Frequently ask Questions about Albert the algorithmic piano player and the composition "Ramona"

Q: Is Albert a real person playing the piano?

A: No, Albert is not a real person. Albert is a collection of algorithms in a computer program.

Q: Does Albert play a different melody every time the composition is started?

A: Yes, the program composes a new chord progression and a new melody every time it is played. The melody comes in after a 16 measure intro.

Q: How can a computer program compose original music?

A: The Program uses a combination of algorithms and random numbers to compose music. Randomness and algorithms are also used in nature to create things like trees and human beings. Every tree or person is uniquely different but they each follow a set of rules in their biological construction that puts them into their respective categories. Each time "Ramona" starts, the program accesses the current time to set the seeds of the random number generators. This changes the random number data but not the algorithms so "Ramona" will always be different but it will always have the same style.

Q: But specifically how does it create a melody?

A: The program composes 8 measures of music at one time, and also it composes 8 measures ahead of where it is playing. It starts with a phrase generator that develops random length phrases and random length spaces between the phrases. Then it adds notes to the phrases that work with the chord progression. The notes can switch from playing a sequential scale to an interval jump by following certain rules based on each note's relationship to the chord and also a weighted random decision. Making a weighted random decision is a basic tool of any algorithmic artist. As an example you might want a series of true or false decisions but more likely true. One way to do this is to generate a series of random numbers from 0 to 100 with numbers over 25 being true and numbers equal to 25 or less being false.

Q: You mentioned Markov chain. What is a Markov chain?

A: A Markov chain is a chain of events where each event has random choices based on the properties of the previous event. This is how the chord progression algorithm in Ramona works. It starts in a music key of three chords. (minor tonic, minor subdominant, and dominant) It can stay in that key or decide to modulate to another key. The chord that the progression is on when it decides to modulate determines the available keys it can modulate to. Ramona composes a chain of 8 chords for the verse and 8 more for the chorus.

Q: Every month I have a dinner party for some of my friends and I was wondering if Albert does personal appearances?

A: As I mentioned before Albert is a collection of algorithms that only exist in a computer, but you could set up a computer with speakers and internet access to entertain the guests from this website.

Q: Who is Ramona?

A: Ramona can be found at kurzweilai.net