25 ways to Follow The Boxes
Compositional tools that inspire creativity, and help composers by limiting unnecessary decisions, have always been a passion project of mine. Introducing an element of chance, decision or procedure to works has always given me great inspiration. I wanted to spotlight a compositional device that I made available here. Follow The Boxes is a digital tool that has many applications. These are not always obvious. The software randomly generates a path between 100 labeled boxes, telling you which box to click on next, to follow on with. This device will not generate sound. All it does is start and continue a path, and it can record the outcome of the path. Below I have compiled 25 ways to use this device for a variety of compositional inspirations. A lot of these decisions are around assigning particular values to these numbers that come up in the path, but in some examples, the numbers themselves are the inspirational triggers. Remember that a path needn’t be followed through to completion. The composer is always able to add, remove or select only certain portions of the practice. The procedure is put in place for inspiration.
Assign the boxes to 100 of the 127 midi pitches (or a small collection of) and follow the revealed choices in your composition.
Assign each of the boxes various rhythms and follow them in your composition - having one aspect of the composition generative and the others not, is a good way to spice up your writing.
Assign both pitch and rhythm selections to the 100 boxes.
Have a start and end point of a controlled composition saying that your tests in the box following, will be before and after your chosen numbers for a certain amount of time. Example might be starting on 38 and ending on 47. It will be random how long in between they will come up. You could choose to hurry or slow your movement between each path piece.
Follow the directions of where your numbers lead you and assign them to the placement of clips in an Ableton Live set in Session View. Example ^,<,> etc.
Assign each range of numbers a structure in the song and follow those sections. A verse may be 1-20, a chorus 25-50, a bridge 20-25 etc.
Pre recorded samples could be mapped to the 100 values, repeating or not to compose a song.
A frequency range in Hz could be determined for each path piece. Each proceeding phrase of a particular line, or even the entire next section of the song, could be within that frequency range.
The composer could create a number of textures/layers of harmonies, that are assigned based on the numbers that come up. This could be in ranges, specific values or the numbers themselves.
The settings of a particular timbre could be altered with the values assigned to the path. This could be digital or analogue. Consider if it was the distance from the current spot, or the new current state would be the chosen value.
The composer could compile an audio inspiration library from collections of songs from archives, found or created. The track listings could be chosen based on the assigned value, or the actual number that comes up. This would depend on the number of songs in the original source lists. Use elements of these tracks in your work, in the order they were presented.
Change the rhythm of your hi-hats only, based on the boxes followed with preassigned rhythms, to spice up your drum lines.
The box numbers could represent midi velocity, changing the volume as the song would continue. This can be on a note by note basis, or change is volume swells throughout the song. All values could be increased by 5-20 if inaudible volumes was not desired.
Assign various number ranges to various key changes within the song. These can be specific keys or increases/decreases.
The path needn’t make all the decisions for a single track. Think about how this path can be followed over an entire album. An example of volume changes could be seen across an entire body of work.
Speed changes could come in the form of bpm for each number, that changes as you move between the numbers. This movement could be done at any desired speed.
The numbers could be assigned to a wet/dry setting percentage of an effect. Reverb would be an adequate example.
This could be a useful way of deciding compiled takes of recorded elements. Either assign the various recorded takes of a section, part or entire track and decide which parts will be taken in the order they are presented, every time it is relevant.
The numbers could be second interval sections played of a sample. The previous number could be the start and the current selection could be the end point. They could be the end point of a sample, always starting from 0.
Assign pages of the composer’s favourite novel and look to the line number of that page to create lines of lyrics to the composition.
Assign filter cutoff values in an EQ or other filter, and automate these changes across a track or entire project.
The distance between the previous note in a melody line could be the assigned (or literal) values in semitones from the current note. This could be the choice between up or down, for example “4” could be 4 semitones higher or lower. This could be the value from the previous note, for example, “56” moving to “63” would be 6 semitones higher. This could create interesting melodic contours.
Change the stereo panning of a track in your work. Between 0-49 is left, 50 is center and 51-100 is right to the proportionate amount on the stereo spectrum.
Generate a list of 100 phrases or words. Use the path to follow through entries on this list for inspiration.
Assign the boxes values 1-25 and use the ideas from this list! On a result of 25, it is the composer’s choice.
