Sonic Pi

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1 Samples and Loops

Learn It

As well as playing single notes, we can also play pre-recorded sounds using Sonic Pi.
These are called samples and there are plenty to choose from.

Code It

Let's play a sample.

sample :drum_snare_hard

Learn It

The sample function takes the name of the sample as an argument, but it can take other argument as well.
We can change the length of time it plays for using rate

sample :drum_snare_hard, rate: 0.5

This doubles the time the sample plays for.
We can also change the volume of the sample.

sample :drum_snare_hard, rate: 0.5, amp: 3

Try It

Play around with rate and amp
Can you make a sound like thunder?
Can you make a sound like a gentle tap on a window?

Try It

Have a play around with some other samples.
When you start typing sample : into the workspace you'll be presented with all the sample available.
Have a go at these:
- sample :ambi_choir
- sample :ambi_glass_hum
- sample :guit_e_fifths
Change the amp and rate of the samples you choose to see how they are altered.

Learn It

In music, drumming tends to be fairly repetitive.
We'll rarely want to play just a single drum beat. More likely, we'll want to play the beat 50 times or more.
We could do this by simply repeating the same function calls, over and over again.

sample :drum_snare_hard
sleep 0.5
sample :drum_snare_hard
sleep 0.5
sample :drum_snare_hard
sleep 0.5
sample :drum_snare_hard

But as you've learned previously, when coding, if we want to do something multiple times, it's easiest to use a loop.

Code It

Try the following.

4.times do
    sample :drum_snare_hard
    sleep 0.5
end

The indentation is optional, but helps you see which elements of the code are within the loop.
Play this and see what happens.

Try It

Now try playing with the amp and rate of the sample along with the length of sleep

Learn It

We can also nest loops within loops.

4.times do
    sample :drum_snare_hard, rate: 0.5, amp: 2
    3.times do
        sample :drum_snare_hard, rate: 1.5
    end
end

Badge It

Create a cool bass line using samples and loops.
Make sure you're experimenting with different samples and their rate and amp arguments.