In its simplest form, music is sound, and sound is just the vibration of particles in air. Whether these particles are disrupted by the pluck of a string or from the beat of a drum, their buzzing produces a categorical wave. Thanks to life-changing innovations in smart cellular technology, this wave can wash ashore onto our beloved procrastination devices.
But for years, this was a one-way street. While our devices have always had the ability to mirror waves of their own design, no application existed to take advantage of this potential. Cue Ariel Farias and the waves he’s creating.
Via: ChordBuff’s Facebook Page
University of Florida’s own Ariel Farias and his trusty tech team have created a music development application dubbed ChordBuff. ChordBuff harmonizes with your melodies to help build songs. It allows users to hum, sing or play a melody into their phone’s microphone while tapping the accompanying tempo. After doing so, ChordBuff will analyze the recording in order to generate a variety of complimentary chords from which the user can select. What’s more, Chordbuff’s functionality has been vetted by musicians throughout the world.
“After we spent about three months working on it, we had a basic prototype. Then it was the moment of truth,” Farias said. “We posted it on Reddit in late July and it really caught on. The music subReddit… blew up. That was great because we received a lot of enthusiasm, but also a lot of feedback in regards to changes and new features.”
As a result, Chordbuff serves as a powerful toolbox in the construction of a song — for musicians by musicians.
“First and foremost, I’m a musician, so the passion came naturally,” Farias said.
Via: Songwriting
Once upon a time, professional records were only possible with the support of a record label. But in 2015, we have witnessed the rise of the bedroom producer. These days, anyone with a laptop or smartphone can record music in the comfort of their homes, their own car or well, anywhere really. And this democratization of the music industry will only evolve more thanks to the growing number of music-utility apps, such as ChordBuff.
So as a music development application, what sets ChordBuff apart?
“What we do… is take what the user puts into the program, and… suggest other things that could go with that input. We are kind of enabling the artist in a way that auto-tune enables the artist to be more precise in the notes they hit. Yet, we’re very different.”
In producing complementary chords, ChordBuff uses algorithms that touch on basic principles of music theory. In turn, musicians and songwriters with little to no background in music theory can create songs beyond their immediate set of skills, all the while discovering and learning new chord progressions.
Via: Balance Vocal Studio
As Farias argues, “If you’re an instrumentalist, you’re probably used to playing in certain scales or in certain corners of the spectrum in music theory. ChordBuff allows you to break the rest of the spectrum open.”
So yes, ChordBuff is an application dedicated to music development, but it’s also an app dedicated to education, capable of igniting a fascination in music theory in the hands of the right user.
True to nerd form, I sat down with Farias, in the math/science kingdom we know as Marston’s basement. We discussed ChordBuff and the creative process behind it… as well as topics ranging from auto-tune to Macklemore. Here are a few of his thoughts:
GainesvilleScene: Do you write your own music?
Ariel Farias: I always try to write my own music. A lot of the time its mini rough drafts and very rarely a complete song. Maybe I’ll finish a song after a few months. Part of it is because I’m busy doing other things during the day, while the other half is the need to get into a creative flow of things.
GS: Do you gravitate towards a specific instrument?
AF: Guitar mostly, but my first instrument was violin. In Venezuela, I was really involved with it, but once we moved to the United States, I lost some interest. Guitar is definitely my strong suit. Anything with strings I can strum, I’m pretty decent at. I find piano is really important to know because it lays out music theory logically on a board. If you want to understand theory, you should pick up piano.
Via: Ruth Catchen
GS: ChordBuff utilizes pioneering algorithms to analyze recordings. Do you believe people with music ability have similar math/science inclinations?
AF: It is very natural for someone who understands music theory and scales to be pretty good using numbers and logic. At the end of the day, music is just relations of different frequencies. Frequencies are numbers and those relationships are usually in some sort of proportion to each other.
It is funny because the first part is very logical in applying standard rules of music theory in those specific tones. The other part is the extremely subjective art side of it, where we ask the question, “What do people think is good music?” It is hard to pinpoint if these two tones describe this feeling or if these two tones are generally in western music in the key of whatever. That gap is really the hardest part to bridge when it comes to mixing art and science.
GS: Is there a certain musician or professional in your field that inspires you?
AF: The business side of my mind is saying I really like Macklemore for what he did in moving the independent industry. He said no to the big labels and created his own work while still gathering enough grassroots movement to back him up. I loved that because we’re at a point in time where more people have the capability and the technology to create music by themselves and not have to depend on these huge labels. I think it’s a great movement.
Via: RollingStone
In regards to music, I really like Andrew Bird. He crosses a lot of different boundaries. I think the great thing about music is not what genres exist, but how an artist can take those genres and reinterpret them. Andrew Bird just does a really good job at mixing different techniques and sounds to generate a very unique sound. His violin looping techniques — I know other people do that — but, he combines it with almost full orchestra while sounding really folky. I just really enjoy the variety. I think it’s important to break barriers in regards to what is normal in music. That’s what art is all about.
As mobile applications and technology grow, so too does the accessibility and ease of music production. As it seems, music development applications offer a creative hobby for some, career path exercise for others and for those who hold a devout love for music, a chance to chase a dream. ChordBuff serves to offer all three. Be still my efficiency-loving, engineering heart.
Feature photo courtesy of: Startup Law Blog
