Sound Experiments
Play a Melody Backwards, Then Turn Its Intervals Upside Down
Make three versions of a short melody to hear the difference between retrograde and inversion, using an original five-note exercise.
Good sounds. Fresh ideas.
Sound Experiments
Approachable ways to turn everyday listening into a small creative project.
Sound Experiments
Make a Sound Piece That Passes One Gesture Around the Room
A tiny musical idea can change when different people perform it. This listening exercise follows one gesture through a group without asking everyone to…
Sound Experiments
Compose a Piece with a Sound You Decide Not to Use
Choosing what to leave out can give a small composition a clearer identity. Begin with four quiet sounds you can make safely, then remove one before…
Sound Experiments
Let a Tiny Sound Piece Be Interrupted, Then Give It a Way Back
An interruption can become part of a small composition when the performers agree how to return. The exercise is to design recovery, rather than expecting a…
Sound Experiments
Let a Die Choose the Sounds, Then Decide What You Want to Keep
Chance can give you a musical starting point when choosing the first sound feels harder than making it. The interesting part comes afterwards, when you…
Sound Experiments
Move the Listener, Keep the Sound Source in Place
A small change of listening position can become a useful sound experiment without buying equipment or trying to measure a room professionally.
Sound Experiments
Give a Graphic Score Separate Signs for Duration and Loudness
A long line on a homemade score might mean a long sound, a loud sound or a movement across the room. If the performer must guess which meaning you intended,…
Sound Experiments
Stretch Every Duration and Hear a Phrase Keep Its Shape
A short rhythm can become longer without changing the relationship between its parts. Doubling every sound and gap offers a way to hear that relationship…