MU2301 – Making Music With Machines – A Term, 2024

By: Cameron Norris, Artur Lima Jatobá, and Owen Nguyen

Description

Tikka Mastrummer is a mountable device that attaches to solid-body guitars and allows for simplistic, automated strumming. The purpose of this device is to help guitarists achieve different rhythms and playing styles while they focus on chord progressions and fretting. Through this device, we aim to be accessible to all guitar players, regardless of their skill level or physical limitations. Tikka Mastrummer also supports player-instrument cooperation in a unique way: because of the minimalist design and small size of the circuit, the player can pick individual notes while the strummer is strumming chords. For instance, if one chooses to perform a song where there are strings of notes in between chord changes (think Led Zeppelin’s Over the Hills and Far Away), the device will let you play them!

Our solution to programmable strumming rhythms came in the form of MIDI. Simply connect the device to a DAW via a USB cable, and through serial connection, program and send midi patterns to the device, and it will strum it for you. Further – accents, tempo, meter and tuplets can be created and altered through the DAW to create an infinite amount of songs playable with the device.

Finally, because the device is so small, it will be attachable to any solid body guitar. Line the top of the Tikka Masala box to the guitar’s bridge, clamp it to the body, and run the code. However, guitars with tremolo bridge attachments like Bigsbys or Vibrolas may have to be adjusted to allow for Tikka Mastrummer use.

Videos

Circuit

Diagram