Glossary of computer science terms
Analogies using threads or other one-dimensional structures are everywhere and have become a part of our working understanding of the world. DNA comes in strands, computers have threads of execution, and plots usually follow lines. In this series of pages, we will use the idea of threads to bring a common focus to some ideas from the disciplines of computer science and music with a little math and history thrown in on the side. The main topic of this study is the composition of music with computers.
Composition of music with computers can take two distinctly different forms:
We will only explore the latter of the two. To discuss the former would take much more music theory than we could cover here and it is well documented in widely distributed books. Programming computers to compose is certainly not as well known a subject, though it does go back a ways.
The format of this presentation is simple: a single thread to follow from beginning to end. That does not mean, however, that when you have finished with the main path you have nothing more to explore. Along the way are many opportunities to get side-tracked by something interesting, including three references for relevent music theory, math, and computer science terms, concepts, and history. The experience is meant to be coherent and complete without these, provided that You understand everything from all fields that we mention. You probably won't, so You're encouraged to read more about anything You don't understand. More than that, You're encouraged to explore them.
Roads, Curtis, The Computer Music Tutorial. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The
MIT Press, 1996.
This is a truly wonderful and comprehensive book on every
aspect of computer music. It does not cover how to program sound on different
platforms, but it discusses both the hardware and software side to sound, as well as
acoustics, music programming languages, and techniques of waveform systhesis.
Jaxitron, Cybernetic Music. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books Inc., 1985.
If You happen to know APL, this book is for You. It is very much an APL
introduction to the nitty gritty of how to code algorithms to generate music. This
book takes a decidedly music theory oriented approach.
Moore, F. Richard, Elements of Computer Music. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice
Hall, 1990.
This book is similar in content to The Computer Music Tutorial,
but covers more of the asthetic side of computer-aided composition, with chapters
on instruments and rooms. It also covers the computer program cmusic.
Our disclaimer might be of interest.