Metadata-Version: 1.0
Name: pcsets
Version: 2.0.0b2
Summary: Pitch Class Sets for Python.
Home-page: http://code.google.com/p/pcsets/
Author: Bruce H. McCosar
Author-email: bmccosar@gmail.com
License: UNKNOWN
Download-URL: http://pcsets.googlecode.com/files/pcsets-2.0.0b2.tar.gz
Description: 
        Pitch Class Sets are a mathematical model for analyzing and composing
        music. Each note 'C' through 'B' has an equivalent pitch class number
        0 through 11. Sets of these numbers may be operated on by mathematical
        functions such as transpose and invert.
        
        The goal of this project is to, eventually, have:
        
        * A Python library capable of fully implementing Pitch Class Sets
        and their common operations, as well as several convenience
        functions to bring these abstract concepts to the real world.
        (Mapping pitch classes to note names, for instance).
        
        * A tool for composition.  Some applications are harmonization,
        chord voicing generation, and melodic motif creation.
        
        * More exotic goals -- creation of new chordal elements, musical
        progressions, and harmonic relationships.
        
        As you can see, these goals range from easy (already implemented) to
        insanely difficult!
        
        
        Why
        ===
        
        I became interested in pitch class sets as an offshoot of my earlier
        work in jazz. At the end of this file is a list of text and Web
        references that might provide an introduction to the theory.
        
        I decided to write a Python module after finding most of the programs
        available online were GUI-only / interactive only (or worse . . .
        applets). For various reasons, I needed to be able to set up long
        computational chains on a group of pitch class sets. Typing them into
        a web browser one at a time and poking buttons was not an option!
        
        
        About this Package
        ==================
        
        This is a beta release. The API will not change for any of the
        included modules. Bugs will be fixed and new modules will be added,
        but these four make up the core:
        
        
        pcsets.pcset
        
        The base class. Includes methods that operate on single sets,
        such as inversion and transposition.
        
        pcsets.pcops
        
        Operations on two or more sets, such as subset_of(a,b).
        
        pcsets.catalog
        
        Generates the entire catalog of 224 prime sets as a Python
        object. Since this takes a while to generate, it saves the
        catalog in a pickle file (catalog.pkl) for future use.
        
        pcsets.noteops
        
        The 'universal translator' from PcSets to named notes and
        vice versa.
        
        
        Barring a flood of bug reports, this is likely the last beta version
        before the actual 2.0.0 release. New modules are being worked on
        (operations on the familiar chords and scales -- sort of a noteops for
        the common language of chord-scale theory). However, these new modules
        will be experimental until the 2.1 release.
        
        --BMC
        
        
        References
        ==========
        
        Web
        
        * I posted a lot of the earlier Pitch Class Set code to my blog (bad
        idea ... it mangled the
        type characters). Nevertheless, there's
        some good discussion and examples.  Check under the tags 'music
        theory' or 'python'.
        
        http://bmccosar.wordpress.com/
        
        
        * If you want a short introduction or tutorial, Jay Tomlin's site is
        the best. Sort of the 'Classics Illustrated' of Pc theory.
        
        http://www.jaytomlin.com/music/settheory/help.html
        
        
        * If you want a LOT of information without chasing down a book,
        well... here's the next best thing. The author does get upset about
        the old '037' vs '047' issue. You'll see.
        
        http://solomonsmusic.net/setheory.htm
        
        
        Text
        
        * The classic of the field, "The Structure of Atonal Music", by
        Allen Forte (1973).
        
        * A relatively new (but extremely thourough and readable) work,
        "Introduction to Post-Tonal Theory", by Joseph Straus (3rd ed.,
        2005).
        
Platform: UNKNOWN
Classifier: Development Status :: 4 - Beta
Classifier: Intended Audience :: Education
Classifier: License :: OSI Approved :: GNU General Public License (GPL)
Classifier: Programming Language :: Python
Classifier: Topic :: Software Development :: Libraries :: Python Modules
