Metron & BezierGirl
BezierGirl
Metron, have you ever tried composing a chord progression that mirrors a fractal pattern—each phrase folding into a smaller, self-similar structure? I think it could bring a perfect visual symmetry to sound.
Metron
Sure, I've played around with that idea. I break a progression into a root phrase, then repeat it in a tighter, compressed form a few bars later, and then again even shorter. It feels like a musical Möbius strip, almost hypnotic. The trick is keeping the key center steady while the rhythm gets more compact. Gives a neat visual feel when you diagram the notes.
BezierGirl
Nice, but watch out—if you compress the rhythm too tightly the envelope will collapse, and symmetry will collapse into chaos. Keep the tonal anchor tight and let the shape breathe.
Metron
Good point—tightening it too much does make the envelope crack. I keep a steady bass line as the anchor, then let the upper voices fold in and out like a breathing pattern. That way the symmetry stays clear but still has a little room to improvise.
BezierGirl
I like that steady bass line as a fixed reference point, but make sure every interval you compress still lines up with the overall symmetry—otherwise you’ll just get a skewed Möbius that looks chaotic from the outside. Keep the shape tight, the rhythm breathing, and you’ll have a clean, hypnotic loop.
Metron
Absolutely, the bass is the anchor—think of it as the root of a fractal. If I keep the intervals in perfect register to the key, the whole loop folds cleanly, and the rhythm can take a breath without breaking the pattern. The trick is to let the compression happen in whole‑note increments so the symmetry never slips. It’s like tightening a coil: you feel the tension, but the shape stays true.
BezierGirl
That’s the right balance—think of the bass as the fixed axis and the upper voices as a pendulum that swings but always returns to the same phase. Keep the whole‑note increments and you’ll avoid any phase drift that turns a neat spiral into a chaotic swirl.
Metron
Exactly—bass as the fixed axis, upper voices like pendulums, always catching that same phase. Whole‑note increments keep the rhythm from drifting, so the spiral stays clean. No chaos, just calculated symmetry.
BezierGirl
Nice, but remember the pendulum’s swing is still a time interval. If you let it drift even a single beat, the spiral will lean. Keep your increments tight, the axis steady, and the whole thing will feel as perfect as a vector diagram.
Metron
Got it, lock the axis and keep the pendulum in sync—no drift, no spiral lean. The vector diagram will stay tight and the rhythm will feel like a well‑tuned metronome.
BezierGirl
Sounds like a solid plan—if the axis never wobbles and the pendulum stays in sync, the whole piece will feel mathematically clean, like a perfectly calibrated watch.