An ear for Strudel · listening 03
Hear two kinds of repeat.
Both lines play E, E, A. Which line did you hear?
Sound starts only when you press Listen.
No headphones? Follow the difference without sound.
Follow the difference without guessing
Same count. A different share.
Both examples contain three events per cycle. Their time allocations still differ.
Fractions of a cycle
e4*2 a4e4!2 a4EWhere does the first place end?Open the listening note0E4 · cycle 1slot 1/40E4 · cycle 1slot 1/3
In A, the outer pattern has two places: e4*2 and a4. The repeated E events must fit the first half. In B, replication writes two E places before A, producing three equal places.
The first E starts at zero either way. It ends its allocation at 1/4 in A and 1/3 in B.
EHear the second attackOpen the listening note1/4E4 · cycle 1slot 1/41/3E4 · cycle 1slot 1/3
The second E begins at 1/4 with multiplication and 1/3 with replication. Because the pitch is identical, listen for the separate attack rather than a pitch change. A smooth sustained instrument can make this distinction harder to hear.
Our tones fade between attacks: at 30 cycles/min, the second E starts at 0.500 seconds in A and 0.667 seconds in B.
AThe final note settles itOpen the listening note1/2A4 · cycle 1slot 1/22/3A4 · cycle 1slot 1/3
A starts halfway through the multiplied phrase and occupies half the cycle. In the replicated phrase it starts at 2/3 and occupies only a third. Both phrases still last exactly one cycle before repeating.
If you want to repeat the entire phrase twice, grouping matters: [e4 a4]*2 repeats the pair. That is not the same writing as e4*2 a4, which multiplies only E.
Each coloured line is one full cycle; the filled segment is this note’s allocation. Compare A and B on the same row. Seconds in the listening notes assume 30 cycles/min; half speed doubles them.
Timing, sound & using these phrases
At 30 cycles per minute, one cycle is 60 ÷ 30 = 2 seconds. An onset of 1/3 is two thirds of a second into that cycle. For cycle 2, add another two seconds. These examples stop after two cycles; the real Strudel patterns continue.
CycleEar synthesizes original sine tones after your click. They fade before their allocated slot ends. Allocations are not waveform measurements: instruments and envelopes can sustain or fade differently. The snippets use Strudel’s own sine instrument, so their envelope can sound different.
Open Strudel, paste one complete downloaded phrase and press Ctrl+Enter. Use Ctrl+. to stop. The file sets 30 cycles/min and plays a single original note pattern; it has no samples to download.
Rule reference: Strudel’s original documentation. Sources, privacy and sharing your own listening page.
Take the idea into your own phrase
Move one bracket pair.
Suppose you want E, A, E, A, evenly spaced. The first writing above, e4*2 a4, gives you E, E, A. The multiplier belongs to E. Adding brackets changes what you repeat: [e4 a4]*2 makes the whole two-note phrase happen twice.
This is a third, original practice phrase for the Strudel editor. The Listen buttons on this page still play the two choices above; they do not play this extra exercise.
e4*2 a4E at 0 · E at ¼ · A at ½
Three starts. The outside sequence has two places: E’s place is divided in two; A keeps the second half.
[e4 a4]*2E at 0 · A at ¼ · E at ½ · A at ¾
Four starts. Each pass through the pair lasts half a cycle, and each note takes half of that pass.
Predict the change before you listen
At 30 cycles per minute, a cycle lasts two seconds. The first writing starts notes at 0, 0.5 and 1 second. The grouped writing starts notes at 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 seconds. Both reach the next cycle at 2 seconds. Grouping has added a note start and moved the first A earlier; it has not lengthened the global cycle.
Cover the second line and ask yourself which pitch should happen at half a cycle. In the first writing it is A. In the grouped writing it is E, because that is the beginning of the second pass. That one listening checkpoint is more useful than deciding that the result merely sounds “faster.”
Now change only the global tempo to 15 cycles per minute. One cycle becomes four seconds. The grouped starts become 0, 1, 2 and 3 seconds; their fractions stay 0, ¼, ½ and ¾. If the fractions change too, you changed the pattern as well as the tempo.
Try it without replacing your main work
Download the complete whole-pair phrase and open a separate Strudel editor. The file sets 30 cycles/min and uses the built-in sine sound. Paste the complete snippet, lower your output volume, then start it with Ctrl+Enter. Stop with Ctrl+. before switching back to your own pattern. It keeps repeating in Strudel; CycleEar’s demonstrations stop after two cycles.
Change only the string to e4*2 a4 for the comparison. Keep the instrument, gain and cycle speed identical. Note starts and allocated time are the things to compare: a sound’s release can extend beyond its slot, so a ringing tone is not evidence that the cycle became longer.
These timings are derived from the notation, not measured audio. The scope rule is documented in Strudel’s multiplication and bracket nesting reference.