Jammer's Voyage (QWERTY Isomorphic Keyboard)

I'm using the "Axis Tweaker" application which, besides converting your axis-49's to jammers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammer_keyboard), also remaps your QWERTY keyboard to that same isomorphic note layout. (Isomorphic = same fingering in every key.)

I send midi out from the Tweaker to GarageBand where I play along with a backing track I made with a chord progression similar to (the same as?) "Maiden Voyage" by Herbie Hancock.

Ken Rushton (aka MusicScienceGuy), the guy who wrote the Tweaker, is a leader in making the playing of jammers possible:
http://musicscienceguy.typepad.com/blog/

More about wicki/hayden note layout:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicki-Hayden_note_layout

Software that maps your QWERTY to a jammer layout:
http://sites.google.com/site/altkeyboards/file-cabinet

Category:

Music

Tags:

• isomorphic
• thummer
• jammer
• music
• theory
• song
• synth
• garage
• band
• jamming
• keyboard
• QWERTY
• Herbie
• Hancock
• Jam
• improvise
• improv
• generalized
• wicki
• hayden
• John
• Lank
• Moriarty
• Thumtronics
• MIDI
• piano

[tonywolkowitsky]

Hey, this is awesome! Can you please explain step-by-step how you turned your QWERTY keyboard into a jammer?

[JLMoriart]

@tonywolkowitsky Thanks tony! All you need is free software I've just linked to in the description box, and you're good to go. It does all the mapping from QWERTY to jammer for you, and it lets you send the midi anywhere you like on your computer. Here I'm sending the midi to GarageBand with a precomposed accompaniment.

[harmono]

I program at work and for a hobby, I have been working on some software that enables you to play chords using the qwerty keyboard. I have a prototype in VB.NET. I still work on it occasionally but it's tedious.

[ericoschmitt]

@JLMoriart im not sending it anywhere. i just opened the program and started playing with it... how do i do to send the midi out to anywhere? and what kind of softwares could do those things?

im gonna talk to that musicscienceguy you told me too..

[JLMoriart]

@ericoschmitt Where are you sending the midi out? If you are just sending it to the soundcard on your computer, then changing the timbre probably has to do with the "program number". If you are sending it to a synth in a DAW like garageband, you should change the timber there.

If you have issues, contact Ken Rushton aka MusicScienceGuy (who wrote the software), I'm sure he'd be willing to help you get it working.