LEE BARRY'S COMPOSITION STRATEGY CARDS

Like Brian Eno's Oblique Strategy cards, the Composition Strategy Cards are used as a
creative springboard for creating new pieces of music. They are interesting in that every
aspect of the process is reduced to a random event, which eliminates the need to make
conscious choices about what to compose. Very often the decision making process in
songwriting can be paralyzing; compounded by the fact that creative decisions have to be
made democratically in a group situation. Use of the cards is a way to break those types of
creative blocks.

HOW TO PLAY THE GAME

The cards are designed like traditional playing cards and have 12 "suits": Rhythm, Tempo,
Key, Mood, Abstractions, Arrangement, Melody, Style, Topic, Meter, Treatments and
Harmony. In each "suit" are 6-12 Cards, including an "ace". When playing the game in a
group situation, the cards are dealt to each band member, and each person rolls a pair of
dice, one numbered 1-6 and the other 7-12, representing the 12 suits. For example, one
might roll 4 and 9, which are, "Topic", and "Mood", and that person will play a card from
those categories. The player that has the ace gets to play the card of his choice in that suit,
even if a card from that category has already been played. For example, if someone has
already played a "topic" card, the person that holds the ace of topic takes control of that
category and can replace that card.

Sample game result:

Rhythm: Staccato 16th Notes

Tempo: Medium Fast 129-144 BPM
Key: F# Minor
Mood: Religious Darkness (Light that only appears dark)
Abstractions: Sex
Arrangement: Work off of a riff
Melody: Use an Exotic Scale
Style: Experimental
Topic: The Future: Bleak/Hopeful
Meter: 8/8 (3+3+2)
Harmony: No sevenths
Treatments: "Clicky" bass

To make a set of cards using the PDF files:

• Print each card category on Avery full-sheet labels and put on index cards, or
• Export from Acrobat to TIF files and place into Avery 5388 3x5 labels

To make a pair of dice:

Purchase a package of self-drying clay and shape a pair of dice. When dry, use a magic
marker and write the numbers 1-6 on each side one die and 7-12 on the other. (You also
might want to make another pair and write the categories on them.)

Copyright 1999, Lee Barry. All rights reserved.

The category numbers are as follows:

Category 1: MELODY
Category 2: HARMONY
Category 3: KEY
Category 4: RHYTHM
Category 5: METER
Category 6: TEMPO
Category 7: ARRANGEMENT
Category 8: MOOD
Category 9: TOPIC
Category 10: STYLE
Category 11: ABSTRACTIONS
Category 12: TREATMENTS

Lee Barry
Box A3914
Chicago, IL 60690
leebax4@yahoo.com
http://www.leebarry.net

Copyright 1999, Lee Barry. All rights reserved.

Composition Strategy Cards
GAME RESULTS

004
Suit strategy
Abstraction Uncertainty
Arrangement Break up sections with licks
Harmony "Add 9" chords
Key D major/B minor
Melody Found voices
Meter 6/4
Mood Expansive with 'chimey" sounds
Rhythm Stop 'n' Go / Stutter
Style Tango
Tempo Medium fast: 129-144
Topic Phantom Emotions/Stealthy Relationships
Treatment Echoes

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Composition Strategy Cards
GAME RESULTS

003
Suit strategy
Abstraction Turn on the radio and integrate something
you heard into the work (news, a
commercial or music)
Arrangement Drums only on the chorus
Harmony Use major 7ths
Key A major/F# minor
Melody Isomelody
Meter 3/4
Mood Distorted/Grainy
Rhythm Polyrhythm: 3 against 4
Style Film Music
Tempo Fast: 148-200
Topic History
Treatment Acoustic

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Composition Strategy Cards
GAME RESULTS

002
Suit strategy
Abstraction Space
Arrangement Fade Outro
Harmony Plagal/Blues
Use ii-V progressions
Key A major/F# minor
Melody Arabic
Melody Harmonic Minor
Meter 4/4
Mood Religious Darkness (light that only
APPEARS dark)
Rhythm Polyrhythm: 3 against 4
Style Soul
Tempo Slow: 60-72
Topic Wordplay/Nonsense (Use with another
card)
Treatment Gospel B3 organ with Leslie

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Composition Strategy Cards
GAME RESULTS

001
Suit strategy
Abstraction Turn on the radio and integrate something
you heard into the work (news, a
commercial or music)
Arrangement Legato verse, staccato chorus
Harmony No thirds
Key B-flat major/G minor
Melody Use several contrasting pentatonic scales
Melody Arabic
Meter 8/8 (3+3+2)
Mood Frenzied
Rhythm Funk
Rhythm Robotic
Rhythm Allow use of 2 Rhythm Cards
Style Film Music
Tempo Medium: 80-128
Topic Hallucinations
Treatment Indian Drone

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