Klimperklamper

This is a small Python script I wrote to generate twelve-tone rows and variations thereof, formatted for LilyPond. It can also generate a script for MuseScore to automatically input the generated notes.

The origin of this project was a music assignment in school, where we had to compose a piece using the twelve-tone technique. I wanted to explore the possibilities of algorithmic composition and decided to write a script that could generate random twelve-tone rows and their variations. Because the music sounds quite chaotic, I named the project "Klimperklamper", which is a playful German term for random, clattering sounds.

It might be a poorly written script, but it was a fun exercise in Python programming and music theory.

#!/usr/bin/env python

import random
import sys
import os

slowLength = [ 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 ]
mediumLength = [ 2, 2, 2, 2, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 ]
fastLength = [ 8, 8, 8, 8, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16, 16 ]
notes = [ "c", "cis", "d", "dis", "e", "f", "fis", "g", "gis", "a", "ais", "b" ]
string = '\\version "2.22.1"\n\\header {\ntitle = "Die Dissonanz der Schulzeit"\nsubtitle = "Musik Klausurersatzleistung"\ncomposer = "David Penkowoj"\ncopyright = ""\ntagline = ""\n}\n\\score {\n\\fixed c\' {\n\\time 4/4\n\\tempo "Allegro" 4 = 160\n'

variationDict = {
    "normal": [],
    "mirror": [],
    "reverse": [],
    "reverseMirror": [],
}

def mirror(noteCopy):
    result = []
    mirrorAxisNote = noteCopy[0]
    baseIndex = notes.index(mirrorAxisNote)

    for note in noteCopy:
        index = notes.index(note)
        newNoteIndex = index + (- 2 * (index - baseIndex))

        result.append(notes[newNoteIndex % len(notes)])

    return result

def reverse(noteCopy):
    return noteCopy[::-1]

def reverseMirror(noteCopy):
    return mirror(noteCopy)[::-1]

def randomVariation(rand):
    rand = random.randrange(1, 5)

    if rand == 1:
        return variationDict["normal"].copy(), "Grundreihe"
    if rand == 2:
        return variationDict["mirror"].copy(), "Umkehrung"
    if rand == 3:
        return variationDict["reverse"].copy(), "Krebs"
    if rand == 4:
        return variationDict["reverseMirror"].copy(), "Krebsumkehrung"

def getLength(notesCopy, location):
    lengthList = []

    if location <= 1 or location >= 7:
        lengthList = slowLength.copy()
    elif location >= 3 and location <= 5:
        lengthList = fastLength.copy()
    else:
        lengthList = mediumLength.copy()

    # asd

    return lengthList

def changeLength(notesCopy, location):
    for note in notesCopy:
        index = notesCopy.index(note)
        rand = random.choice(lengthList)
        notesCopy[index] = (f"{note}{rand} ")
        lengthList.remove(rand)

    return notesCopy

def generateRows():
    notesCopy = notes.copy()
    random.shuffle(notesCopy)

    variationDict["normal"] = notesCopy
    variationDict["mirror"] = mirror(notesCopy)
    variationDict["reverse"] = reverse(notesCopy)
    variationDict["reverseMirror"] = reverseMirror(notesCopy)

def makeMusescore():
    global string

    string = "#!/usr/local/bin/xdotool\n\n"

    generateRows()

    for i in range(4):
        articualtedVariation, variationType = randomVariation(i)
        getLength(articualtedVariation, i)

        variation = " ".join(articualtedVariation)
        string = f"{string}type {variation}\nkey Enter\n"

    with open("/tmp/klimperklamper", "w") as file:
        file.write(string)
        file.close()

    os.system("nvim /tmp/klimperklamper")

def makePDF():
    global string

    generateRows()

    for i in range(8):
        articualtedVariation, variationType = randomVariation(i)
        changeLength(articualtedVariation, i)

        variation = " ".join(articualtedVariation)
        string = f"{string}\\mark \\markup \\smaller \\italic {variationType} {variation}|\\break\n"

    string = string + "}\n\\midi {} \n\\layout {\nindent = 0\\mm\n}\n}"

    with open("/tmp/klimperklamper", "w") as file:
        file.write(string)
        file.close()

    os.system("nvim /tmp/klimperklamper")
    os.system("lilypond -o /tmp/klimperklamper /tmp/klimperklamper")
    os.system("zathura /tmp/klimperklamper.pdf")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    if sys.argv[1] == "musescore":
        makeMusescore()
    else:
        makePDF()