How to play.
Split the deck into the 4 colored suits and shuffle each one.
Starting with the Element suit, draw a card a place it down face up. This represents the song element you will focus on first.
Take note of whether the Element suit has a white (melodic) or black (drums) background color as this will affect how you place the next cards.
Next draw a card from the Instrument suit and play that face up under the Element card.
Rotate that Instrument card so that the top half background color matches the Element card. Reading the top half and ignoring the bottom half, this card defines what sound source or tool you will use for this Element of your song.
Now draw a Pattern card and place this under the sound source, again rotating the card so the top half background color matches the above cards. This card defines the what kind of pattern or melody to write for this Element.
If you want to learn more about each pattern card, head to the website learning centre for a deeper description and video on what each card means.
Finally draw a Creative FX card and place it under the Pattern card. This card provides an idea for FX processing to help give it character and stand out in your mix.
Rinse and repeat for inspiration for your next song element.
Other ways to play.
Single Element Combo (Recommended) - Stuck and looking for the next step for your track? Take one card from each suit to define the next element to add to your song. This one works well as 'daily challenge', drawing four cards at the start of a session, or at the end to ponder for next time!
Random Starter Element - Use just the element cards to shuffle and pick a starter element at random. The order of elements you start writing a track with can have a big impact on the track direction, and the results might surprise you by starting with something different.
Random Instrument - Get out of the rut of using the same instruments for the same jobs. Use just the instrument cards and optionally the ‘My Instruments’ template and card numbers to pick an instrument at random. Dust off your old gear and give them a chance!
Full Stack - Use the whole deck! Lay out all the Element cards in a row, and then add the Instrument, Pattern, and FX cards as rows under the element cards. This will give you a full creative framework for your track, if you have the table space! To keep this in check, you can limit yourself to the starter elements indicated with stars on the cards. Grab the template from ‘Useful Tools’ to create a Session Starter Plan.
Off the top - Shuffle the whole deck. Draw just one card and work it into the song element you are working on, or as a springboard for the next element to add to your mix.
Co-op - Call a friend! Take turns in the studio to draw a card(s) and do your best before passing the turn to the other player. Add a time limit for a little creative pressure!
Make your own - The digital version of Flipspark now includes blank cards to get creative and make your own. You may even come up with a new way to use the cards that could inspire Flipspark 2! Let me know!