Strudelify
Head Like a Hole cover art

Pretty Hate Machine

Head Like a Hole

Nine Inch Nails

KeyE majorTempo115 bpm
0:00/0:00
// Head Like a Hole — Nine Inch Nails
// 115 bpm, 4/4, key E major. Source: midi.
// Generated by strudelify. One cycle = one bar.
// note: pitch bends are ignored
// note: Full arrangement: all 144 bars on a 16-step grid, each part at one level. Source detail keeps the original performance.
setcpm(115/4)

// Notation: c3@3 lasts 3 steps · ~ is a rest · [c3,e3] is a chord · "a, b" plays two voices at once · [...]/2 spreads a riff over 2 bars.
// A part's distinct bars are riffs (A, B, C...) played in order: edit a riff to change every repeat.

// bass · lead 2 sawtooth · "SAW WAVE"
const bass = note(`<
  ~@12 A B A C A B A C A B A C A B A C A B A C A B A C D@16 E B A C A B A C A B A C A B A C A B A C A B A C D@16 ~@4 A B
  A C A B A C A B A C D@32 ~@4
>`.pickRestart({
  A: "e2 e1!2 f2 e1 d2 e1!2", B: "a1 e1!2 g#1 e1 d1 e1@2", C: "a1 e1 g#1@2 e1@4", D: "e2!6 f2 d2 e2!6 f2 d2",
  E: "e2 ~ e1@2 e1@2 f2@2 e1@2 d2@2 e1@2 e1@2",
})).s("gm_lead_2_sawtooth").gain(0.48).pan(0.6)

// other · shakuhachi
const shakuhachi = note("<~@53 A ~ A B A B A C ~@83>".pickRestart({
  A: "~@4 f#5@2 ~ f#5@2 ~ b4@2 ~@4", B: "~@4 b4@2 ~ b4@2 ~ f#5@2 ~@4", C: "a4 ~@3",
})).s("gm_shakuhachi").gain(0.35)

// chords · overdriven guitar · "OVERDRIVE"
const overdriven_guitar = note(`<
  ~@28 A@7 ~ B@2 C@2 B@2 C@2 ~@24 A@7 ~ B@2 C@2 B@2 C@2 ~@23 D E@2 C@2 B@2 C@2 E@2 C@2 B@2 C@2 F G H@2 F G H@2 F G H@2 F
  G H@2 ~@2 I J
>`.pickRestart({
  A: "d4@5 ~ d4@5 ~@5", B: "[e4,b4]@9 ~@3 a4@4, ~@9 f4@2 e4@5, ~@5 c5 ~@2",
  C: "[[a4,e5,a5]@4 [a4,e5,a5]@4 ~@2 [a4,e5,a5]@2 ~@2 [a4,e5,a5]@6 [a4,e5,a5]@2 [a4,e5,a5]@2 [a4,e5,a5]!8]/2", // A5
  D: "[d3,a3,d4,f#4,a4,d5]@2 [d3,a3,d4,f#4,a4,d5]@6 [d3,a3,d4,f#4,a4,d5]@2 [d3,a3,d4,f#4,a4,d5]@2 [d3,a3,d4,f#4,a4,d5]!4", // D
  E: "[e3,e4,b4]@9 ~@3 a4@4, ~@9 [f3,f4]@2 [e3,e4]@5, ~@5 c5 ~@2", F: "g#3", G: "b3", H: "a3/2",
  I: "~@6 e3 ~ e3 ~ e3 ~ e3 ~ e3 ~", J: "e3 ~ e3 ~ e3 ~ e3 ~ e3 ~ e3 ~ e3 ~@3",
})).s("gm_overdriven_guitar").gain(0.32).pan(0.4)

// chords · distortion guitar · "DISTORTION"
const distortion_guitar = note(`<
  ~@35 A B@2 C@2 B@2 C@2 D E F@2 D E F@2 ~@23 A B@2 C@2 B@2 C@2 D E F@2 D E F@2 G@4 D E F@2 D E F@2 D E ~@2 H@2 I@2 J K
  I@2 H@2 I@2 J K I@2 ~@8 L@7 ~@5
>`.pickRestart({
  A: "[d3,a3,d4,f#4,a4,d5]@2 [d3,a3,d4,f#4,a4,d5]@6 [d3,a3,d4,f#4,a4,d5]@2 [d3,a3,d4,f#4,a4,d5]@2 [d3,a3,d4,f#4,a4,d5]!4", // D
  B: "[e4,b4]@9 ~@3 a4@4, ~@9 f4@2 e4@5, ~@5 c5 ~@2", // E5
  C: "[[a4,e5,a5]@4 [a4,e5,a5]@4 ~@2 [a4,e5,a5]@2 ~@2 [a4,e5,a5]@6 [a4,e5,a5]@2 [a4,e5,a5]@2 [a4,e5,a5]!8]/2", D: "e4",
  E: "b3", F: "a3/2", G: "[~@14 d4@15 ~@3]/2", H: "[e3,a3]@9 ~@2 [e3,a3]@5, ~@9 [f3,f4]@2 ~@5, ~@5 c5 ~@2",
  I: "[[a4,e5]@4 [a4,e5]@4 ~@2 [a4,e5]@2 ~@2 [a4,e5]@6 [a4,e5]@2 [a4,e5]@2 [a4,e5]!8]/2", // A5
  J: "[e4,g#4]@9 ~@3 a4@4, ~@9 f4@2 e4@5, ~@5 a4 ~@2", K: "[e4,g#4]@9 ~@3 a4@4, ~@9 f4@2 e4@5, ~@5 c5 ~@2",
  L: "d4@5 ~ d4@5 ~@5",
})).s("gm_distortion_guitar").gain(0.19).pan(0.7)

// chords · rock organ · "ORGAN 3"
const rock_organ = note(`<
  ~@44 A@4 B@2 C@3 ~@31 D@4 E@2 F@2 G H I@2 J@4 B@2 K@2 E@2 F@2 G ~@15 L M N@2 L M N@2 L M N@2 L M N@2 L M O@2
>`.pickRestart({
  A: "[g#4@16 d4@16 f#4@31 ~, e4]/4", B: "[g#4@16 d4@15 ~, e4@31 ~]/2", C: "[[e4,f#4]@11 ~@5]/3",
  D: "[~ e5@15 [d4,b4]@16 [f#4,a4]@32, e4, g#4 ~@3]/4", E: "[[g#4,e5] [d4,b4], e4@31 ~]/2", F: "[e4,f#4,a4]/2", G: "e5",
  H: "b4", I: "a4/2", J: "[g#4 d4 f#4@2, e4]/4", K: "[e4,f#4]/2", L: "g#4", M: "d4", N: "f#4/2", O: "[f#4@29 ~@3]/2",
})).s("gm_rock_organ").gain(0.4).pan(0.4)

// chords · alto sax
const alto_sax = note("<~@48 A ~@39 A ~@11 A ~@3 A ~@23 A ~@15>".pickRestart({
  A: "[b4,g#5] ~ [b4,g#5] ~ [b4,g#5] ~@11", // E
})).s("gm_alto_sax").gain(0.32).pan(0.7)

// drums · kick
const kick = s("bd").struct(`<
  ~@4 A@3 B C@4 D@24 E@3 F E@3 F E@3 F E@3 F D@24 E@3 F E@3 F E@3 F E@3 F G H G H E@3 F E@3 D E@3 D E@3 F E@3 F E@3 F
  E@3 F E@3 F E@7 F E@3 F ~@4
>`.pickRestart({
  A: "x!2 ~ x!2 ~ x!2 ~ x!2 ~ x!2 ~@2", B: "x!2 ~ x!2 ~ x!2 ~ x!2 ~@5", C: "x ~@2 x ~@2 x ~@2 x ~@2 x ~@3", D: "x!2",
  E: "x!2 ~ x!3 ~ x", F: "x!2 ~ x!3 ~@2", G: "x!2 ~@3 x ~@2", H: "~ x ~@3 x ~@2",
})).gain(0.51)

// drums · rim
const rim = s("rim").struct(`<
  ~@2 A B ~@2 A B ~@2 A B ~@2 A B ~@2 A B ~@2 A B ~@2 A B ~@2 A B ~@2 A B ~@18 A B ~@2 A B ~@2 A B ~@2 A B ~@2 C B ~@2 A
  B ~@27 B ~@3 B ~@36
>`.pickRestart({
  A: "x!5 ~@3 x ~@2 x ~@2 x ~", B: "~@2 x ~@5 x ~@2 x ~@2 x ~", C: "x!5 ~@3 x ~@5 x ~",
})).gain(0.2)

// drums · snare
const snare = s("sd").struct(`<
  ~@4 A B A C A B A D E@3 F E@3 F E@3 F E@3 F E@3 F E@3 F E@7 F E@7 F E@3 F E@3 F E@3 F E@3 F E@3 F E@3 F E@7 F E@7 F G
  H G H E@7 F E@3 F E@7 F E@7 F E@16 ~@4
>`.pickRestart({
  A: "~@7 x", B: "~@14 x!2", C: "~@12 x!4", D: "~@5 x ~ x!2 ~ x!2 ~ x!2 ~", E: "~ x ~ x", F: "~@4 x ~@5 x ~ x!4",
  G: "~@4 x ~@2 x ~@4 x ~@2 x", H: "~@4 x ~@2 x ~@4 x ~@3",
})).gain(0.51)

// drums · hihat
const hihat = s("hh").struct(`<
  A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A C A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A
  B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B D E D E A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B
  A B A B A B A B A B A B A@3 B A B A B A F ~@4
>`.pickRestart({
  A: "x!16", B: "x!13 ~ x ~", C: "x!2 ~ x!10 ~ x ~", D: "~ x ~ x ~ x!11", E: "x!7 ~ x!8", F: "x!15 ~",
})).gain(0.36)

// drums · open hat
const open_hat = s("oh").struct(`<
  ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~
  A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~@5 A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~
  A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~ A ~@3 A ~ A ~ A ~@6
>`.pickRestart({
  A: "~@13 x ~ x",
})).gain(0.46)

// drums · bongos
const bongos = s("bongo:18").struct("<A@15 B A@12 C A@7 ~@16 A D A B A@3 E A E F A@13 ~@27 A ~@3 A ~@36>".pickRestart({
  A: "x!6 ~ x!9", B: "x!6 ~ x!3 ~ x!5", C: "x!4 ~ x ~ x!9", D: "~ x!5 ~ x!3 ~ x!3 ~ x", E: "x!6 ~ x!7 ~ x",
  F: "x!6 ~@2 x!8",
})).gain(0.54)

// drums · congas
const congas = s("conga:18").struct(`<
  A@37 ~@2 A@2 ~@2 A@2 ~@2 A@2 ~@2 A@19 B A@6 ~@2 A@2 ~@2 A@2 ~@2 A@2 ~@2 A ~@4 A ~@2 A@2 ~@2 A@2 ~@2 A@2 ~@2 A@2 ~@2
  A@2 ~@2 A@2 ~@2 A@2 ~@2 A@2 ~@2 A@2 ~@2 A@2 ~@2 A ~@4
>`.pickRestart({
  A: "~@3 x ~@4", B: "~@6 x ~@4 x ~@4",
})).gain(0.66)

// drums · claves
const claves = s("clave:2").struct("<A@36 ~@16 A B A@16 C A@5 ~@27 A ~@3 A ~@36>".pickRestart({
  A: "~@2 x ~@5 x ~@2 x ~@2 x ~", B: "~@2 x ~@5 x ~@2 x ~@4", C: "~ x ~@2 x ~@2 x",
})).gain(1.51)

stack(
  bass, shakuhachi, overdriven_guitar, distortion_guitar, rock_organ, alto_sax, kick, rim, snare, hihat, open_hat,
  bongos, congas, claves
)

More by Nine Inch Nails