This repository contains a Python script called voiceCipher that takes a music21 Score object as input and creates a notation in each Part (instrument part) wich ciphers the armonic movements (interval and type of motion) between each part and its contigious part.
music21 -- A Toolkit for Computer-Aided Musical Analysis and Computational Musicology https://github.com/cuthbertLab/music21
This script was created for pedagogical purposes, particularly for the practice, teaching and development of counterpoint. It can be a useful tool for checking students work.
Here is an example on Bach BWV 66.6:
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The cipher reflects harmonic intervals within voices and a symbol that matches each voice motion with a particular symbol:
- Oblique motion uses no symbol.
- Parallel motion uses "=".
- Contrary motion uses "<" and ">" for outward and inward, respectively.
- Direct motion uses "↗" if ascending and "↘" for descending movement.
In the example above the notation on the Soprano refers to the relation between Soprano and Alto; At alto part, the cipher corresponds to the relation Alto-Tenor and so on. Finally, Bass part cipher reflects Soprano-Bass relation.
To use the script, import music21 and the voiceCipher function from the script. Then, call the voiceCipher function with a music score as its argument,
from music21 import *
score = corpus.parse('bwv66.6')
vcScore = voiceCipher(score)
vcScore.show()
for adding a system layout every 2 bars
vcScore = voiceCipher(score, measureBreak=2)