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
Techniques and applications. In practice, instrumentthen can be implemented by programming a primary instrument as the
Examples commonly cited include a plucked instrument initiating a motif, followed by a delayed pad that responds
See also: sequencing, generative music, musique concrète, live coding.