0f. Getting Started with Canons

The canon function allows the player to trigger automatically generated note against note imitations of an improvised melody at one or more chosen (generic) intervals and a chosen sequence of delays (numbers of notes). This function (new in version 2) has two main sources of inspiration, namely

• 1. the very suggestive youtube tutorials of Peter Schubert on the Renaissance practice of canon improvisation and

  2. the marvelous dissertation by Stefan Prey (UdK Berlin), which is entitled Algorithmen zur Satztechnik und ihre Anwendung auf die Analyse (Algorithms for Compositional Technique and their Application to Analysis)

With the SolFa Mode-Go-Round you may interactively explore the ramified combinatorics of regular imitations with 2 - 5 voices. Before you play the next note of the main voice and listen to the resulting harmony, you have two kinds of visual aid for your decision, in order to avoid (or to intentionally provoke) irregularities.

• 1. you may display all notes which will be automatically played together with the note of your choice.

  2. To that end you need to enable the visualization of MIDI-channels 9, 10, 11, 12. They correspond to the imitations 1, 2, 3, 4. [Notice, however, that the imitations themselves are played at the channels 5, 6, 7, 8. You have to enable these channels and you may regulate the instrumentation, volume, etc]

  3. you may display all notes which may be played without violating the rules of first species counterpoint. To that end you need to enable the visualization of MIDI-channel 13.

In the present form of the canon function the imitating voices may not be freed from their duty unless you simply stop the leading voice at some convenient (or inconvenient :-) point. In particular there is no way escape the strict mechanics of imitation in order to initiate a cadence.