Sculpting Algorithmic Pattern: Informal and Visuospatial Interaction in Musical Instrument Design

In live coding, the concept of algorithmic patterns is employed to characterise the improvisation of artistic structures. This paper presents a digital musical instrument (DMI) design study that led to the development of our understanding of proto-algorithmic thinking. The study focused on tools for manually sculpting digital resonance models using clay, with participants following brief technical instructions. The resulting thought process was grounded in systematic embodied interaction with the clay, giving rise to a form of algorithmic thinking that precedes the conceptual formalisation of the algorithm. We propose the term `proto-algorithmic pattern' to encompass implicit, tacit, gestural, and embodied practices that lack a formalised notational language. In conclusion, we explore the implications of our findings for interfaces and instruments in live coding and identify potential avenues for future research at the intersection of live coding and DMI design.