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Was def a bit more complicated than Crystal Waters but I got most of it down. Enjoy.
The melody is left for you. Lyrics at the bottom. 👇
You can listen to the song and play with the code here on Strudel.cc
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
// Vogue — Madonna
// @license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
// @by Bitcoin Graffiti
// @date Aug 21-22, 2025 (adding embellishments)
//
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

setcpm(30)

const instr = "gm_fx_atmosphere:9"

//tones
const mel = note("g#6@28 f#6@4").s(instr).gain(.6).color('indigo').decay(9).hpf(5000).slow(4).room(1);
const mel2 = note("d#6@12 f#6@4").s(instr).gain(.6).color('indigo').decay(9).hpf(5000).slow(2).room(1);
const bass = note("d#2@4 f#2@4 d#2@4 f#2@4 <d#2 g#2>@3 <c#2 f#2>@3").s("gm_electric_bass_finger:3").gain(.3).color('red').hpf(120)
const bass2 = note("~").s("gm_electric_bass_finger:3").gain(.3).color('red').hpf(120)

//embellishments
const zoom = note("<[~]!7 [a#1, c#2, d#, f#2]>").s("gm_fx_atmosphere:7").crush(6.5).room(1).gain(.3)
const vib = note("<[ g#2, d#2, g#2, d#2] ~!3 >").s("gm_electric_bass_finger:2").echo(8, 1/8, .55).room(.8).legato(.03).fast(2).hpf(700).lpf(2800)
const brass = note("< ~ ~ [~ ~ ~ [g#2, g#4, d#4, d#5]] ~ ~ [~!3 [g#2, g#4, d#4, d#5]!2 ~!3] ~ ~ > ").s("gm_trombone:3").gain(3).color('gold').legato(.3).hpf(3300).lpf(1400).room(.6).attack(.001).release(.001);
// const violin = note("[g#4, d#4] ~ ~ ~  ").s("gm_violin:1").gain(.7).color('gold').legato(.6); //< ~ ~ [~ ~ [g#4, d#4] ~] ~ > 
// const bells = note("g#2!4").s("handbells:1")

//percussion
const cp =  s("[~ cp:1]!2").color("yellow").gain(.15).room(1)
const bd = s("[bd:1!4]").color("red").gain(.25)
const sd = s("~ sd:1 [ ~ sd:1 ~ ~] sd:1 ").color("brown").gain(.3).bank('tr909')
const hh = s("[~ hh:4]!4").gain(.32).decay(.1)
const mt = s("mt:2").beat("0, 1.5, 3, <~ 6>", 8).gain("[.1!3 .05]").bank('tr909');
const br =  s("<[~]!7 [ sd:1!5 ~ sd:1!2 ~ sd:1!7 ]>").color("brown").gain(.2).bank('tr909')
const drums = stack(cp, sd, hh, bd).swingBy(.07, 4)

const piano = note("[g#, b, d#4, f#4 ] [f#, a#, c#4, f4] [e4, g#, b, d#4 ]!2 [d#, f#, a# ,<~ c#4>]").s("gm_piano:20").beat("<0 2>, 4, 8, 11, 14", 16).release(.6).room(.5).gain(.4).color('teal')
const synth = note("[a#, c#4, d#, f#][a#, c4, d#, f#]").s(instr).release(.45).slow(4).lpf(600).hpf(1400).color('teal');
const s2 = note("<[ a#, c#4, d#, f#] ~ [a#, c4, d#, f#] ~ >").s("gm_fx_brightness:10").struct("<[[1 1] [0 1] 0!6] 0>")
          .distort(2).hpf(400).legato(.4).room(.6).crush(9).color('purple').coarse(2).echo(2, 1/16, .1)

arrange(
        //intro
        [8, stack(synth, mel)],
        [8, stack(synth, mel, cp, bass, mt)],
        [8, stack(synth, mel, bass, drums, s2, br, zoom)],
  
        // //pre-verse
        [8, stack(synth, mel2, drums, brass, br)],
  
        // //verse 1
        [8, stack(synth, drums, bass2, vib)],
        [8, stack(synth, mel, bass, drums, s2, br)],
  
        //chorus
        [8, stack( mel2, drums, piano, vib, brass, br)],
  
        //verse 2
        [8, stack(synth, drums, bass2, vib)],
        [8, stack(synth, mel, bass, drums, s2, br)],
  
        //chorus
        [8, stack( mel2, drums, piano, vib, brass, br)],
  
        // //verse 3 (odd)
        // [12, stack(synth, mel2, drums)],
  
        // //chorus
        //[8, stack( mel2, drums, piano, vib, brass, br)],
  
        // //bridge (beauty is where you find, marlan brando)
        // [16, stack( )],
  
        // //chorus
        //[8, stack( mel2, drums, piano, vib, brass, br)],

        // //end
        // [8, stack( drums, piano)],
        )
        .pianoroll({labels:1, vertical:0})
Lyrics What are you looking at? Strike a pose Strike a pose Vogue (vogue, vogue) Vogue (vogue, vogue)
Look around, everywhere you turn is heartache It's everywhere that you go (look around) You try everything you can to escape The pain of life that you know (life that you know) When all else fails and you long to be Something better than you are today I know a place where you can get away It's called a dance floor And here's what it's for, so
Come on, vogue (vogue) Let your body move to the music (move to the music) Hey, hey, hey Come on, vogue (vogue) Let your body go with the flow (go with the flow) You know you can do it
All you need is your own imagination So use it, that's what it's for (that's what it's for) Go inside for your finest inspiration Your dreams will open the door (open up the door) It makes no difference if you're black or white If you're a boy or a girl If the music's pumping it will give you new life You're a superstar Yes, that's what you are, you know it
Come on, vogue (vogue) Let your body groove to the music (groove to the music) Hey, hey, hey Come on, vogue (vogue, vogue) Let your body go with the flow (go with the flow) You know you can do it Beauty's where you find it Not just where you bump and grind it Soul is in the musical That's where I feel so beautiful Magical, life's a ball So get up on the dance floor
Vogue (vogue) Let your body move to the music (move to the music) Hey, hey, hey Come on, vogue (vogue, vogue) Let your body go with the flow (go with the flow) You know you can do it Vogue (vogue) Beauty's where you find it (move to the music) Vogue (vogue)
Beauty's where you find it (go with the flow) Greta Garbo and Monroe Dietrich and DiMaggio Marlon Brando, Jimmy Dean On the cover of a magazine Grace Kelly, Harlow, Jean Picture of a beauty queen Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire Ginger Rogers, dance on air They had style, they had grace Rita Hayworth gave good face Lauren, Katherine, Lana too Bette Davis, we love you Ladies with an attitude Fellas that were in the mood Don't just stand there, let's get to it Strike a pose, there's nothing to it
Vogue, vogue Vogue, vogue (move to the music) Vogue, vogue Vogue, vogue (go with the flow)
Ooh, you've got to Let your body move to the music Ooh, you've got to just Let your body go with the flow Ooh, you've got to just... Vogue (vogue)
this territory is moderated
21 sats \ 1 reply \ @ken 2h
This is awesome! As a musician myself, I'm left wondering, how do you even begin something like this? Do you work with sheet music or are you in front of a keyboard figuring out the chords?
reply
Yeh, the latter. I have a midi keyboard to assist me. I can read some sheet, but it doesn't come naturally to me.
I use hooktheory to quickly discover the chord progressions and melody.
The hardest part was noticing all the instruments, but you sort of uncover them once you're done with the 'broad strokes' of the beat and chords, or whatever you recognize as the main features of the song. Then the details and embellishments after.
I move top down. So I set up the arrangement first: intro, verse 1, chorus, etc. And then just fill it in.
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