Other Notes On John Zorn's Cobra

Cobra Notes
from David Slusser
Introduction
Bearing some relationship to a "capture-the-flag" kid's game, John Zorn boiled down a lot of
improvisational strategies and organized them in arrays of systems that could easily be cued with simple
gestures. There is not a conductor, per se, but a prompter, who recognizes calls made by members of the
ensemble. The prompter then holds up the corresponding, color-coded cue card for that operation, so all
the ensemble can see and prepare, then gives the downbeat for it to occur. The score lists the action for
that card, and the hand signal the ensemble member must give to request it. It's up to the members of the
ensemble to shape and guide the piece, and the competing strategies give each reading a unique form.
The play starts with the prompter waiting for ensemble members to raise their hands with a suggested
cue. The prompter chooses someone; the player communicates by pointing to a body part from the score
to indicate a certain improvisational system, with a number of fingers raised to define the action to be
taken within the system. In some cases, the player also communicates specific players for that cue.
When everybody's on board, the prompter lowers the card in a clear downbeat to start the music. It's
immediately permitted, but not always good taste, for any player to now make another call. When to
recognize the next call is the discretion of the prompter. The addition of Guerrilla Systems allows a
player to become a renegade and play as he/she chooses, or to take on compadres and subvert the entire
proceedings. Guerrilla Systems are halted by stealth from the rest of the ensemble in a throat slitting
gesture to the prompter that must go undetected by the Guerillas. The game then takes up where it left
off. The play ends with the cueing of one of three end cues, which the prompter will give three chances
to be countermanded. A typical "Cobra" lasts anywhere from one to fifteen minutes, with several
"Cobras" making up a performance.
At this point, a reading of the following annotated score should get you going. In addition, here is a
colored clean up of Zorn's original 1 page score, which doesn't explain anything, but is a good cheat-
sheet for performers.
Links
Wikipedia has a short overview with some good information.

An interview with Zorn in which he gives an overview of how it all works.
At the same site, there is a bunch of reviews of recordings of several game pieces, including
Cobra.
The Art of Cobra describes the "Portland Rules", a simplified version of Cobra, in a fair bit of
detail.
Room 101 Games is a Toronto gaming (not music!) group that teaches Cobra to general
audiences.
Here is a bunch of reviews of recordings of several game pieces, including Cobra.
Cobra
1. POOL players not playing may come in; players already playing
stop or radically change the quality of what they are
playing
2. RUNNER caller selects players to come in at downbeat, others stop
MOUTH 3. SUBSTITUTE those playing must stop; those not playing must come in
4. SUB CROSSFADE those playing fade out while those not playing fade in
1. DUOS choose someone to play with, any length, any number of

times
2. TRADES chains of traded solos by pointing, anyone can start another
NOSE up
3. EVENTS 1, 2 or 3 one, two or three singular sonic occurrences at will
4. BUDDIES like duos, but once
1. CARTOON TRADES loud, outlandish gesture, pass to anyone

EYE
2. ORDERED to left or right
CARTOON TRADES
with guests player can draft one or more to join their turn
1. G=G same group of players radically change the music at

downbeat
EAR 2. M=M players pick substitutes who try to play the same music
3. VOLUME crescendo, decrescendo or abrupt change as prompted
1. SOUND MEMORY 1 write down what you're playing; reproduce when called
HEAD 2. SOUND MEMORY 2 a second set
3. SOUND MEMORY 3 a third; any memory number can be recalled
1. CUT silence, as abrupt ending to the piece
2. CODA 5 to 10 second resolution, natural ending; stop on final

PALM
downbeat
3. HOLD & FADE at downbeat, sustain your note and decay
Palm cues can be flagged off up to 3 times by making another non-ending call.
GUERRILLA SYSTEMS
Lone Renegade just dons a headband and does as they please ... or
SQUAD LEADER + 2 guerrilla raises fist and chooses 2 cohorts whose primary duty is to watch out
for a spy, who can end their reign with an undetected throat slitting gesture to the prompter, who'll hold
up a ? sign to ask the guerillas who did it. They can all impose the following tactics on the rest of the
group:
TACTICS
1. Imitate indefinite (crooked finger "come here" & indicate who)
2. Trade indefinite (point back & forth to indicate participants)
3. Hold either (flat palm drawn horizontally; long tone)
4. Capture to downbeat (thumbs up directed at a player cuts them)
5. Switch/crossfade to downbeat (circles with pointing finger) replace given players
OPERATIONS (Squad Leader only makes calls)

FIST DIVISI squad leader tactics (as above & can call solos over bg)
Locus Unit (cut to the Guerrilla trio, who use hand cues) then return to the
INTERCUT
previous sound and players
Unit (can substitute an alternate player) genre playing. Starts as solo in
FENCING
recognizable style, next player joins in constrasting genre. No silence.
GUERRILLA UNIT LIFE SPAN: 7 Downbeats
SPY may cut unit during OPERATIONS ONLY if unidentified.
Unit members may cut at any time
end of Divisi superimposition back to regular system
Some Locus Hand Cues

thumb = stop
hand = rhythm
finger = pip
hand = drone
back & forth = trade
one = intercut
cut = change
John Zorn Oct 9 1984 NYC

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Cobra Notes

from David Slusser

Wikipedia has a short overview with some good information.

1. DUOS choose someone to play with, any length, any number of

4. BUDDIES like duos, but once

1. CARTOON TRADES loud, outlandish gesture, pass to anyone

1. G=G same group of players radically change the music at

3. VOLUME crescendo, decrescendo or abrupt change as prompted

HEAD 2. SOUND MEMORY 2 a second set

3. SOUND MEMORY 3 a third; any memory number can be recalled

1. CUT silence, as abrupt ending to the piece

2. CODA 5 to 10 second resolution, natural ending; stop on final

2. Trade indefinite (point back & forth to indicate participants)

3. Hold either (flat palm drawn horizontally; long tone)

4. Capture to downbeat (thumbs up directed at a player cuts them)

5. Switch/crossfade to downbeat (circles with pointing finger) replace given players

OPERATIONS (Squad Leader only makes calls)

Some Locus Hand Cues

back & forth = trade

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