
Google: Les Pauls 96th birthday - delinquentme
http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en
======
bfung
also has keyboard commands, across the rows:

    
    
      do re mi fa so la ti do re mi
      q  w  e  r  t  y  u  i  o  p
      a  s  d  f  g  h  j  k  l  ;
      z  x  c  v  b  n  m  ,  .  /
    

Edit: If anyone cares to figure out the recorded encoding scheme, could
probably "record" or program a tune. ex:

[http://www.google.com/webhp?tune=<encoded](http://www.google.com/webhp?tune=<encoded)
song here>

ex, do-re-mi from Sound of music
[http://www.google.com/webhp?tune=IAZxghAmCEEYYYZgQGAMMEMwARh...](http://www.google.com/webhp?tune=IAZxghAmCEEYYYZgQGAMMEMwARhoBnGMJcwwxygEXNIMQI4QAiFHIkJMwxgAjlEKIJMCwQAjmECBMCSxkCjlECBUEkJkIiFABBRc0IFzzHiBsIcQJQA*)

ex: chopsticks
[http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&tune=wIBgRTAigBHIOEAhg...](http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&tune=wIBgRTAigBHIOEAhgRTAimBDIiKREUiIpEQyIijlGIREUiIpCpwJhkAqGQgUJAoyBRgVDIQKcMYFCUBkoHJQOSgcIUJCUCUCgagDAfcgBhyGBBACOQwIpgQzAhmBFIiKREUiIpEQyIikRDIiKREUC4ZAwgUIFKQKMMoFCBSkClIFKSgKcjKB4A**)

seems to be a big hash w/note+duration encoded. Would hack on, but need sleep
& moving to SF in a couple days. G'nite HN!

~~~
InclinedPlane
Note: I'm pretty sure the keyboard commands only work in record mode.

~~~
nostrademons
They work everywhere, but you have to give the doodle keyboard focus,
otherwise you'll be typing into the search box. I think the only way to give
it focus without clicking through to the [les paul] query is to hit record.
Once you stop recording, though, you can still use the keys.

~~~
chrisa
I was also able to hit tab 3 times to give the doodle focus and use the
keyboard

------
tzury
The problem with those amazing crafts is that they disappear the day later,
and you cannot get a cached version of them.

at <http://www.google.com/logos/index.html> you only have a static version of
it, (see Martha Graham's 117th Birthday for instance).

Dear googlers on HN, is there anything you guys can do about this?

~~~
Matt_Cutts
Some logos get their own page, e.g. <http://www.google.com/pacman/>

I'm sorry that posting this link may lower productivity for a bunch of people.
:)

~~~
nostrademons
Most of them get their own page eventually. The limiting factor is just
engineer-time; a backlog tends to develop when there're a bunch of interactive
doodles in a row, because the engineer(s) in question are too busy working on
the next doodle to put the previous one up.

I know how to do it and currently have nothing to do on my real project, so
maybe tomorrow I'll ask the engineers in question if they mind me putting up
standalone versions of some of the backlogged doodles.

~~~
nostrademons
FYI, Les Paul, Martha Graham, Earth Day, World's Fair, and Yuri Gagarin are
all up now:

<http://www.google.com/logos/2011/lespaul.html>

<http://www.google.com/logos/2011/graham.html>

<http://www.google.com/logos/2011/worldsfair.html>

<http://www.google.com/logos/2011/earthday.html>

<http://www.google.com/logos/2011/space.html>

------
forgingahead
La Vie En Rose: <http://goo.gl/doodle/gSAz>

It stops recording after a bit - I had the whole song too! Haha this is great

*Edit: Last part to complete the song, because it was bugging me: <http://goo.gl/doodle/aEl1>

And, quickie Imperial March: <http://goo.gl/doodle/D6ce>

~~~
revorad
I'm being extra slow this morning... errr how do you play back recordings?

~~~
bostonvaulter2
It should just play back as soon as you load the page.

~~~
revorad
Doesn't work for me (in the UK).

~~~
tudorizer
Doesn't work for me either (Germany)

~~~
fgblanch
Doesn't work for me either (Spain)

~~~
mconstanzo
Not recording here in Australia.. But it sounds awesome lol

------
irahul
Google is one of the few companies who would invest in this sort of PR.

It's good publicity for them and also an ultra creative way to garner people's
curiosity and attention. It must have been a hell lot of work(unless I am
missing something) but it's totally justified.

~~~
MartinCron
In the pre-Google era, I worked for a dot-com startup that was a community for
senior citizens to get together and presumably chat about their grandchildren
or whatever. I suggested that we do fun things with the logo like different
permutations of the logo on different parts of the site, or changing the logo
out for holidays or whatever.

The CEO just berated the hell out of me. He said that was the worst idea he
had ever heard, and that any serious and successful company NEVER EVER EVER
changes how their brand looks and is presented and gave me all sorts of
examples of how all "real" companies have elaborate and detailed documents
explaining the only acceptable way to display the company's name and/or logo
in every possible scenario.

So every time Google (or anyone else) does this sort of thing, I feel a small
rush of vindication.

------
JonathanStanton
Lean on Me: <http://goo.gl/doodle/ubOZ>

~~~
delinquentme
awesome!

------
nostrademons
Best viewed with sound on.

Also, you can save and share your compositions. I'm not quite proficient with
doodle-guitar, but here's a couple seconds of noodling around:

<http://goo.gl/doodle/vN4K>

------
BSeward
It looks like Alexander Chen played a large role in this. He was responsible
for the NYC MTA conductor piece that made the rounds earlier this year:
<http://blog.chenalexander.com/2011/conductor-mta/>

Cool to see how this concept and code have evolved into something new.

------
magicseth
Talk about attention to detail: if you have headphones you can tell that the
audio shifts from left to right, based on where your mouse is. Try different
spots on the long string in the middle for the best effect.

------
51Cards
Adding another comment after my one below. I couldn't get the record button
(just a keyboard button) and thought it might be because I am in Canada. To
test I remoted into our server in Texas and opened the doodle from there...
presto, a record button... on IE7 no less. Looks like Google is distributing
different versions by region. Why? No clue.

Edit: This works on my Nexus One! Now THAT is cool.

------
tudorizer
Something is not ok for me. On all my browsers, I can play the chords and hear
the sounds, but I can not playback the recodings you guys shared. What gives?

~~~
tudorizer
Works now. I think the rest of the world got it with a delay :)

------
jabo
Wow, they've put in so much work just to amuse people! Saving the composition
takes this doodle to whole new level. It should be interesting to see if the
links to compositions remain valid after the doodle itself is taken down.

~~~
irahul
How did you save the composition? I can't figure it out.

~~~
chintanp
There is a record button hidden in second 'g' of Google doodle.

~~~
redthrowaway
Where? Care to point it out with a screenshot?

~~~
51Cards
I get the keyboard too, no ability to record or play back anyone's existing
tunes.... odd. Thought maybe it was because I am in Canada? Tried in FF and
Chrome.

~~~
dschobel
same here, no record or playback. Chrome 12.0.742.91 beta-m in Australia.

------
wayneyeager
My attempt at Dueling Banjos: <http://goo.gl/doodle/gsW2>

------
mumrah
Ironically, can't play the birthday song due to a lack of B-flat (could be
played in G, but not enough notes)

------
zarify
I have to be the only person who just didn't like this. Trying to get a class
full of teenagers to work when everyone was busy playing the guitar was a
headache :P

Beautiful and creative, sure, but having what's essentially persistent sound
in a web page just rubs me the wrong way.

------
x-sam
Recording and replaying sounds works only for US IP addresses. Also Firefox
3.5.8 doesn't work.

------
lostbit
Today (1 dat after) the record/play button started to work for me. I guess
they decided to make it available in other countries too. I finally could
listen to your compositions.

------
Mz
I have zero musical ability and was playing with this anyway. I think it is
one of the coolest google doodles ever. (Possibly THE coolest.)

------
akaak
Simply brilliant. I am sure this doodle going to bring some good bit of PR and
non-google search users (if there are any) to the Google home. They are
marketing/pr geniuses in using the tech. In hindsight, the doodle patent
(<http://mashable.com/2011/03/22/google-doodle-patent/>) looks very useful

------
somedude1234abc
Is this made with javascript?

~~~
catshirt
from a superficial look, it seems like the sound is actually being played
through flash. it looks like the doodle is canvas though, which suggests the
interface is in javascript.

too bad they didn't synthesize the sound with javascript as well. their web
audio api is great. firefox has a (somewhat) equivalent api. :)

~~~
smackfu
It really doesn't seem like sound playback is there yet, except in Flash.

~~~
catshirt
look more into the apis i referenced. not only is javascript playback _there_
, but even the synthesis is possible through javascript.

------
tintin
Looks like they were inspired by this: <http://www.mta.me/> (already mentioned
on HN)

~~~
tmgrhm
I dunno, I think they're more inspired by this: <http://d.pr/dQPu>

------
sahillavingia
Here's my attempt at Mary Had A Little Lamb: <http://goo.gl/doodle/1tEs>

~~~
z92
Recording and playback only works when one is browsing from the USA. I have
tried from both sides. Only after loading it from a USA IP it played back
successfully.

~~~
barrkel
I can confirm, doesn't work from UK IP but does work from USA.

------
betageek
Very nice but very frustrating that you can almost play "Happy Birthday"
except for 1 note missing!

~~~
evanrmurphy
Ah, you're right! Here's the first part <http://goo.gl/doodle/tdXk2>

------
Alterlife
I'm late to the party :) .

Labamba: <http://goo.gl/doodle/JQgc>

------
brown9-2
Creating these full-time must be an incredible blast:
[http://www.google.com/intl/ln/jobs/uslocations/mountain-
view...](http://www.google.com/intl/ln/jobs/uslocations/mountain-
view/product/doodle-engineer-mountain-view/index.html)

------
davidcollantes
It wasn't making any sound for me, then I realized it needed Flash. Very
nifty.

------
dsims
Mary Had a Little Lamb <http://goo.gl/doodle/3aEE>

Works on my Android phone too, even the keyboard (Motorola Droid). Can't press
the record button though.

------
moioci
This video shows how it's done:
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaeO99SbgFc&feature=youtu...](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaeO99SbgFc&feature=youtu.be)

------
Bogdanp
This is great. Too bad recording/playback doesn't work for people outside of
the US.

Here's the intro to "Redemption song" since I can't record it: a sd a fhgd
asdg dgdas.

------
evanrmurphy
"Rolling in the Deep", by Adele <http://goo.gl/doodle/DCvZJ>

------
malingo
Automated Chopsticks: <http://pastebin.com/tCpg7jjw>

------
tricky
Tik Tok by Ke$ha

<http://goo.gl/doodle/Yr6r>

~~~
zephjc
Telephone by Lagy Gaga <http://goo.gl/doodle/yXZK>

~~~
tricky
i like the cut of your jib - But, really, i think this is a good illustration
of what can be done with minimal notes. I've heard a few people complain about
not having sharps/flats. It might take a little more work, but there's still a
ton you can still do.

It also taught me that yes, i can play by ear just fine, but I am no good at
transposing real time. that's tough.

~~~
zephjc
I think this was ample, feature-wise, for a 1-day Google homepage logo :)

------
mbongiov
Simple Do-Re-Mi

<http://goo.gl/doodle/9giY>

------
oomkiller
This is excellent! You can really easily play "Ode to Joy" with it.

~~~
zbischof
I couldn't hit the low note :)

<http://goo.gl/doodle/eXKz>

~~~
oomkiller
Yeah it's all great until that point :)

~~~
rsbrown
I went an octave up: <http://goo.gl/doodle/4Bq1>

------
anony_moose16
random noodling <http://goo.gl/doodle/a85r>

------
kprobst
It works on Chrome but not on Firefox. Interesting.

~~~
r00fus
As other commenters mentioned, it requires flash for sound. Any flashblocker
or clicktoflash will render the page mute (like on my Safari). Maybe you have
one of those installed?

~~~
kprobst
Ah yes, Flashblock. I didn't see the little icon on the page, so it didn't
cross my mind.

Thanks for pointing that out.

------
cma
If Moe's can be successfully sued over using dead people's likenesses, how can
Google get away with _living_ people?

Do they have to get permission for each one?

~~~
nostrademons
Les Paul is dead. Died in 2009.

The only "living people" that get a doodle are you. Search from the homepage
on your own birthday when you're signed in, and if your Google Account has a
birthday associated with it, you'll get a special doodle.

