From-scratch live coding starts from an empty editor and builds the whole piece live before an audience

‘From scratch’ (or ‘blank slate’) is live coding’s idealised form, associated with TOPLAP: the performer begins with an empty editor, writes code that generates increasing musical complexity in full view of the audience, and eventually winds down or abruptly ends — with no pre-loaded code. It contrasts with performing from prepared code, where a scaffold is loaded before the set starts. From scratch maximises transparency and risk: every creative decision is made in public under time pressure, making it the purest expression of the ‘thinking in public’ ethos — and, for performers, adrenaline-generating. It is also a genuine debate in the community: many practitioners take a more relaxed approach, using pre-prepared starting points, pre-loaded samples, or previously written fragments, trading ideological purity for reliability. Pressing’s (1987) model of improvisation as the exploration of pre-established schemata frames why even ‘from scratch’ performers often rehearse starting points. Most live coders practise both modes and choose contextually.

Examples

Survey respondent: ‘I’m a bit hard-core, and prefer live coding to be on the fly, and from scratch.’ Slub’s Ward: ‘I’m not strict enough with myself to deny using previously written code.’ Griffiths: ‘I generally have a couple of starting points rehearsed.’ Alejandro Albornoz (co(n)de Zero): performing from scratch is ‘so adrenaline pumping and challenging, making me feel alive.’ TOPLAP Barcelona runs monthly from-scratch sessions as a learning format.

Assessment

State the artistic and political case for strict from-scratch live coding and the practical reasons experienced performers relax it. Explain how Pressing’s (1987) schemata model applies. Design a 5-minute beginner from-scratch exercise: the editor’s starting state, the target sound, and what to do if an error hits at minute 3.