Performing with Patterns of Time

Music is a time-based art form often characterised by patternings; manipulations of sequences over time. Composers and performers may think in terms of patterns, although the structure of patterned sequences are often not made explicit in musical notation. This chapter explores how musical sequences can be created and transformed in real-time performance through patterning functions. Topics related to the use of algorithms for pattern-making are discussed, and two systems are introduced - ixi lang and TidalCycles, as high level and expressive mini-languages for musical pattern.The first author would like to acknowledge funding from Arts and Humanities Research Council grant: "Sonic Writing: Technologies of Musical Expression, Notation and Encoding", AH/N00194X/