Instrumentthen

Instrumentthen is an informal term used in music technology and experimental composition to describe a sequential relationship between instruments or sound generators in which the entry of a secondary instrument is deliberately delayed following the onset of a principal instrument, creating a defined “then” moment in the texture. The technique emphasizes the temporal dependency between parts and the resulting change in texture that occurs when a new voice joins.

Etymology and usage are informal. The word combines “instrument” with the connective sense of “then,” signaling a follow-on event rather than simultaneous entry. It has appeared in online discussions, blogs, and some discussions of algorithmic and computer-assisted composition since the early 2020s. There is no formal definition in mainstream music theory or pedagogy, and practitioners often describe variations of the concept in relation to specific software environments or compositional aims.

Techniques and applications. In practice, instrumentthen can be implemented by programming a primary instrument as the reference part and triggering a secondary instrument after a set delay, with dynamics, timbre, or articulation mapped to the first instrument’s behavior. Real-time control may involve latency-based cues, envelope followers, or tempo-synced triggers in digital audio workstations or live-coding environments. This approach is used to build evolving textures, create tension through spatial layering, or highlight changes in musical material.

Examples commonly cited include a plucked instrument initiating a motif, followed by a delayed pad that responds to the pluck’s articulation, or a percussive figure that cues a melodic instrument entering with a contrasting timbre.

See also: sequencing, generative music, musique concrète, live coding.