Cara membuat lagu dj dan ngeremix

Cara membuat lagu dj dan ngeremix

Yup, Ketemu lagi sob di blog dj tempat gw terus belajar , juga sharing ini setelah beberapa minggu tidak update maklum ada kesibukan sedikit ngerjain pesanan nge-remix lagu. well, gw pikir poin bagaimana menjadi dj sudah di tulis di article sebelumnya ya..Silahkan baca di cara menjadi dj jika yang belum baca. Article kali ini tentang membuat lagu dj dan nge-remix lagu yang mungkin lo pernah baca di forum-forum diskusi soal musik.

Well, langsung saja kita mulai tentang membuat lagu dj.
Katanya bro seorang dj walaupun sudah bisa mixing atau katakanlah sering perform di club, akan tetapi jika dia belum bisa bikin lagu sendiri, nge-remix atau ngedit/mashup lagu rasanya belumlah Perfect. Karena menurut gw dan teman-teman lainya, perform dengan membawakan lagu buatan sendiri, remixan,edit, rasanya lebih puas ketimbang selalu memainkan lagu orang. Ok..apa saja yang di perlukan untuk membuat lagu dj??


1. Musik Skill
 Yang ini sudah tak asing lagi ya, selain memang bakat tentang musik juga dapat kita peroleh dengan belajar pada orang lain yang lebih bisa. Kadang juga belajar sendiri (otodidak), bakat bukan utama yang penting punya kemauan untuk bisa. Setuju?

2. Software
Nah untuk bagian ini silahkan baca di dj software, apa saja sih software yang pake para dj untuk membuat lagu. Kalo gw terus terang Pake Fl-studio (fruityloop) karena dari dulu memang sudah biasa dan cinta banget..hehe. Menurut gw Fl-studio lebih lengkap kalo udah paham. Lihat video cara mengunakan Tool di fl studio untuk pemula tentang gambaran apa aja fungsi komponennya.

3. Gear/Hardware
Ini mencakup peralatan sound sistem yang mendukung dan juga alat musik yang lain. Tapi tidak usah khawatir jaman sekarang makin canggih tanpa alat musik pun kita sudah bisa membuat lagu dj yaitu pake software di tambah vst (virtual studio technologi). Karena yang kita buat adalah jenis music electronik. Jenis music electronic banyak di jual di beatport, junodownload, dan lainnya. Selain jenis music itu mereka tidak jual. Untuk jelasnya tentang jenis music electronic apa saja silahkan ke Tkp tante wiki electronic genre..Nah yang paling sederhana kita hanya butuh tool : Speaker (active/not), Headphone, Amplifier. Itu aja gw rasa dah cukup untuk menghemat cost.

4. Sampler/samples
Sampler biasanya berupa , sound effect, drum loop, midi,single sound (electronik musik instrument). Adanya samples mempermudah kita saat membuat music, artinya kita tidak perlu susah payah membuat beat (making beat) atau sound lainnya.Tetapi sangat di sarankan sebelum ente menggunakan loop samples, lebih baik ente harus bisa membuat basic beat sendiri. Pada setiap software biasanya sudah di sediakan namun kadang cuma samples standar. Seperti di Fl studio, ACid pro, sampler yang di sediakan pun tidak banyak tapi sudah cukup untuk pemula. Untuk ngeremix, ngedit lagu-lagu Dj sebaiknya gunakan samples yang sesuai genre-nya agar lebih mudah.

5. Action
Lakukan proses step by step.

Cara Membuat lagu - lagu DJ

Teori umum : 4 Bar 4 beat.
Yang pertama kita lakukan adalah tentukan dulu genre/style music dj yang akan kita buat. Misalnya genre House music, progressive, trance,breakbeat, tribal house (komersil song). Atau mungkin Funkot. Ketika sudah kita tentukan style musiknya langkah selanjutnya adalah memahami style music itu sendiri. Misalnya standar BPM (beat permenit). Untuk lebih jelasnya soal bpm lihat table di bawah:

Tempo in Bpm

Reggae -----------70–82
Trip Hop --- -----80–92
Hip-hop ----------89–105
Acid Jazz ---------110-116
Disco -------------124-133
Dutch House ------ 126 - 130
House ------------120–128
Break beat n electro 130 –132
Progressive house -------128–135
Tribal -------------130 -135
Trance ------------135–140
Psychedelic --------136--140
Techno ------------140 ke atas
Hardcore ----------150–160
Drum n Bass ------160–170

Tabel ini tidak baku hanya untuk gambaran saja saat lo mau membuat lagu , tapi rata-rata seperti itu jumlahnya. Oh ya bro membuat lagu dan ngeremix/ ngedit itu beda.
 Membuat lagu DJ :Sederhananya kalo membuat lagu (composer): Semua aransement musiknya ente yang membuat. Sebagai contoh di bawah ini 2 contoh lagu house buatan Ane   dengan konsep lagu simple tune atau minimalis.Bpm 128. Kenapa bpm 128? biar genep and gampang menghitung bar-nya. 4/4.

SelengkapNya: http://www.djhendryal.com/2010/07/cara-membuat-lagu-dj-dan-ngeremix.html#ixzz2BUlRKTaq
belajar menjadi dj, ngeremix lagu, tutorial Fl studio, virtualdj tutorial, lagu dj, Funkot, jual cdj
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike

The DJ List Top 6

#1
DAVID GUETTA

Paris, France

Electro House, House

 

#2
TIËSTO

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Progressive House, Trance

 

#3
DEADMAU5

Toronto, ON, Canada

Electro House, Progressive House

 

 

#4
SKRILLEX

Los Angeles, United States

Dubstep

 

#5
ARMIN VAN BUUREN

Leiden, Netherlands

Trance

 

#6
AVICII

Stockholm, Sweden

House, Progressive House

 

 

"Mr. Saxobeat"

You make me this, bring me up, bring me down, playing sweet
Make me move like a freak, Mr. Saxobeat.
Makes me this, brings me up, brings me down, playing sweet
Makes me move like a freak, Mr. Saxobeat.
You make me, this bring me up, bring me down, playing sweet
Make me move like a freak, Mr. Saxobeat.
Makes me, this brings me up, brings me down, playing sweet
Makes me move like a freak, Mr. Saxobeat.

Oh oh oh oh, yeah, mmm yeah, mmm yeah, mmm yeah...
Oh oh, yeah, mmm yeah, mmm yeah, mmm yeah...
Oh, yeah, mmm yeah, mmm yeah, mmm yeah...
Oh oh, yeah, mmm yeah, mmm yeah, mmm yeah...

Mr. Saxobeat, Mr. Saxobeat.
Hey sexy boy, set me free, don't be so shy, play with me
My dirty boy, can't you see, that you belong next to me.
Hey sexy boy, set me free, don't be so shy, play with me
My dirty boy, can't you see, you are the one for meeeee.

You make me this, bring me up, bring me down, playing sweet
Make me move like a freak, Mr. Saxobeat.
Makes me this, brings me up, brings me down, playing sweet
Makes me move like a freak.

Oh oh oh oh, yeah, mmm yeah, mmm yeah, mmm yeah...
Oh oh, yeah, mmm yeah, mmm yeah, mmm yeah...
Oh, yeah, mmm yeah, mmm yeah, mmm yeah...
Oh oh, yeah, mmm yeah, mmm yeah, mmm yeah...

You make me, this bring me up, bring me down, playing sweet
Make me move like a freak, Mr. Saxobeat.
Makes me, this brings me up, brings me down, playing sweet
Makes me move like a freak.
You make me, this bring me up, bring me down, Mr. Saxobeat.
You make me, this bring me up, bring me down, Mr. Saxobeat.

dj school semarang — Semarang

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16 Jul 2010
Tanggal Terpasang

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DJ ..DJ..DJ...mau jadi DJ...? pasti Bisa..instruktur PROFESIONAL..DJ NINO/DJ DENNY/DJ HIZKY DLL. Studio Canggih, Standar CLUB, nYAMAN,. ---2 Set  Plat Hitam--2 Set CDJ 100--CDJ 1000 mk3-DJM 800- SERATO SCRATCH LIVE-RECORDING.->MUlai 350 rb. waw..murah.. langsung aja..DEO DJ SCHOOL  jl pleburan barat 38 A( Lantai 3)
CALL : 024-91198696  / 081802450004

Tutorial Dj memakai virtual dj (DJ Hendry)

weleh-weleh..friend..pertanyaan itu banyak yang nyasar ke email gw. Pertanyaan simple tapi susah untuk ngejawabnya and bikin tutorial dj nya. soalnya ngedj mah banyak prateknya dari pada teorinya.Tapi gak apa friend, gw coba tulis secara simple aja bagaimana sih cara ngedj pake virtual dj? gw coba tulis step awalnya..Tapi sebelumnya kalo ente belum baca teknik-teknik dj and belum juga baca Belajar cara menjadi dj lebih baik di baca dulu jadi ente tahu step awalnya.
yo wes, gw gak tau virtual dj versi berapa yang ente pake versi 4.2, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, tapi yang jelas teknik dan metodenya sama (yang penting kalo mo serius jangan pake yang versi crack gak maching man..he..he. butuh yg asli contact gw murah kok) kelamaan ya?
Cara ngedj pake virtual dj langkah pertama ente mesti tahu tugas dj and kerjanya dj tuh apa and ngapain? Simplenya tugas Dj muter lagu gak putus-putus dengan menggunakan teknik-teknik dan pergantian lagunya enak, gak bikin boring audien dan juga menghidupkan suasana. Nah itu dia. Kalo gw bahas detail ruwet bro. Ok, sekarang ane bahas teknik yang umum aja bagaimana melakukan perpindahan lagu yang enak (mixing), cara nentuin star buat pindahnya dimana. di bawah ini ya.
ok kita mulai and gw anggap peralatan perangnya dah lengkap. Lho! salah ya? equipment dj ente udah lengkap. headphone, laptop/pc, speaker, 2 soundcard/usb sound, virtual dj software + sebungkus rokok..Halah! pengen jelas lihat disini.
Step 1: menentukan start dimana kita mau ganti lagu (cuting).memahami lagu buat ngedj.
ini secara simple aja ya? setiap lagu kan ada durasinya ente tahu 1 menit ada brapa detik? 60 detik he.he lihat disini dulu di bawah judul time to begin commutation lagunya download ja di 4shared.com. ok, gw anggap dah lihat ya bagian bagian lagu. seperti basic beat, beat+bass rhythm n lainya.
jadi simplenya:
——————————————————————————————————–
basic beat/song (15 – 30 detik — main song component(43, 57 – 60 detik)
– 30- 60 detik basic beat
——————————————————————————————————-
ente kalo pengen paham download lagunya atau kalo ente dah punya (lagu yang lain gak masalah) dengerin / liatin durasinya pasti lagu-lagu buat ngdj kebanyakan ada perubahan irama pada durasi2 itu (genre: house, eletro house, progressive, tribal). Yang masih asli lho lagunya bukan yang mixtape nyambung track by track.
jadi : dari awal lagu basic beat (kosong dak duk, dak duk doang) tengah lagu Main song, akhir lagu kembali lagi ke basic beat.Biasanya antara 30 – 60 detik lagu mo habis itu cuma dak duk doang hik.hik. (hitungan mundur).
Apa hubungannya ama proses pergantian lagu, bro? pertanyaan bagus. Lihat gambar disini dulu di bawah tulisan Song title Tango 2000 (tribal remix) ke bawah. Gambar tersebut memakai skin cdj 100 mk3 dengan software virtual dj 5.2 pro. belum punya download disini skinnya. Belum punya software virtual dj 5.2 yang asli pesan aja ma gw harga nego. promosi nih..he.he.
jadi bro, ngdj memakai virtual dj teknik START proses perpindahan lagu nya cara gampangnya berdasarkan gambar adalah ambil di durasi 2 menit, 1 menit ,30 detik lagu pertama mau habis ujung durasi/hitungan mundur tapi hitungan durasi itu gak pasti di situ setiap lagu mempunyai component yang berbeda . Cara ngelihatnya click di area TIME set REMAINING untuk lagu pertama. Untuk lagu kedua set ELAPSED (hitungan maju). waduh! maksud gak nih ya? Jadi pada saat lagu pertama kurang dari menit-menit tadi ente segera PLAY lagu kedua.
Terus timing untuk lagu kedua di berapa detik bro?? nah itu dia pertanyaan yang Gw tunggu.
Tergantung lagunya bro. Tapi umumnya di 57 detik or 1 menit lagu kedua harus sudah turun volumenya, dan lagu kedua naik Jadi simple nya gini bro. Perhatikan gambar ini.

save as aja kalo kurang gede gambarnya.
Gambar ini adalah proses pergantian lagu skin dn-3500 suggestion internal mixer. lagu tango 2000 (tribal mix) download disini and fly way – jean cloud ades.
Urutan proses singkat nya:
1.lagu pertama kurang 2 menit ( set remain lihat gambar) , lagu kedua start to PLAY. lalu samakan beatnya pake SYNC / PITCH BEND ( samakan lewat phone/ cue mix)
2. Volume level Lagu kedua mulai naik pada angka 2. selanjutnya naik ke angka 4, 6, 8
3. Pada durasi 43 detik lagu kedua (set elapsed seperti pada gambar) , volume level lagu pertama turun setengah pada pertengahan angka 6 dan 4.
4. selanjutnya volume lagu kedua naik full ke angka 10
5. Volume level lagu pertama turun sedikit demi sedikit sampe mentok..
6. selesai
Ribet ya bro..teorinya memang ribet tapi kalo ente pratekin jd gampang..itu hanya tutorial simple selanjutnya ente yg kembangin. Lebih bagus BASS ketemu BASS pergantian lagunya. gitu..ngerti gak ya?? gak ngerti yo wes anak orang. he.he Oya, teknik berlaku untuk internal mixer setting or external.
disarankan untuk beginer set config OPTION auto disini agar mudah. And untuk latihan lebih baik pake skin dn-3500 suggestion karena simple download aja disini.nanti kalau udah paham baru pake skin yang lain terserah ente. Butuh lagu-lagu bahan buat ngedj visit here atau bisa juga download disini.
ok bro… ada pertanyaan comment aja disini. heran pada males comment yg baca. atau kirim email aja ke gw lihat di profile. Oya, kalo mo dukung gw join disini and dapetin duitnya. Atau gabung di site ini share data ente and dapetin duitnya juga. oke.
YOU ARE DJ

"Rumah Kentang", Menghidupkan Hantu Urban Legend

Tasya dalam film Rumah Kentang.

Satu lagi film yang beranjak dari kisah urban legend yaitu Rumah Kentang, diangkat ke layar lebar oleh Jose Poernomo. Sutradara yang pernah merilis film bergenre hantu-hantuan lainnya seperti Pulau Hantu itu, akan merilis film terbarunya pada 4 Oktober mendatang.
Dengan memasang aktris utama Shandy Aulia, film produksi Hitmaker Studios itu, diharapkan dapat memberikan alternatif hiburan film bergenre horor kepada penikmatnya.
Sebagai sutradara yang turut melahirkan film laris Jelangkung (2001) yang dia besut bersama Rizal Mantovani, Jose menjanjikan, "Akan menghadirkan sesuatu yang berbeda," katanya di Jakarta, Kamis (12/7) sore.
Bukan hanya dari segi cerita yang dia andalkan, pendukung lakon utamanya, yang pernah turut berperan besar melariskan film Eiffel I'm in Love (2003), yaitu Shandy Aulia adalah senjata pamungkasnya.
Dalam syukuran produksi Rumah Kentang, sejumlah pendukung film itu dihadirkan. Yakni Sarah Watson, Steward, Medina, Kevin, Raditya, Ki Kusumo, dan mantan penyanyi cilik Tasya.
Menurut rencana pada 15 Juli nanti proses syuting film itu akan dimulai di rumah sebenarnya di Jl. Dharmawangsa, Jakarta, "Yang dipercaya sampai sekarang jika kita beruntung masih dapat membaui aroma kentang," ujar Dewi Rasyid selaku casting director.
Seperti dikatakan Jose, mengangkat kisah urban legend, Rumah Kentang, sebenarnya bukan barang baru. Dulu, dia mengingatkan, pada opening film Jelangkung, adegannya ada di Rumah Kentang. Cuma pelatuknya pembuatan film ini, imbuh dia, adalah adanya seseorang yang mengaku kembali mencium aroma kentang ketika melewati rumah itu.
Dia menjanjikan akan menyajikan film berkualitas, tanpa harus menjadi murahan, juga di atas rata-rata, plus pendukung pemain, "Yang high class," katanya.
Seperti dikatakan Shandy Aulia, Rumah Kentang adalah film horor pertamanya setelah sejumlah film drama percintaan. Tapi dia menjanjikan film bergenre atmosferik horor, dan bukan komedi horor itu, "Akan benar-benar horor," katanya.

Film Keramat

Film Keramat

“Keramat” Horor Bergaya Pertunjukan Realitas

Ist

Jakarta - Film sudah dimulai, tetapi layar bioskop masih hitam polos. Hanya sedikit suara grasak-grusuk, diikuti suara perempuan yang sedang mengetes kamera. Lalu muncul gambar pertama, seorang gadis berambut pendek dengan senyum manisnya.

Gadis itu bernama Migi (Migi Parahita) dan pemegang ka-mera itu bernama Poppy (Poppy Sovia). Kisahnya, ini adalah rekaman gambar pertama behind the scene atau di balik layar pembuatan pro-yek film berjudul Menari di Atas Angin. Film itu rencana-nya akan dibuat di Yogyakarta dengan Migi sebagai pemeran utama perempuan dan Diaz (Diaz Ardiawan) menjadi pe-meran utama laki-laki.
Jangan ditanya seperti apa kisah film Menari di Atas Angin yang disutradarai pe-rempuan galak bernama Mia (Miea Kusuma), asisten sutrad-ara Sadha (Sadha Triyudha), unit produksi Brama (Brama Sutasara), dan line producer Dimas (Dimas Projosujadi). Hampir tak ada adegan di dalam film itu, yang ditayang-kan, kecuali proses pembuatan satu adegan saja, ketika tokoh perempuan yang kehilangan kakinya menyerahkan kado kepada kekasihnya.
Justru, kisah di balik layar pembuatan film ini yang menjadi cerita film berjudul Keramat ini. Film Keramat yang mengisahkan Poppy yang sedang membuat film Menari di Atas Angin. Film ini disutradarai Monty Tiwa (Maaf, Saya Menghamili Istri Anda, Pocong 3, XL, Antara Aku Kau dan Mak Erot, Barbie, Wakil Rakyat) dan diproduseri Chand Parwez Servia dari rumah produksi Starvision. Starvision bekerja sama dengan Wong Cilik’s Indie Picture Produc-tion, divisi perfilman indie dari Moviesta Pictures, untuk memproduksi film yang akan beredar mulai 3 September ini.
Ini bukan pertama kali Monty membuat film bergenre horor. Sebelumnya, ia membuat Pocong 3 dan menulis naskah Pocong 2. Namun, ada perbedaan antara film horornya terdahulu, atau film horor Indonesia umumnya, dengan Keramat.
Monty membuat film horor-thriller ini dengan gaya dokumenter atau pertunjukan realitas (reality show). Hanya ada satu kamera yang dibawa dengan tangan oleh laki-laki di balik kamera bernama Cungkring. Pengambilan gambar terkesan tidak dibuat-buat dan subjektif.
Cesa David Lukamsyah, supervisor penyunting gambar, serta Benjamin Tubalawony, penyunting gambar, membuat film ini terputus-putus, seolah-seolah diambil dari rekaman yang terputus-putus pula.
Ada kalanya film ini hanya menampilkan layar hitam saja menandakan kamera mati atau rerumputan yang menandakan kamera terjatuh. Ada sedikit narasi dari Poppy yang menjadi sutradara sekaligus pembawa cerita di balik layar ini.

Mistik
Gaya pengambilan gambar ini mungkin kerap terlihat di program pertunjukan realitas di televisi. Di film pun gaya seperti ini tidak asing. Film terakhir yang menggunakan gaya dokumenter seperti ini adalah Cloverfield (2008), film garapan sutradara Matt Reeves dan diproduseri JJ Abrams.
Hanya saja, genrenya sedi-kit berbeda. Cloverfield mengi-sahkan sebuah bencana besar yang terjadi pada malam perpisahan laki-laki bernama Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David). Di pesta perpisahan itu, saudara Rob bernama Jason (Mike Vogel) memegang kamera dan merekam komentar teman-teman Rob satu per satu. Ketika bencana itu terjadi, Jason tetap menggunakan kameranya untuk merekam, sampai akhirnya kamera itu terjatuh dan cerita di film itu pun habis.
Monty mengakhiri film ini dengan cara yang sama, ceritanya pun sama-sama tentang bencana. Jika Cloverfield mengambil pertistiwa alam karena seekor makhluk raksasa, Monty menambahkan unsur magis di balik bencana gempa bumi di Yogyakarta beberapa waktu lalu.
Monty tahu, orang Indonesia senang pada sesuatu yang magis. Ini juga membuat ia tidak perlu repot-repot menjelaskan sesuatu jika nantinya ada adegan film yang tidak masuk akal, apalagi film ini dibuat tanpa skenario. Yogyakarta menjadi tempat yang pas untuk film ini.
Banyak orang yang percaya bahwa tempat-tempat tertentu di Yogyakarta masih dihuni makhluk halus. Salah satunya adalah rumah tua tempat Miea dan kawan-kawan membuat film Menari di Atas Angin itu.
Konon, tingkah laku kru film, yang kebanyakan anak muda berasal dari Jakarta itu yang membuat makhluk halus berang dan merasuki Migi. Migi kemudian bertingkah aneh, seperti perempuan ningrat Jawa yang kemayu. Pesan perempuan Jawa itu hanya satu: alam marah karena dirusak manusia. Pesan itu yang kemudian menjadi petunjuk tentang gempa bumi di Yogyakarta.
Ketika Dimas memanggil paranormal untuk mengusir roh halus itu dari Migi, Migi justru menghilang. Konon dia dibawa ke dunia lain yang paralel. Dukun itu membimbing para kru film mencari Migi ke tempat-tempat yang dianggap angker, antara lain Pa-rangtritis, Candi Boko, dan sebuah hutan angker di dekat Candi Boko.
Adegan klimaks terjadi di hutan angker itu. Di situ satu per satu mereka menghilang dengan cara yang yang tidak lazim, lalu bertemu dengan sekelompok orang yang memanggul jenazah salah satu dari mereka, dan bertemu de-ngan perempuan berkebaya putih yang konon penjaga hutan itu. Jangan cari unsur logis di film ini, sebagian besar peristiwanya sangat tidak masuk akal, seperti cerita-cerita mistik yang beredar tentang Parangtritis.

bbm

Cara Cepat Membuat Profil Animasi BBM

Cyber4rt | 11 September 2012 | 1:44 AM

Bosan gonta ganti foto profil BBM ? Nah, bagi Anda yang ingin tampil beda di profil BBM tidak ada salahnya mencoba cara cepat membuat profil animasi pada BBM Anda. Kumpulan huruf animasi ini bisa anda jadikan sebagai porifl yang cukup unik di BBM. Anda bisa membuat tulisan animasi apapun sesuai dengan kemauan Anda sendiri. Lihat contoh animasi di bawah ini:

1. Pertama yang perlu anda lakukan adalah masuk pada website penyedia jasa untuk membuat nama dengan animasi, http://app.mobavatar.com/animation/
2. Ketik nama profil BBM yang anda inginkan di kotak Your Name
3. Rubah delay per second (kecepatan gerak animasi) sesuai dengan yang anda inginkan
4. Rubah Dimention-nya untuk mengubah ukuran sesuai yang anda inginkan
5. Masukkan alamat email anda (hasil akan dikirimkan ke email anda)
6. Pilih jenis Font yang anda inginkan
7. Klik Animate My Name, untuk mengirim hasil dari setelan yang anda buat ke email anda.
8. Buka email anda, unduh dan simpan animasi yang dikirim via email dan jadikan profile BBM anda.
9. Anda juga bisa langsung meng-klik gambar animasi tersebut untuk kemudian disimpan.

Selamat mencoba para BBM-ers.

Blaise Pascal (1623 - 1662)

From `A Short Account of the History of Mathematics' (4th edition, 1908) by W. W. Rouse Ball.
Among the contemporaries of Descartes none displayed greater natural genius than Pascal, but his mathematical reputation rests more on what he might have done than on what he actually effected, as during a considerable part of his life he deemed it his duty to devote his whole time to religious exercises.
Blaise Pascal was born at Clermont on June 19, 1623, and died at Paris on Aug. 19, 1662. His father, a local judge at Clermont, and himself of some scientific reputation, moved to Paris in 1631, partly to prosecute his own scientific studies, partly to carry on the education of his only son, who had already displayed exceptional ability. Pascal was kept at home in order to ensure his not being overworked, and with the same object it was directed that his education should be at first confined to the study of languages, and should not include any mathematics. This naturally excited the boy's curiosity, and one day, being then twelve years old, he asked in what geometry consisted. His tutor replied that it was the science of constructing exact figures and of determining the proportions between their different parts. Pascal, stimulated no doubt by the injunction against reading it, gave up his play-time to this new study, and in a few weeks had discovered for himself many properties of figures, and in particular the proposition that the sum of the angles of a triangle is equal to two right angles. I have read somewhere, but I cannot lay my hand on the authority, that his proof merely consisted in turning the angular points of a triangular piece of paper over so as to meet in the centre of the inscribed circle: a similar demonstration can be got by turning the angular points over so as to meet at the foot of the perpendicular drawn from the biggest angle to the opposite side. His father, struck by this display of ability, gave him a copy of Euclid's Elements, a book which Pascal read with avidity and soon mastered.
At the age of fourteen he was admitted to the weekly meetings of Roberval, Mersenne, Mydorge, and other French geometricians; from which, ultimately, the French Academy sprung. At sixteen Pascal wrote an essay on conic sections; and in 1641, at the age of eighteen, he constructed the first arithmetical machine, an instrument which, eight years later, he further improved. His correspondence with Fermat about this time shews that he was then turning his attention to analytical geometry and physics. He repeated Torricelli's experiments, by which the pressure of the atmosphere could be estimated as a weight, and he confirmed his theory of the cause of barometrical variations by obtaining at the same instant readings at different altitudes on the hill of Puy-de-Dôme.
In 1650, when in the midst of these researches, Pascal suddenly abandoned his favourite pursuits to study religion, or, as he says in his Pensées, ``contemplate the greatness and the misery of man''; and about the same time he persuaded the younger of his two sisters to enter the Port Royal society.
In 1653 he had to administer his father's estate. He now took up his old life again, and made several experiments on the pressure exerted by gases and liquids; it was also about this period that he invented the arithmetical triangle, and together with Fermat created the calculus of probabilities. He was meditating marriage when an accident again turned the current of his thoughts to a religious life. He was driving a four-in-hand on November 23, 1654, when the horses ran away; the two leaders dashed over the parapet of the bridge at Neuilly, and Pascal was saved only by the traces breaking. Always somewhat of a mystic, he considered this a special summons to abandon the world. He wrote an account of the accident on a small piece of parchment, which for the rest of his life he wore next to his heart, to perpetually remind him of his covenant; and shortly moved to Port Royal, where he continued to live until his death in 1662. Constitutionally delicate, he had injured his health by his incessant study; from the age of seventeen or eighteen he suffered from insomnia and acute dyspepsia, and at the time of his death was physically worn out.
His famous Provincial Letters directed against the Jesuits, and his Pensées, were written towards the close of his life, and are the first example of that finished form which is characteristic of the best French literature. The only mathematical work that he produced after retiring to Port Royal was the essay on the cycloid in 1658. He was suffering from sleeplessness and toothache when the idea occurred to him, and to his surprise his teeth immediately ceased to ache. Regarding this as a divine intimation to proceed with the problem, he worked incessantly for eight days at it, and completed a tolerably full account of the geometry of the cycloid.
I now proceed to consider his mathematical works in rather greater detail.
His early essay on the geometry of conics, written in 1639, but not published till 1779, seems to have been founded on the teaching of Desargues. Two of the results are important as well as interesting. The first of these is the theorem known now as ``Pascal's Theorem,'' namely, that if a hexagon be inscribed in a conic, the points of intersection of the opposite sides will lie in a straight line. The second, which is really due to Desargues, is that if a quadrilateral be inscribed in a conic, and a straight line be drawn cutting the sides taken in order in the points A, B, C, and D, and the conic in P and Q, then

PA.PC : PB.PD = QA.QC : QB.QD.

Pascal employed his arithmetical triangle in 1653, but no account of his method was printed till 1665. The triangle is constructed as in the figure below, each horizontal line being formed form the one above it by making every number in it equal to the sum of those above and to the left of it in the row immediately above it; ex. gr. the fourth number in the fourth line, namely, 20, is equal to 1 + 3 + 6 + 10.

The numbers in each line are what are now called figurate numbers. Those in the first line are called numbers of the first order; those in the second line, natural numbers or numbers of the second order; those in the third line, numbers of the third order, and so on. It is easily shewn that the mth number in the nth row is (m+n-2)! / (m-1)!(n-1)! Pascal's arithmetical triangle, to any required order, is got by drawing a diagonal downwards from right to left as in the figure. The numbers in any diagonal give the coefficients of the expansion of a binomial; for example, the figures in the fifth diagonal, namely 1, 4, 6, 4, 1, are the coefficients of the expansion . Pascal used the triangle partly for this purpose, and partly to find the numbers of combinations of m things taken n at a time, which he stated, correctly, to be (n+1)(n+2)(n+3) ... m / (m-n)!
Perhaps as a mathematician Pascal is best known in connection with his correspondence with Fermat in 1654 in which he laid down the principles of the theory of probabilities. This correspondence arose from a problem proposed by a gamester, the Chevalier de Méré, to Pascal, who communicated it to Fermat. The problem was this. Two players of equal skill want to leave the table before finishing their game. Their scores and the number of points which constitute the game being given, it is desired to find in what proportion they should divide the stakes. Pascal and Fermat agreed on the answer, but gave different proofs. The following is a translation of Pascal's solution. That of Fermat is given later.

The following is my method for determining the share of each player when, for example, two players play a game of three points and each player has staked 32 pistoles. Suppose that the first player has gained two points, and the second player one point; they have now to play for a point on this condition, that, if the first player gain, he takes all the money which is at stake, namely, 64 pistoles; while, if the second player gain, each player has two points, so that there are on terms of equality, and, if they leave off playing, each ought to take 32 pistoles. Thus if the first player gain, then 64 pistoles belong to him, and if he lose, then 32 pistoles belong to him. If therefore the players do not wish to play this game but to separate without playing it, the first player would say to the second, ``I am certain of 32 pistoles even if I lose this game, and as for the other 32 pistoles perhaps I will have them and perhaps you will have them; the chances are equal. Let us then divide these 32 pistoles equally, and give me also the 32 pistoles of which I am certain.'' Thus the first player will have 48 pistoles and the second 16 pistoles.
Next, suppose that the first player has gained two points and the second player none, and that they are about to play for a point; the condition then is that, if the first player gain this point, he secures the game and takes the 64 pistoles, and, if the second player gain this point, then the players will be in the situation already examined, in which the first player is entitled to 48 pistoles and the second to 16 pistoles. Thus if they do not wish to play, the first player would say to the second, ``If I gain the point I gain 64 pistoles; if I lose it, I am entitled to 48 pistoles. Give me then the 48 pistoles of which I am certain, and divide the other 16 equally, since our chances of gaining the point are equal.'' Thus the first player will have 56 pistoles and the second player 8 pistoles.
Finally, suppose that the first player has gained one point and the second player none. If they proceed to play for a point, the condition is that, if the first player gain it, the players will be in the situation first examined, in which the first player is entitled to 56 pistoles; if the first player lose the point, each player has then a point, and each is entitled to 32 pistoles. Thus, if they do not wish to play, the first player would say to the second, ``Give me the 32 pistoles of which I am certain, and divide the remainder of the 56 pistoles equally, that is divide 24 pistoles equally.'' Thus the first player will have the sum of 32 and 12 pistoles, that is, 44 pistoles, and consequently the second will have 20 pistoles.

Pascal proceeds next to consider the similar problems when the game is won by whoever first obtains m + n points, and one player has m while the other has n points. The answer is obtained using the arithmetical triangle. The general solution (in which the skill of the players is unequal) is given in many modern text-books on algebra, and agrees with Pascal's result, though of course the notation of the latter is different and less convenient.
Pascal made an illegitimate use of the new theory in the seventh chapter of his Pensées. In effect, he puts his argument that, as the value of eternal happiness must be infinite, then, even if the probability of a religious life ensuring eternal happiness be very small, still the expectation (which is measured by the product of the two) must be of sufficient magnitude to make it worth while to be religious. The argument, if worth anything, would apply equally to any religion which promised eternal happiness to those who accepted its doctrines. If any conclusion may be drawn from the statement, it is the undersirability of applying mathematics to questions of morality of which some of the data are necessarily outside the range of an exact science. It is only fair to add that no one had more contempt than Pascal for those who changes their opinions according to the prospect of material benefit, and this isolated passage is at variance with the spirit of his writings.
The last mathematical work of Pascal was that on the cycloid in 1658. The cycloid is the curve traced out by a point on the circumference of a circular hoop which rolls along a straight line. Galileo, in 1630, had called attention to this curve, the shape of which is particularly graceful, and had suggested that the arches of bridges should be built in this form. Four years later, in 1634, Roberval found the area of the cycloid; Descartes thought little of this solution and defied him to find its tangents, the same challenge being also sent to Fermat who at once solved the problem. Several questions connected with the curve, and with the surface and volume generated by its revolution about its axis, base, or the tangent at its vertex, were then proposed by various mathematicians. These and some analogous question, as well as the positions of the centres of the mass of the solids formed, were solved by Pascal in 1658, and the results were issued as a challenge to the world, Wallis succeeded in solving all the questions except those connected with the centre of mass. Pascal's own solutions were effected by the method of indivisibles, and are similar to those which a modern mathematician would give by the aid of the integral calculus. He obtained by summation what are equivalent to the integrals of , , and , one limit being either 0 or . He also investigated the geometry of the Archimedean spiral. These researches, according to D'Alembert, form a connecting link between the geometry of Archimedes and the infinitesimal calculus of Newton.

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This page is included in a collection of mathematical biographies taken from A Short Account of the History of Mathematics by W. W. Rouse Ball (4th Edition, 1908).
Transcribed by

D.R. Wilkins
(dwilkins@maths.tcd.ie)
School of Mathematics
Trinity College, Dublin