Some help from the forum composers.

[Pixel_Outlaw]

I will first admit that I know nothing about music theory but I'm interested in making a procedural music novelty program. I want to let the computer produce acceptable tunes. I can set some parameters but I need to dictate to the computer what is widely regarded as good music. I'm quite familial with procedural content and art. I've done many tree and landscape generators by defining some basic rules the computer must follow when creating them. I can create some procedural art and nature quite easily but the frontier now lies in procedural music.

What kinds of parameters should computer music have? Obviously there are some rules that separate music from white noise. I've made some very nice visual procedural art, now I just want to try music.

I've considered fractal music and also some more obscure things like maybe a perlin noise music.

Perhaps this question is just too specalized but we shall see.

[Lordstar]

BPM would be a good start.

[Pixel_Outlaw]

OK noted, I could easliy assign a tempo for every seed value.

I just need to know common tempos for music then assign a function that will pick a tempo from the list for any seed number.

]I would use the following:

round(seed_value Mod list_size)/list_size*list_size

This will return a place in our tempo list.

What is the next step?

[Udderdude]

I wrote something like this years and years ago, it basically outputs MOD tracker data that you could paste into MODPlug Tracker.

I could dig up the code if you're interested, it's probabally pretty different from what you're trying to do though.

[worstplayer]

Rhytm is the most important thing. Make sure there's at least one element that repeats. Snare drum on 2nd and 4th beat is present in almost all modern music so it would be good idea to use that.
BPM depends on what kind of music do you want it to make. There aren't any common tempos and it doesn't even have to be whole number so just use random within some range (let's say 120-180).

The rest won't be as easy. I'd say best approach would be to make a list of common patterns and just select from that. (and possibly shuffle around parts of those patterns)

[Zebra Airforce]

Check this out:

http://www.interq.or.jp/mars/lucky3/_English/

Click at the bottom where it says "Automated Composing System"

[indstr]

Run through this.. It will take you an hour or two but it might help

http://www.musictheory.net/

[Pixel_Outlaw]

Thanks for all of the help. I'll have plenty to chew on.