a sixth above the source, which gives a certain harmony to the whole.

It also displays diagnostics on a pane below that help you make compositional decisions. The Duet lens panel explains what kind of interval is being created at the chosen beat. The Vertical fabric panel tell you how many beats are tense/ unstable compared to how many are stable. Voice motion analysis flags any accidental octaves/fifths. Range and crossing alerts flag improper voice crossings. They also flag voices that is too far apart from each other.

The Undo last stitch button reverses whatever you just did. The Restore opening duet button will reset everything to the default opening melodies that were there when you opened the work space. This is good if you decide to start all over but don’t want to lose what you’ve done while still having that browser tab open.

If it feels too mechanistic then try changing the rhythmic offsets until you get something more naturaly sounding. Moving the counter melody a little might also make flow of ideas better. Listen out for the diagnostic as you change the notes. It will highlight areas marked in coral that is tense. It will help you spot the dissonance that requires resolving.

However, you don’t have to stop at using the transformation buttons. You can create a line based off sixths and then tweak some of the notes by hand. It’s a mixture of automated structure and human input. It is a harmonically safe composition with your own twist. It’s a handy way of sketching an idea down quickly.

Because it is firmly in key of C major, there is no need to be fussy with sharps or flats etc. Concentrate on the relationships between the two voices and their shape. Listen back and you can then see if the lines work together harmonically and rhythmically.

If you find yourself wanting more room for viewing the full score then just click on the fullscreen button. It will expand and cover your whole screen making it simple to accurately drag notes into place. For those who want a quick refresh on the keyboard shortcuts, you can access that too through the How to play button in the help panel. Leave it open and refer to the controls when required.

To begin with, listen to the default duet to get an idea of the original voice relationships. Next, experiment slowly with altering only one note each time, hearing the impact on how the notes sound together. Sometimes small changes can make a big difference in final texture.

Spend some time experimenting with the various transformation and motion strategies. The idea here is to produce two lines which are harmonically pleasing and also sounds like they are independent. Follow the diagnostics if you wish but ultimately follow what your ears tell you. It’s meant to be an aid to seeing more complicated ideas about counterpoint simply. Don’t worry about breaking any rules of the key, go for it!

Getting used to the controls, you’ll find your workflow much improved. Before long, you’ll find yourself quickly sketching out counter-melodies. You will switch from automatic generation to manual editing where necessary. A blend of wide-ranging compositional tools alongside fine control over note placement is a richly productive composing environment. Have fun exploring new melodic possibilities.