Lessons · Showcase

Gnossienne No. 3

Satie: a barless melody over a hypnotic sway

% Satie published the Gnossiennes with NO barlines and no time
% signature. The left hand supplies the only clock: a low tone, then
% a chord, swaying, lifted verbatim from the verified grammar:
 
bpm 40
instrument plain
meter 4
unit 1/4
key a min
 
Maj3  ::= {.3 _4, .5 _4}
Maj3a ::= {..7 _7, .2 _7}
M2    ::= - Maj3@-5
Sway  ::= - _4 Maj3a M2
 
Sway Sway
 
 
% The melody floats FREE of that clock. In this language, content
% after a ':' that follows a bar plays at literal units, unbarred.
% Satie's line, wandering modally with the raised fourth (4# is the
% Gnossienne color):
 
Line ::= 5 _2 6 _2 7 _2 '1 _4 7 _2 6 _2 5 _4 4# _4 5 _8
 
Line
 
 
% The signature ORNAMENT: a quick turn crushed onto the note it
% decorates, four thirty-seconds spelled with '/2', landing on the
% beat unharmed:
 
Turn ::= '1/2 7/2 6/2 7/2
 
5 _2 6 _2 Turn 7 _4 6 _2 5 _6
 
 
% Together: the sway keeps strict measures below while the melody
% drifts across them above, two senses of time in one structure:
 
{Line Turn 7 _4 6 _2 5 _6, Sway Sway Sway}
 
 
% THE WHOLE TRANCE: all 54 measures from the verified grammar,
% sway to the last held chord.
 
bpm 40
meter 4
unit 1/4
key a4 min
mode diatonic
 
% The cast, every motif and chord the lead line uses:
 
M32 ::= 5 _2*2
M29 ::= .4Dia$3-5-1 _7 -
M21 ::= 3 _2 3 _11/2 - _9/2
M5 ::= M32~@10 M29 .4Dia$3-5-1 _7/2 - _9/2 M29 .4Dia$3-5-1 _4 M21@4
M30 ::= 1 _7 -
S1 ::= M5 1 _7/2 - _9/2 M30 1 _4 M5
M47 ::= 1 _7/2 5/2
M11 ::= {2b, .7b} _7 - {2b, .7b} _4
M54 ::= .7 _2 1 _2
M40 ::= 2 _2 4 _2
M24 ::= - {.6, .4} _7/2
M1 ::= M24@~-1 -/2
M14 ::= - _4 {.6, .4} _7
M15 ::= M14@~-1
M38 ::= - M30@-12/2
M23 ::= - _4 M30@~-5 .3 _4
M45 ::= M32~@-2 .4 _7 M38@~3 M23@~1 M21@-8 .3 _7/2
M55 ::= M30@~-4 .4 _4
M31 ::= .4 _2 .5 _2 M55
M57 ::= .6 _2 .5 _2
S4 ::= M31 M57@4 .4 _4 .4 _3 - .4 _4 1 _2 2 _2 M55 M31 M21 .3 _7/2
M39 ::= {.6, .3} _4
M16 ::= {.1, ..5} _7 -
M8 ::= M40@~-2 M16@8 M39
M17 ::= M21 {.6, .3} _7/2 2/2
 
key e4 harm
key a4 harm
key b4 harm
key a4 harm
key e4 harm
% mm.1-11: toward b minor; built from M47; M11; M32 · 4 voices.
F1a1 ::= S1 M47
F1a2 ::= 7b _4 M11 M21@4 M47 7b _20 M11
F1a1 F1a2
 
key a4 harm
% mm.1-11: toward b minor; built from M47; M11; M32 · 4 voices.
F12a ::= M54 M11@-5 M40 M11@-5 M32~@1 .5 _7 M1 M15 - {.5, .3} _4
F12a
 
 
% Part 2, from m.1
 
key b4 harm
% mm.1-11: toward b minor; built from M47; M11; M32 · 4 voices.
F16a1 ::= M45 -/2 M23
F16a2 ::= M45 .5/2 M30@-2 _2
F16a1 F16a2
 
% mm.1-11: toward b minor; built from M47; M11; M32 · 4 voices.
F24a1 ::= S4 -/2
F24a3 ::= S4 .5/2 .7b _23 - _5 {.4, .2b} _7/2 2b/2
F24a1 M23 F24a3
 
 
% Part 3, from m.1
 
key a4 harm
% mm.1-11: toward b minor; built from M47; M11; M32 · 4 voices.
F37a ::= .7 _23 - _5 M39 M8 M17
F37a
 
% mm.1-11: toward b minor; built from M47; M11; M32 · 4 voices.
F41a1 ::= 4 _23 - _5 {.6, .4} _4 M8 M17
F41a2 ::= M30@5 _2
F41a1 F41a2
 
 
% Part 4, from m.1
 
key e4 harm
% mm.1-11: toward b minor; built from M47; M11; M32 · 4 voices.
F46a ::= S1 1 _4
F46a
 
% mm.1-11: toward b minor; built from M47; M11; M32 · 4 voices.
F53a ::= | M21@9 M30/2 |
  - _4 M30 1 _7/2
F53a

% Satie published the Gnossiennes with NO barlines and no time
% signature. The left hand supplies the only clock: a low tone, then
% a chord, swaying, lifted verbatim from the verified grammar:

bpm 40
instrument plain
meter 4
unit 1/4
key a min

Maj3  ::= {.3 _4, .5 _4}
Maj3a ::= {..7 _7, .2 _7}
M2    ::= - Maj3@-5
Sway  ::= - _4 Maj3a M2

Sway Sway

% The melody floats FREE of that clock. In this language, content
% after a ':' that follows a bar plays at literal units, unbarred.
% Satie's line, wandering modally with the raised fourth (4# is the
% Gnossienne color):

Line ::= 5 _2 6 _2 7 _2 '1 _4 7 _2 6 _2 5 _4 4# _4 5 _8

Line

% The signature ORNAMENT: a quick turn crushed onto the note it
% decorates, four thirty-seconds spelled with '/2', landing on the
% beat unharmed:

Turn ::= '1/2 7/2 6/2 7/2

5 _2 6 _2 Turn 7 _4 6 _2 5 _6

% Together: the sway keeps strict measures below while the melody
% drifts across them above, two senses of time in one structure:

{Line Turn 7 _4 6 _2 5 _6, Sway Sway Sway}

% THE WHOLE TRANCE: all 54 measures from the verified grammar,
% sway to the last held chord.

bpm 40
meter 4
unit 1/4
key a4 min
mode diatonic

% The cast, every motif and chord the lead line uses:

M32 ::= 5 _2*2
M29 ::= .4Dia$3-5-1 _7 -
M21 ::= 3 _2 3 _11/2 - _9/2
M5 ::= M32~@10 M29 .4Dia$3-5-1 _7/2 - _9/2 M29 .4Dia$3-5-1 _4 M21@4
M30 ::= 1 _7 -
S1 ::= M5 1 _7/2 - _9/2 M30 1 _4 M5
M47 ::= 1 _7/2 5/2
M11 ::= {2b, .7b} _7 - {2b, .7b} _4
M54 ::= .7 _2 1 _2
M40 ::= 2 _2 4 _2
M24 ::= - {.6, .4} _7/2
M1 ::= M24@~-1 -/2
M14 ::= - _4 {.6, .4} _7
M15 ::= M14@~-1
M38 ::= - M30@-12/2
M23 ::= - _4 M30@~-5 .3 _4
M45 ::= M32~@-2 .4 _7 M38@~3 M23@~1 M21@-8 .3 _7/2
M55 ::= M30@~-4 .4 _4
M31 ::= .4 _2 .5 _2 M55
M57 ::= .6 _2 .5 _2
S4 ::= M31 M57@4 .4 _4 .4 _3 - .4 _4 1 _2 2 _2 M55 M31 M21 .3 _7/2
M39 ::= {.6, .3} _4
M16 ::= {.1, ..5} _7 -
M8 ::= M40@~-2 M16@8 M39
M17 ::= M21 {.6, .3} _7/2 2/2

key e4 harm
key a4 harm
key b4 harm
key a4 harm
key e4 harm
% mm.1-11: toward b minor; built from M47; M11; M32 · 4 voices.
F1a1 ::= S1 M47
F1a2 ::= 7b _4 M11 M21@4 M47 7b _20 M11
F1a1 F1a2

key a4 harm
% mm.1-11: toward b minor; built from M47; M11; M32 · 4 voices.
F12a ::= M54 M11@-5 M40 M11@-5 M32~@1 .5 _7 M1 M15 - {.5, .3} _4
F12a

% Part 2, from m.1

key b4 harm
% mm.1-11: toward b minor; built from M47; M11; M32 · 4 voices.
F16a1 ::= M45 -/2 M23
F16a2 ::= M45 .5/2 M30@-2 _2
F16a1 F16a2

% mm.1-11: toward b minor; built from M47; M11; M32 · 4 voices.
F24a1 ::= S4 -/2
F24a3 ::= S4 .5/2 .7b _23 - _5 {.4, .2b} _7/2 2b/2
F24a1 M23 F24a3

% Part 3, from m.1

key a4 harm
% mm.1-11: toward b minor; built from M47; M11; M32 · 4 voices.
F37a ::= .7 _23 - _5 M39 M8 M17
F37a

% mm.1-11: toward b minor; built from M47; M11; M32 · 4 voices.
F41a1 ::= 4 _23 - _5 {.6, .4} _4 M8 M17
F41a2 ::= M30@5 _2
F41a1 F41a2

% Part 4, from m.1

key e4 harm
% mm.1-11: toward b minor; built from M47; M11; M32 · 4 voices.
F46a ::= S1 1 _4
F46a

% mm.1-11: toward b minor; built from M47; M11; M32 · 4 voices.
F53a ::= | M21@9 M30/2 |
  - _4 M30 1 _7/2
F53a

running…edit it and it re-runs as you type

Gnossienne No. 3 · Showcase