Singing Saw Simulator

Singing Saw Simulator is a unique musical experience in which you perform a fifteen minute composition as the lead soloist on the singing saw. A side-scrolling, note-matching, improvisation-laden experience, it might just be the performance of your lifetime.

The singing saw itself - also known as the “musical saw” - is a strange and unique instrument, capable of long, swooping glissandos very similar to the theremin. Like a theremin, it can be extremely difficult to play in tune due to the performer having little to guide them to the correct note; there are no fret markers, no black and white keys, and no open strings. To add to its difficulty, the singing saw is prone to falling sharp or flat (going out of tune) even once the correct note is found, the pitch continiously subject to the performer's breathing, posture changes, and micro-movements.

All of these annoying quirks of the instrument have absolutely been incorporated into the Singing Saw Simulator!

Played with only the mouse, the Singing Saw Simulator is sensitive to the player's movements across the screen, and does not “lock in” when you find the correct note. The player is thus treated to the experience of asking themselves the question that every (good) musician asks themselves constantly: am I in tune?

Points are awarded for “correct” notes, but no rewards are given for high scores. Instead, the game asks that you forget about points and envision the music as an experience; a performance in which you can relax and exercise your creativity in a safe space. To that end, the Singing Saw Simulator features several sections in which the player is encouraged to improvise across the 3 octave range of the saw. If that sounds scary to non-musicians, then don’t worry; it just means you can mess around and still get points!

And remember - if you can create a melody that sounds more pleasing to you than the written one, then please do so. The Singing Saw Simulator acts as a real instrument, so get creative and carve out your own place in musical history!

The backing track itself is an original piece of a music composed especially for the Singing Saw Simulator. It is genre-hopping fifteen minute epic, appropriately (but somewhat generously/ironically) titled “The Masterpiece”. You will be challenged to keep up as the piece moves from classical string quartet to New York soft jazz; from upbeat contemporary house to country and western; from horror soundtrack to the psychedelia of the 1960’s.

No matter the genre, each section maintains the central idea of keeping the solo instrument - the singing saw - at the front and center of the composition. It even has a metal section.

But don't just play through once - each successive playthrough will unlock a new timbre for the saw (think pedal effects if you're a guitarist).  There are up to ten available in-game, from distorted warbling ghost sound to human vocal chords! You can even change the sound mid-performance simply by scrolling the mouse wheel. Make the saw sing in a new way every time!

As if you didn’t have enough to contend with, how about being asked to fill out a survey rating your effectiveness as a performer mid-song? Or a quick game of whack a mole where each time you strike it produces a (probably out of tune) note? Or how about a rapid-fire round of tic-tac-toe?  

The Singing Saw Simulator acts as a very real instrument, so why not make the game windowed, open your media player of choice, and start playing along to some of your favorite songs? Freeplay mode is designed exactly for this purpose. It acts the same as the main gameplay mode except no song will play, allowing you to get creative outside of the confines of the game.

I bought a musical saw. It was difficult to play. I thought “Hey, this would make an interesting virtual experience!”

I also wanted an excuse to create a very long piece of music.

Finally, I wanted to make a game with some self-imposed limitations. In this case, it was a time limit and a two-tone color palette. All told, the Singing Saw Simulator took almost exactly two months to develop, including the composition of the music and the creation of this page and trailer. It was created in my free time.

I had fun creating it and I hope you will have fun too!