Tutorials:Useful ways to modify a tune you already like

This is useful if you have a tune you like already and want to tweak it and make smaller changes in the tune.

Because it is a fractal, you can't just change single notes. Most of the changes you can make will change the whole tune. But they are smaller changes because they keep much of the same flavour or feel to the tune.

Be sure to save a copy of the original tune first so you can go back to it, from File >> Save As >> Tune Smithy Fractal Tune (*.ts).

First, to randomise the tune slightly, go to also available as a button in the Tune Transf. window. Choose what you want to randomise. The default is to randomise the tune, and also many other settings as well. So the randomiser chooses a random tune from the list and then randomly transforms many of the other settings as well.

If you have a tune you already like, then you probably want to unselect most of the options in.

The main window emphasizes the tuning and arpeggio in the current version of FTS 3, so of especial interest for microtonal music. If you are happy with the tuning, then you might only want to change the seed in the main window.

Most of the other things you want to tweak to change the tune are in. For instance the and  can make a big difference while still probably preserving the general character of the tune but with more variety.

Other things there like the, and  will completely change the tune. If already selected you can go to the relevant window and have a go at adjusting the parameters there. Otherwise, you probably don't want to adjust any of them if you want to keep what you like about the tune.

Another thing that makes quite a difference is the choice of instruments, and also volume for each part, and octave shifts etc, in. All the notes are the same (unless octave shifted, then even so the tune is much the "same tune") so that's a bit like changing the colours in a visual fractal.

Then if you go to the Order of Play drop menu in the, see if your tune has Other... selected there. If it does, then small changes in the formula will make a big difference to the tune. So, you can try randomize formula, or randomize formula slightly in that window.