                      ͻ
                         PIANOMAN GOES BAROQUE   
                      Ķ
                        NOTES ON THE INSTRUMENT  
                      ͼ

Ŀ
 IT DOESN'T JUST BEEP ON ERROR 

    As primitive as it might appear, the personal computer is in fact a
musical instrument of great range and diversity.  Not only does its speaker
have an effective range of six octaves or more (and an actual range well
beyond that), but the body of the CPU is as much a resonating (and ampli-
fying) chamber as the body of a cello.  Upon specification and direction by
software, sound waves can be generated by the speaker and then blended and
amplified by the CPU.  What the ear perceives is a composite of many
elements, many below the threshold of human perception.

     The "music" induced by these files through the speaker and CPU of the
PC relies on only three software-controllable elements:  pitch, duration
and silence, delivered to the speaker linearly (like Morse code) and not as
chords.  However and for example, the files in "Pianoman Goes Baroque"
deliver pitch codes to the speaker in groups of anywhere from one to six,
duration of pitch is varied anywhere from 14 to 540 msec, and silence
appears as rests, almost imperceptible interruptions or "corrugation" of
note clusters.  There is a great deal more artistry in playing the PC than
superficial appearance indicates.

      Throwing a stone into a calm pond demonstrates wave generation in a
roughly two-dimensional system.  The wave form created by the stone can
amplified and its frequency altered by throwing in a second stone.  Throw-
ing in the second stone just at the nadir or crest of the wave from the
first stone can create a "harmonic" pattern where the two waveforms are
complementary.  Tossing in stones with the right size and shape at the
right points at the right time intervals can produce "symphonic" wave
formations over the surface of the pond.

     The CPU, its motherboard and add-on cards, and expansion slots are in
actuality a three-dimensional model of the two-dimensional pond.  The
motherboard and add-on cards serve in the same "musical" capacity as the
struts in any of the stringed instruments.  The speaker itself functions
much like the reed on a clarinet or oboe.  The speaker emanates tones at a
particular frequency for a preset duration, which thereafter fill the CPU
with waveforms which resonate inside the box and are thus amplified by
resonating prior to escaping through slots to the exterior.

     In the case of computer-assisted music-making by manipulation of
speaker output, it is possible to specify extremely minute patterns of
pitches and durations of pitches which collectively reinforce each other
(by natural overtone series) and/or which "pile up" prior to exit from the
CPU such that "harmony" is created.  In that the actual lengths of the
soundwaves corresponding to the pitches (frequencies) equal or are integer
multiples of the dimensions of the CPU, a certain amount of dynamic
PIANOMAN GOES BAROQUE              - 2 -            NOTES ON THE INSTRUMENT



(loudness/softness) and/or textural influence can be exerted by exploiting
physical occurrences outside direct software control.  For example,
"silence" in the form of rests or staccato can yield tiny eddies or
interruptions much like tongue stops on a wind instrument or plucking as
opposed to bowing a string instrument.

     As with any musical instrument of any sophistication, the PC is not
easily learned;  it does require a great deal of practice and preparatory
learning.  Further, much skill is demanded for proper and satisfying
execution.  However, at this point in its development, I think you will
agree that as a solo, multivoice instrument, the PC has come into its own. 

     Compare the "ordinary" PC for a moment with such "classic" instruments
as French horn, oboe, bass viol, and even xylophone, harpsichord and
clavichord.  How many of these are currently "installed" worldwide?  Which
of these can stand on its own as a multivoice instrument?  Now for a moment
consider taking music for any one of those to the office sandwiched in a
book, or transmitting it at 1200 or 2400 baud over phone lines to the next
continent.  

     In terms of potential richness of repertoire, convenience and accessi-
bility by the greatest number of people, the personal computer -- no
supplemental hardware -- is the new musical instrument of the decade.


Ŀ
 THE SOFTWARE 

     The name "Pianoman" itself applies to a triad of copyrighted set of
three executable files:  one is for installation, another is to convert (or
deconvert) your creations (or anyone's creations) into either executable or
text form, and/or merge melody lines into harmonies.

     The third and main executable file has two distinct functions:  it
converts the PC keyboard into a keyboard instrument for note recording by
assigning pitches rather than characters to the letter and number keys;  in
its other aspect, it is a highly sophisticated "text" editor of musical
notes and "blocks" of notes.  Notes entered on the keyboard appear in text-
editable form at the flip of a screen.  Notes can be played back by the
block or from any point in the composition.

     One does not have to be an accomplished keyboard musician to generate
high quality music files on a PC.  During note entry, you can raise the
octave, turn on recording, flip screens and mark your place in a tune in
six keystrokes, all with the same finger.  What you do have to know to use
Pianoman effectively are, for example, the difference between G and 
G-sharp, a quarter from a half, how many beats are in the measure you are
working on and which note cluster is "right":  D-F#-A-C or D#-G#-A-C#?
PIANOMAN GOES BAROQUE              - 3 -            NOTES ON THE INSTRUMENT



     The user can record and edit notes with a single finger (though more
are certainly helpful).  In text editing, notes are like letters on a word
processor, harmony groups like words, and blocks of various duration,
sentences and paragraphs.  Almost all functions are mnemonic for English
speaking people (for example, "eighth note" is "E") so that the several
help screens are almost superfluous after an hour of practice.  


Ŀ Pianoman pitches are denominated in A-B-C form (with no flats:
 PITCH  B-flat is denoted as A# and so forth) and octaves by integers 1
 through 8.  Since only one line is entered at a time, only one
clef has to be followed at a time -- octave can be adjusted globally later
in two keystrokes.  Pitch changes of several steps can be easily done
across large blocks.  Pitch changes to single notes can be done in half-
steps one keystroke at a time and are audible as they are made.  


Ŀ Pianoman utilizes a user-set "quarter" note as a standard by
 DURATION  which later defaults, inserted rests and relative durations
 are set with single or very few keystrokes.  Durations are
expressed in milliseconds and may be set note by note, equally across a
block, as percentage increases or decreases of existing durations, or
rounded to a user-selected value.  The "quarter" note can be reset at will
at any time. 


Ŀ Silence occurs in Pianoman music by two methods:  by insertion
 SILENCE  of "rests" defined in msec lengths (in relation to the pre-
 defined "quarter" note), or by cutting short the duration of a
given note with the staccato function.   As text, the staccato note appears
as a single note with the staccato number noted in the lower left corner,
making it easy to identify.  Increasing or decreasing staccato can also be
done by the note or globally.


Ŀ
 THE MERGE FILE 

     Once two to four melodic lines ("strings") are recorded and matched as
to duration, a utility program will "merge" the two lines into another file
consisting of much smaller, identically sized slices of the original line
alternated and interwoven so as to create "harmony" and/or "polyphony". 
Merging will increase the total number of notes eightfold or more depending
on number of strings and size of slices, though duration of the file will
be identical.

     The decision as to how tightly the notes will be sliced is made at the
merge stage when the software requests a divisor value.  A single four-tone
chord of 360 msec may be split into 4 units of 90 (more like arpeggiation),
PIANOMAN GOES BAROQUE              - 4 -            NOTES ON THE INSTRUMENT



2 four-tone units of 45 (suitable at faster tempos), 3 four-tone units of
30, 4 four-tone units of 22 (automatically rounded), and so forth.  Combin-
ations can be added later to the same composition, depending on tempo and
textural effect desired.  Since "string" sets are not destroyed by a merge,
different merges using different divisors can be tested.

	The software offers a variety of tools to edit and otherwise polish a
merge file.  "Staccato" inserted at the string stage can be used to mark
notes and groups of notes for easier manipulation after the strings are
broken into small subunits.  "ZAP" eliminates rests and adds their duration
to the immediately preceeding note.  "Join" combines adjacent notes of the
same pitch into one note of their combined duration.  All pitch, duration,
and silence functions as outlined above are also fully available.

     There is a great deal of versatility in the performance of embellish-
ments such as trills, mordents and turns.  Including a delicate turn or
trill in a pre-merged string may result in a steadily "buzzing" merge file
of negligibly small subunits, but by halving or otherwise diminishing the
unit length of a trill or turn after a merge, one may create a "chirping"
effect.  An embellishment is also best done after a merge when the composer
intended the first note or two to occur prior to a downbeat or otherwise
outside the tempo.  

     Accelerando, ritardando and other gradual tempo variations may be
executed as percentage variances over lengths of notes or by specifying
changes in duration with exact numbers.  To achieve an increasing rate of
acceleration over a given stretch of notes, for example, one could block
small portions and specify a 6%, then 8%, then 10% increase.  Also
combining tempo change with blocking, it is possible to execute tempo
changes occur over, say, consecutive 16th notes, or in broader gradations
over several measures.

     Merge files can be combined together, for example, such that the first
section of a file has its quarter-note divided into eight subunits, and the
second, by twelve, depending on circumstance.  The same technique may be
applied from phrase to phrase, and as discussed above, within embellish-
ment.  Merge file development is further discussed in the documentation for
the disk, "Pianoman Does Beethoven".


Ŀ
 EQUIPMENT 

     All files on this disk and others in the Pianoman series were done on
a home computer, a clone 8088 (4.77 Hz), under (variously) IBM PC DOS 3.1,
3.2 and 3.3.  Although my machine has 640K RAM, I hardly needed 256K of it
(if that), for any file in this collection.  I have a standard AT keyboard
with the function buttons down the side, and my monitor is, by choice,
monochrome.  I do have (and need) a hard drive to contain a now extensive
PIANOMAN GOES BAROQUE              - 5 -            NOTES ON THE INSTRUMENT



music collection (among other applications), but my actual working music
directory rarely occupies more disk space than that of a standard floppy
disk (360K).  The bottom line is that it is possible to generate files like
these even on an inexpensive, one disk, 256K, monochrome system so long as
you are running IBM PC-DOS and not generic MS-DOS (the latter required by
the software).

     My machine is upended on its narrow side, floppy slot up, speaker
slots down, firmly wedged.  It's in an ordinary, off the rack PC box, no
extras.  It does not have a 15+ lb. monitor with shock (vibration, sound
wave) absorbing feet on top of it.  (POWER DOWN AND/OR PARK YOUR HARD DRIVE
BEFORE MOVING YOUR CPU IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM!)  I also use the machine
for word processing, database, spreadsheet and many other applications, and
have been playing music on it for well over a year.  (Once I let it play
for 4 hours non-stop.)  Never at any time has harm come to my machine or
any other application as a result of running music files.

     The software used to produce this disk (Pianoman) is shareware, mean-
ing you may get it from your local bulletin board or other shareware vendor
for free or a very small price and try it without paying the author in
advance.  The introductory screens are produced by a utility included in
the Pianoman program, but the ones here have been subjected to DEBUG and
Norton Utilities.


Ŀ
 PERSONAL 

     I can play the piano at a talented amateur level;  I can't play the
organ;  I've never touched a harpsichord.  I've heard of Neopolitan Sixths,
but I don't know what they are:  I have no academic credentials in music or
computers.  I think what is more important for the PC is an extensive
background in choral music, mostly alto (but I've been a soprano for
Beethoven's Ninth and tenor for Handel's Messiah).  The significant skill
is being able to read your own one line well while having an awareness of
the parts around you.  

     Most files in the Baroque series took no more time than a Sunday
crossword puzzle.  (But Baroque music tends to be more easily transferred
to the PC than music from later periods probably because Baroque composers
were dealing with similarly nascent hardware.)  I no longer use photocopies
of scores.  After enough practice, files are easily enough done right from
the book with no marks on the page.  (Pianoman version 4.0 eliminated some
of the reason for marking scores.)

     Needless to say, I have been a registered user of Pianoman for well
over a year.  The program has a shareware price of $25, less than a sub-
scription to most magazines, and a worthwhile investment if you run into
bugs, have questions or want the supplemental tunes disk.
PIANOMAN GOES BAROQUE              - 6 -            NOTES ON THE INSTRUMENT



Ŀ
 TRADEMARK/COPYRIGHT INFORMATION 

     "Pianoman" is the trade name for the music transcription/composition/-
keyboard software program and ancillary utilities for IBM compatible
personal computers of the same name and is used herein and in the title of
this disk with prior written consent of the owner, Neil J. Rubenking.

     The files individually comprising Pianoman Goes Baroque, Pianoman Does
Beethoven, 1-2-3 BACH! and Christmas Concerts, vol. 1 and 2, the disks in
themselves, and ancillary files are all copyrighted under my name, and may
not be repackaged or resold without my prior written permission.  The
titles of each disk are trade names and may not be used in conjunction with
products in related lines of commerce without prior agreement.

     IBM is the registered trademark of International Business Machines
Corporation, the company that abandoned the PC, PC-XT and PC-AT (bad
speakers and all), in favor of PS/2 and Display Write 4.

     The sheet music transcribed especially for the Pianoman Goes Baroque
disk, came from the series, "Keyboard Music of the Baroque and Rococo" 
(Georgii, Arno Volk Verlag Kln), bought at G. Schirmer's in New York City
about 20 years ago.  It was then and is now in the public domain since all
composers "expired" more than 200 years ago, and all text came directly
from original manuscripts.  These files are not piano reductions by latter-
day editors;  they are just as K.P.E. Bach, Scarlatti, Telemann and
Wagenseil inscribed them.


                  * Nancy Moran                   
                    607 Park Avenue               
                    Baltimore, Maryland  21201    
                    U.S.A.                        


               * Author of:  Christmas Concerts, vols. 1 and 2
                             1-2-3 BACH!
                             Pianoman Does Beethoven


               Comments and inquiries welcome
                                                                      1/89
