Strudelify
Sign o' the Times cover art

1987 · Sign "O" the Times

Sign o' the Times

Prince

KeyE♭ majorTempo97 bpm
0:00/0:00
// Sign o' the Times — Prince
// 97 bpm, 4/4, key Eb major. Source: midi.
// Generated by strudelify. One cycle = one bar.
// note: duplicate parts dropped: ch 6 "Guitar2" electric guitar jazz (copy of ch 5 "Guitar1" overdriven guitar)
// note: Full arrangement: all 132 bars on a 16-step grid, each part at one level; ghost notes are separate "_soft" parts. Source detail keeps the original performance.
setcpm(97/4)

// 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 · slap bass 2 · "Bass"
const bass = note(`<
  ~@5 A B C B D B C ~@9 A E A E A E A ~@9 A F G H C I A J ~@2 K@5 ~ C L A ~@5 E M C N K O K ~ P@2 Q ~ R S C T C U C T S
  ~@3 V S W X A E A Y A E A Y A E A Y A E A Y A E A Y A E A Y A E ~@8 Z A AA AB ~ AC ~@3
>`.pickRestart({
  A: "~@7 c3 c2 ~ c2 ~ eb2 ~ f2 ~", B: "~@7 c3 ~ c3 c2 ~ eb2 ~ f2 ~", C: "~@7 c3 c2@3 ~ eb2 ~ f2 ~",
  D: "~@7 c3 c2 ~ g1 ~ eb2 ~ f2 ~", E: "~@7 c3 ~ c2!2 ~ eb2 ~ f2 ~", F: "~@7 c3 c2@2 ~ c2 eb2 ~ f2 ~",
  G: "~@8 c3 ~ c2 ~ eb2 ~ f2 ~", H: "~@7 c3 ~ c3 c2@2 eb2@2 f2 ~", I: "~@7 c3 ~ c3 c2@2 eb2@2 f2@2",
  J: "~@7 c3 ~ c2!2 ~@5", K: "f2!2 ~@14", L: "~@7 c3 ~ c3 c2 ~ eb2 ~ f2@2", M: "~@7 c3 c2 ~ c2!2 eb2 ~ f2 ~",
  N: "~@6 c2 c3 ~ c3!2 ~@5", O: "f2@3 ~@13", P: "f2!2 ~@6 g2@5 ~@3", Q: "g2@3 ~@13",
  R: "c2@3 ~@4 c3 c2 ~ c2 ~ eb2 ~ f2 ~", S: "~@6 c3 ~@2 c3 c2 ~ eb2 ~ f2 ~", T: "~@8 c3 ~ c2!2 eb2 ~ f2 ~",
  U: "~@7 c3 ~ c3 c2!2 eb2 ~ f2 ~", V: "c2@3 ~@4 c3 c2@2 ~ c2 eb2 ~ f2 ~", W: "~@6 c3 ~@2 [c2,c3]!2 c3 [eb2,eb3]@3 ~",
  X: "~@6 c3 ~@2 [c2,c3]!2 ~ eb2@3 ~", Y: "~@6 c3 ~@2 c2!2 ~ eb2 ~ f2 ~", Z: "~@12 c3 ~@3",
  AA: "~@7 c2 ~@2 c2@2 eb2 c2 ~@2", AB: "~@8 c2@4 eb2 c2 ~@2", AC: "c3 c2 ~@14",
})).s("gm_slap_bass_2").gain(0.41)

// other · synth drum · C Am7 C Am7
const synth_drum = note(`<
  ~
  [e5!3 a3!2 e5!3 a3!6 ~@2]!124
  [e5 [c4,e4,g4,e5] e5 [a3,c4,e4,g4] a3 [c4,e4,g4,e5] e5 [c4,e4,g4,e5] a3 [a3,c4,e4,g4] a3!4 ~@2]
  [e5!3 a3!2 e5!3 [a3,c4,e4,g4]!6 ~@2]
  [e5!3 a3!2 e5!3 a3!6 ~@2]!4
  ~
>`).s("gm_synth_drum").gain(0.1).pan(1)

// other · celesta · "Effects"
const celesta = note("<~@30 A@4 ~@98>".pickRestart({
  A: "[~@12 [bb2,bb3]@2 ~ [c3,c4]@3 ~@14]/2", // Bb C
})).s("gm_celesta").gain(0.41).pan(0.9)

// other · overdriven guitar · "Guitar1"
const overdriven_guitar = note(`<
  ~@37 A B@2 C@4 D E@2 F G H@2 I J K L@2 M ~@4 N O@2 P Q R S@3 T U V W ~ X Y@2 ~@7 Z@2 AA@2 ~@8 AB AC@2 AD AE AF@2 AG@2
  AH AI AJ AK AL ~@21
>`.pickRestart({
  A: "~@6 f4 ~ g4 e4 ~ a4 bb3@3 ~", B: "~@7 eb4 e4 ~ a4 ~ bb3@3 ~",
  C: "[~@7 eb4 e4 ~ a4 ~ bb3 ~ c4 g4@3 ~ a4 ~@3 eb4 e4 ~ a4 ~ bb3@3 ~]/2", D: "~@7 eb4 e4 ~ a4 ~ bb3 g3 c4 bb4",
  E: "[~@2 c5 ~ c5 ~@3 bb4!3 ~ bb4 ~@2 [f4,g4,ab4,bb4,d5]@3 d5 ~ d5 ~ eb5@2 ~@5 eb5!3, [f4,g4,ab4,bb4]@5 ~@27]/2", // Gm7
  F: "eb5 ~ d5 ~ d5 ~ c5 ~ c5 ~ d5 ~ c5 ~@3, [f4,g4,ab4,bb4]@5 ~@11", // Gm7
  G: "~ [c5,eb5]@2 ~ [c5,eb5] ~ [bb4,d5] ~ [eb4,g4] f4@2 ~ [c4,eb4] f4@2 ~", // Cm Bb Eb Cm
  H: "[eb5@2 ~ eb5 ~ d5!2 ~ d5 ~ d5 ~@2 d5!2 [f4,bb4,c5]@4 g4 [f4,bb4,c5]@3 ~ d5@2 ~ d5 ~@3 c5, [f4,g4,ab4,bb4]@5 ~@19 [f4,bb4]@5 ~@3]/2", // Fsus4 Gm7 Bb5
  I: "[eb4,g4,bb4,c5]@2 ~ bb4 g4@3 ~@5 d5 ~ c5 ~", J: "[f4,bb4,c5,d5]@2 c5 ~", K: "c5@2 ~ d5 e5@3 ~@9",
  L: "[~@15 c5@2 bb4 g4 eb4 ~@12]/2", M: "~ [eb4,bb4]@3 c4 ~ bb3 ~ bb3 ~ c4 c4@2 ~@3",
  N: "~@7 [c4,b4] ~@2 d4 c4 b3 ~ g3 ~", O: "[~@7 [c4,a4] ~@2 g4 a4 b3 ~ c4 g4@3 a4 ~@4 f3 g3 b3 f3 g3 c4@3 ~]/2",
  P: "~@6 [c4,f4] ~ [c4,e4] c4@2 ~@5", Q: "eb5@2 eb5@2 eb5 ~ c5 bb4 c5 ~ c5 ~ d5 ~@3, [g4,ab4,bb4,c5] ~@3",
  R: "~ g4 bb4 g4 bb4 ~ bb4 ~ d5@3 ~ d5 ~ c5!2",
  S: "[[g4,ab4,bb4,c5]@4 eb5 ~ eb5 ~ eb5 ~ d5 ~ d5 c5 ~ eb5@3 c5@2 ~@2 f4 ~ [f4,ab4,bb4,c5,eb5]@2 ~ eb5 ~ c5 ~ [f4,ab4,bb4,c5]@3 ~@4 eb5 ~ [f4,bb4,c5]@2 ~ bb4 g4@3 ~]/3", // C7 Fm7 Fm Fsus4
  T: "[eb4,g4,ab4,bb4,c5]@3 ~@3 eb5 ~ [f4,bb4,c5]@2 ~ bb4 g4@3 ~", U: "[c5,d5]@4 ~@2 c5 eb5 d5@3 ~ c5@3 ~, f4@11 ~@5",
  V: "bb4 ~ g4 ~@7 d5 ~@2 bb4 c5 ~", W: "~@7 [c4,bb4] ~@2 e4 g3 bb3@3 ~", X: "c4 ~@2 c4 ~@11 bb3",
  Y: "[c4!10 eb4 ~ c4 bb3 g3 c5@2 bb4 g4 f4 eb4@3 ~@9]/2", Z: "~@7 [c4,bb4] ~@2 eb4 ~ bb3@3 ~", AA: "~@6 c4 ~@9",
  AB: "~@7 [c4,bb4] ~@2 eb4 ~ bb3@3 c4", AC: "~ c4!2 ~ c4 ~ c4 [c4,bb4] ~@2 eb4 ~ bb3@2 c4!2",
  AD: "~ c4!2 ~ c4 ~ c4 [c4,bb4] ~@2 eb4 ~ bb3@3 c4", AE: "~ c4!2 ~ c4 ~ c4 ~@9", AF: "[bb3 c4@21 ~@6 eb4 g4@3]/2",
  AG: "[f4 eb4@2 ~ f4 eb4 c4 ~ eb4@2 ~@2 bb3 c4@15 ~@4]/2", AH: "~@2 eb4 [g3,bb3,c4] eb3@2 c3@2 eb3@3 ~@5",
  AI: "~@4 [c3,eb3] f3@2 ~ eb3@3 ~ eb3 f3@2 ~", AJ: "g3 ~ eb3@14", AK: "~@4 [g3,bb3] c4@2 ~ eb4 c4 bb3@2 g3@2 bb3@2",
  AL: "[g3,eb4] ~@7", // Cm
})).s("gm_overdriven_guitar").gain(0.41).pan(1)

// chords · overdriven guitar · "Guitar3" · C5 Cm C5
const overdriven_guitar_2 = note(`<
  ~@111
  [~@8 c5@3 ~ eb5@2 f5@2]
  [[c5,g5] ~@7]
  [~@7 f5@3 g4 ~ [g4,eb5]@2 ~@2, ~@7 c5@2 ~@7]
  [[g4,c5] ~@7]
  ~@17
>`).s("gm_overdriven_guitar").gain(0.41)

// drums · kick
const kick = s("bd").struct(`<
  ~
  [x!3 ~@3 x ~@3 x ~@3 x ~]!117
  [x!3 ~@3 x ~@3 x ~@3 x!2]
  [x!3 ~@3 x ~@3 x ~@3 x ~]!3
  [x!3 ~@3 x ~@3 x ~@3 x!2]
  [x!3 ~@3 x ~@3 x ~@3 x ~]!8
  x
>`).gain(0.41)

// drums · snare
const snare = s("sd").struct("<~@4 A B@111 C@2 D E C@2 D E B@7 ~>".pickRestart({
  A: "~@3 x", B: "~ x ~ x", C: "x!16", D: "x ~@3 x ~@7 x ~ x!2", E: "x!2 ~ x",
})).gain(0.41)

// drums · congas
const congas = s("conga:18").struct("<[x!2 ~@3 x!3 ~@8]!131 ~>").gain(1.31)

// drums · congas · soft notes
const congas_soft = s("conga:18").struct("<[~ x ~@6]!131 ~>").gain(0.82)

// drums · congas
const congas_2 = s("conga:33").struct("<[~@3 x!2 ~@3 x!6 ~@2]!131 ~>").gain(1.31)

// drums · shaker
const shaker = s("sh").struct("<~ [x ~@5 x ~@3 x ~@4 x]!130 ~>").gain(0.31)

stack(
  bass, synth_drum, celesta, overdriven_guitar, overdriven_guitar_2, kick, snare, congas, congas_soft, congas_2, shaker
)

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