Below are my notes on a variety of music composition games. If you'd like to play a game or have any suggestions, catch me at /u/ericst4rk on reddit or at eric.stark@gmail.com.
Updated: 01-Feb-2021/ews; License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Round 1, each player creates 4 bars of harmony. Once all are ready, pass this to the next player.
Round 2, each player takes the received harmony and creates a melody atop it. They also create the next 4 bars of harmony that follow (but without a melody).
Round 3, each player receives 8 bars: 4 having harmony and melody, 4 having harmony only. They add a melody to the recently added harmonic part (continuing the melody). Then, they append a new 4-bar harmony before passing the growing piece along.
Play continues as desired.
Use a different number of added bars per turn.
Use additional layers beyond harmony and melody. Consider percussion/harmony/melody, percussion/harmony/rhythm/lead, or individual voices/instruments such as those in melodic harmonization (counterpoint) or in a string quartet, quintet, etc.
Create an ordered collection of random note names (single notes, no durations).
Notes may be taken from a particular scale or from the full or a partial chromatic set.
These may be chosen at random, selected by the players, or pulled from an existing source.
ex: Use a random number generator or dice.
ex: Extract MIDI data from another song and keep only the note names.
ex: One person reads random notes from a score while another records them.
The main point: All players receive the same ordered collection.
Each player uses these notes to build a song of their own using these rules:
Notes must be used in the provided order. A note is "used" when it is first sounded.
Players decide on durations and emphasis (note-on velocity). Notes may be held for any length.
Notes may be started simultaneously, and past notes may be held over future notes.
Notes may be shifted up or down by octaves freely.
Compare the results once all are done.
Players decide on a tempo and a time signature. Other criteria to consider:
key signature, scale, mode, root, etc.
mood, feel, subject, etc.
timbre, density, spectrum, etc.
Each player is assigned a different number of bars. Some factors to consider:
Try to limit the number of multiples. Prime numbers are great choices.
Numbers in the 3 to 11 range are probably easier to work with.
For 3 players, try combinations like 3/4/5, 4/5/7, or 5/6/7 to start. For 4, try 3/4/5/7 or 4/5/7/9.
If players have the same loop length (may happen with more than 4 players), offset the loop starting points.
Players create a loop of the designated length according to the selected criteria.
Combine the loops back together and enjoy the mayhem.
Select a short segment of silent video.
Or, a conventional video with the original audio removed.
Assign people to provide music/sounds for different elements in the video.
You can assign people to characters, "voices", or other concrete sources of sounds.
Or, assign people to more abstract entities such as the air or the audience.
Record tracks - either independently or collaborate.
Recombine and sync with video once everybody is ready.
Each player creates a short original audio track.
Consider using a common simple tool to create the original tracks.
E.g., initial scores must be handwritten.
E.g., use tools from the Chrome Music Lab such as the Song Maker.
Once all are ready, each passes their track to every other player.
For each track received, players create a new track that layers atop it.
Feel free to contribute any response voice, harmonic or counter-melodic.
Pass responses back to their originators.
Once all responses received, each player recombines the returned tracks without the original piece.
Players agree on a target duration or number of bars
Round 1, players each create a short melody. Once all are ready, pass these melodies to the next player.
Round 2, players create harmony for the received melody. That harmony gets passed along, without the melody, to the next player.
Round 3, back to creating a melody for the received harmony. And so on.
Instead of trading harmonies and melodies, trade two intertwined melodies (duets, counterpoint, etc.).
Start with all players creating a short musical passage.
May be an audio track or some sheet music.
Determine the target length for each contribution - either a range or exact number of bars/beats/seconds/etc.
When ready, players save the full passage, but they pass only the "tail" of their piece to the next player.
For audio, this may be the final few seconds of recording.
For sheet music, pass the final bar or even simply the final notes.
Point is to pass along enough information to connect the passages but to leave plenty of vagueness for adventure.
This is akin to folding the paper in the paper version of Exquisite Corpse. You want to leave enough hints for the sake of continuity, but each section is its own beast.
Next round, players add a short passage of their own to the received "tail".
They save this new passage and pass along the new tail.
Once the passages make it back around, share and combine all parts in order to reveal the musical corpses.
Players create or select a single measure of music.
An "inside bar" may be easier to work with - something other than the first or last bar of a song.
Players may collaborate or use random methods to create this bar.
This bar may be lifted from an existing score or recording.
If using audio, use an audio clip nearly spanning one bar.
Players use this bar as-is in their own short work.
Compare the results to see how the same bar was used in different contexts.
Each player is a "muse", a director of their fancy.
As a muse, each player decide the details for their song...
... but, they produce none of it!
Determine the order around a circle. Folks don't need to be collocated.
Each player determines key factors about a short song they would like to create.
The song's highly evocative or descriptive title. The is crucial.
Tempo, time signature, key/mode/root, genre, etc.
Number of bars and overall structure
For quick games, keep the songs in the 30-40 second range.
Provide inspiration: subject, object, mood, arc, etc.
On the first turn, each player presents their songs to the person to their left.
They provide all the song details (from above).
They request a single voice in response.
For early rounds, foundational tracks are best (e.g., drum, bass, keys/acgtr/pad).
After each round, the newly created voice is returned to the song's muse.
As the game progresses, they will maintain the mix and combine the layers of voices.
In the end, they will produce the final mix.
Each round, the song is handed to the next person around the circle.
Always pass the description, any notes added by other players, and all previously generated voices/stems.
The song's muse determines which voice is added each round.
Later rounds are more likely to introduce leads, melodies, and counter-melodies.
Select the desired constraints. Example constraints and generators are shown, but lots of others available.
Tempo, 10d6 + 50
Duration (decide if using time or bars or music)
number of seconds, 4d12 + 10
number of bars, 2d8 + 6
time signature, 1d12
1, 2, 3 : 4/4
4, 5, 6 : 3/4
7, 8, 9 : 5/4
10, 11 : 7/8
12 : 11+/8 (1d4 to pick 11/8, 13/8, 15/8, or 17/8)
mode, 1d12
1, 2 : Ionian
3, 4 : Dorian
5 : Phrygian
6, 7 : Lydian
8, 9 : Mixolydian
10 : Aeolian
11 : harmonic or melodic minor, flip a coin
12 : Locrian or any exotic mode not listed above
root note, 1d12 (1:A, 2:Bb, 3:B, etc.)
Each player creates a short work within these constraints.
Share works and enjoy.
A means of generating random prompts.
Players may submit prompts that are shuffled and drawn at random.
Decks of cards work - maybe recycled from party games.
Drawing cards from the game "Moods" works great.
Pick a random mood and 1 or 2 random phrases.
Consider surfing image sites for random pictures or animations, eg. DeviantArt or Imgur.
Players with their instruments.
Collocation is great but not required.
Since a single person performs at a time, synchronization (spoiled by latency) isn't an issue. Thus, this should work over video conferencing.
Instruments can be varied or prescribed.
Folks may bring multiple instruments to use.
DAWs might work if people are quick.
Or, the house can prescribe limitations. Some examples:
Pick a single instrument for all to use.
Only allow singing, humming, whistling, or other human-made sounds.
Use “toy” instruments like kazoos or common classroom instruments like pianos, bells, or recorders.
Players gather with their instruments.
Prime the prompt-generating mechanism.
Pick a player to put in the spotlight first.
A new prompt is generated and given to the player.
OPTIONAL: Keep the prompt hidden, reveal after the performance.
The player is given a short time to consider. Then, they must improvise something that fits the prompt.
How long they have to ponder is up to the house.
Other players critique the performer.
Heckler’s Challenge:
If a player feels they received undue criticism, they may challenge the critic.
If accepted, the critic must immediately perform a similar-but-superior rendition of their own that addresses the critical point(s).
If declined, the critic must publicly and humbly apologize.
In either case, the group will decide the merit and dispense with accolades or shame as appropriate.
The next player to be placed in the spotlight is selected and play continues.
Going with a predetermined order ensures that all get equal time in the spotlight. If the civility of the group is fragile, this may be the best method.
Allowing the performer to select who goes next could be fun... or cruel.
Choosing at random can keep folks on their toes.
Duel!
After a player receives their prompt, they may challenge another player to a duel.
If accepted, both players must devise and perform. The challenger goes first.
Other participants judge.