Table Of Contenti
Scratch Music Projects
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Scratch Music Projects
Andrew R. Brown and S. Alex Ruthmann
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1
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and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer.
Library of Congress Cataloging-i n- Publication Data
Names: Brown, Andrew R, author. | Ruthmann, S Alex, author.
Title: Scratch music projects / Andrew R Brown & S. Alex Ruthmann.
Description: New York : Oxford University Press, 2020. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019055798 (print) | LCCN 2019055799 (ebook) |
ISBN 9780199309269 (hardback) | ISBN 9780199309276 (paperback) |
ISBN 9780199309306 (epub) | ISBN 9780199309290 (updf)
Subjects: LCSH: Scratch (Computer program language) |
Computer music— Instruction and study. | Computer programming.
Classification: LCC ML74.4.S37 B76 2020 (print) |
LCC ML74.4.S37 (ebook) | DDC 781.3/4 5133— dc23
LC record available at https:// lccn.loc.gov/ 2019055798
LC ebook record available at https:// lccn.loc.gov/ 2019055799
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Paperback printed by Sheridan Books, Inc., United States of America
Hardback printed by Bridgeport National Bindery, Inc., United States of America
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CONTENTS v
Foreword • vii
Acknowledgments • ix
Introduction • xi
1 Getting Started with Scratch • 1
2 A Musical Keyboard • 9
3 A Mouse Theremin • 19
4 Making Your Own Sounds • 26
5 Design Your Own Instrument • 34
6 Musical Riffs • 48
7 Musical Expression • 61
8 Building the Band: Rhythm Guitar and Keyboard • 73
9 Building the Band: Drums and Bass • 87
10 Conducting the Arrangement • 107
11 Making Games with Sound Effects • 128
12 Generative Music • 146
13 Video Interaction • 165
14 Live Coding • 175
Glossary • 189
Index • 193
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FOREWORD vii
by Mitchel Resnick
Learn to Code + Code to Learn
Over the past decade, there has been a surge of interest in learning to code. Around
the world, there are more and more coding classes in schools, libraries, and community
centers, and also a growing number of books dedicated to helping people learn to code.
What makes Scratch Music Projects stand out is that it’s not just about Learning to
Code, but also about Coding to Learn. The book shows how you can use the Scratch pro-
gramming language to create a diverse range of interactive music projects. By bringing
together coding and music, the book opens up a wide range of learning opportunities. As
you experiment with the example projects in the book, you’ll learn important computa-
tional concepts and problem- solving strategies. At the same time, you’ll learn new ways
to express yourself musically— and you’ll gain a deeper understanding of core ideas un-
derlying musical composition and expression.
I love the way that Chapter 6 uses a riff from Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” as an entry
point into learning about looping structures in Scratch. The same chapter introduces the
computational concept of variables to enable an exploration of the musical idea of trans-
position. The following chapter integrates the computational concept of lists with the
musical idea of canons.
Throughout the book, music and coding are woven together: music provides a mean-
ingful and motivating entry path into coding, while coding provides an innovative and
engaging way to explore, experiment, and express yourself with music.
When my research group at the MIT Media Lab developed Scratch, we hoped that
it would be used not just to learn about coding, but to learn through coding. In Scratch
Music Projects, Andrew Brown and Alex Ruthmann have provided a great example of how
to support learning through coding. As you read through the book, I hope you’ll use it as a
launch pad for your own explorations into Scratch and music—a nd that you’ll share your
projects in the Scratch online community. I can’t wait to see what you create!
Mitchel Resnick
Professor of Learning Research
Director, Lifelong Kindergarten Research Group
MIT Media Lab
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix
Thanks to Paul Young, David Harris, and an anonymous reviewer for their comments
and suggestions for improvement. Thanks also to the Scratch developer team, es-
pecially Eric Rosenbaum, for putting up with our feature requests and bug reports as
Scratch 3 evolved during the writing of this book. We very much appreciate the willing-
ness of the profiled musicians to share their experience and wisdom via the interviews.
Of course, without the support of our families during the writing of this book, the task
would have been impossible.
Andrew and Alex
