Welcome to Qardence, a system using MangoTrain's Quards for translating visual geometry into sonic identity. These tiles can be printed on premium qardstock, ensuring that your compositions have both physical and musical weight.

By arranging these hexagonal units, you aren't just playing a game; you are practicing Qardination – the art of mapping “hexture” and flow through symbolic alignment.

Before you begin your first “Compositional Cast,” familiarise yourself with the structural “hexture” of your deck:

• The Ornate (Flow-Glyphs): These represent Legato movements. Their curvy nature suggests a “winding” melody.
• The Geometric (Point-Glyphs): These represent Staccato movements. Sharp lines and dots suggest rhythmic “stabs.”
• The Void (Low-Density): Qards with 1 glyph or 0 (joker) represent Roots or Rests.

The number of glyphs on a qard determines its Scale Degree, while the colour temperature determines the Chord Quality:

Place a single 1-Glyph Qard (I) in the centre to set your key. Cool for Minor, Warm for Major.

• Flat-to-Flat: A flush connection indicates a Consonant interval (a 3rd or a 5th.)
• Point-to-Point: Touching only at the vertex indicates a Dissonant interval (a 2nd or 7th.)

   Flat-to-Flat (Consonant)       Point-to-Point (Dissonant)
        ___   ___   ___                ___
       / I \ /iii\ / V \              / ii\
       \___/ \___/ \___/              \___/
                                           \
                                            \___   ___
                                            / I \ /vii\
                                            \___/ \___/

Consonant Path (Flat-to-Flat): Dissonant Path (Point-to-Point):

• Monochromatic Layers: Stacking same-coloured qards creates an inversion or harmonic depth within the same chord.
• Chromatic Clashes: Placing opposing colours (e.g., Red vs. Blue) signals a modulation.

Monochromatic (Layered)           Chromatic Clash (Modulation)
          ___                               ___         ___
         /iii\                             / I \  >>   / I \
         \___/                             \___/       \___/
           |                               (Blu)       (Red)
          ___                             Eb-Minor    C-Major
         / I \                           (1st Root)  (2nd Root)
         \___/

Monochromatic Layering: Chromatic Clash (Modulation):

• The Hive Mind: Build a progression where every qard touches at least three others. This forces a “Choral” sound.

         ___
     ___/ Q \___
    / Q \___/ Q \
    \___/ Q \___/
    / Q \___/ Q \
    \___/ Q \___/
        \___/

• The Spectrum Run: Start with the darkest qard and end with the lightest. Bridge the tonal gap using only 5 qards.

  [Black] -- [Deep Blue] -- [Grey] -- [Tan] -- [White]

• The Magic Mirror: Build a visually symmetric pattern. For an example, play the left wing, the head (I), hit the body (rest), then the right wing (reverse.)

      (LEFT WING)     (HEAD)     (RIGHT WING)
       ___   ___        ___        ___   ___
      / V \ /iii\      / I \      /iii\ / V \
      \___/ \___/      \___/      \___/ \___/
          \ /            |            \ /
         ( ii)         (VOID)        ( ii)
          / \            |            / \
    Legato Flight      Chord      Staccato Flutter

Symmetrical Butterfly:

Hold a handful of qards 12 inches above the table and release. The resulting “hexture” on the table is your musical score.

• The Pile-Up: Overlapping qards are played as a Cluster Chord.
• The Loners: A qard that flew far away is a Solo Outlier (play at a high or low octave.)
• The Orientation: Upside-down cards become jokers (roots.)

Look at the empty spaces between the qardstock. These are your Rests.

It is important to leave these rules up to your imagination – place special care in to the meaning of these through your personal intention of the piece.