1. Pick your notes — type note names separated by commas in the Custom tab (e.g. C, D, E, F, G, A, B), or use the Preset Scales tab to choose a scale by root and type.
2. Set your pattern — in the Melodic Pattern box, type something like 3, -2. This means "up a third, then down a second." The pattern repeats automatically.
3. Read the grid — like sheet music, read left to right. Pitch runs vertically (higher = higher pitch), time runs horizontally. Each blue-tinted column marks where the pattern starts a new iteration. Yellow cells are notes in your scale or custom pitch collection, red cells are chromatic approach notes, purple cells are chromatic adjustment notes.
4. Hear it — open Audio Playback and hit Play.
The Grid
The Preview (small grid above the main output) shows one cycle of your pattern plus the first note of the next, so you can see how it connects back to itself. Both grids have independent zoom controls.
Other Options
Start On Scale Degree — which note in your scale the pattern begins on. 1 = first note, 2 = second, etc.
Repetitions — how many times the pattern repeats in the grid.
Display Mode — switch between Note Names, Scale Degrees, and Solfège. The latter two are only available in Preset Scales mode.
Sharing
Hit Share This Pattern to copy a link to your clipboard. It captures everything — scale, pattern, options, and audio settings.
Entering a Pattern — Numbers
Type integers separated by commas or spaces. Positive = up, negative = down. The number is the musical interval: 2 = a 2nd (one scale step), 3 = a third (two steps), -4 = down a fourth.
So 3, 3, -4 produces: starting note → up a third → up a third → down a fourth, then repeats.
← click to try it
Entering a Pattern — Names
Use whatever characters your scale contains — note names, numbers, solfège — with up or down between them. The tool calculates the intervals automatically.
Example with scale C D E F G A B: C up F down E down C up D
The first character sets the starting position
Two identical characters with no direction (A A) = repeat the note
A up A = up one full octave
upup / downdown = add extra octaves
Commas between tokens are ignored
← click to try it
Chromatic Approach Notes
( before a step = include an additional pitch a half step below target; ) = half step above. These appear as red cells in the grid.
"Chromatic approach" is for a half step below a target, immediately landing on the target. For example, in the C major scale, assuming we start our pattern on the root, the input (3 will be read as "going up a third but approached chromatically" and the tool will produce the notes C (starting note) then D# to E.
← interval steps | click to try it
We could also get the same output by giving the input:
← note names | click to try it
Chromatic Adjustments
[ before a step = play a note a half step below indicated note, INSTEAD of indicated note; ] = half step above. These appear as purple cells. The pattern's internal position is unaffected — the next step departs as if the unshifted note had been played.
"Chromatic adjustments" are for lines where we want a chromatic note, but do not want it to immediately resolve. For example if we wanted the notes, in the C major scale, C E D♭ E D:
← interval steps | click to try it
← note names | click to try it
Longer example — if we wanted to produce C → D# → E → F# → A → A → G:
← interval steps | click to try it
← note names | click to try it
Audio Playback
Waveform — choose the sound type. Plunky is piano-like; Sine, Square, Sawtooth, and Stac.Synth are synth waveforms; Night Driving and Day Driving are atmospheric synth tones.
Accents — the first note of each repetition is automatically played louder. You can also manually accent any note by placing * before it in the pattern (e.g. 4, 4, -5, *4, 4, -8).
Tempo — playback speed in BPM. Starting Octave — the tool auto-sets this but you can override it.
Scale / Pitch Collection
Enter note names separated by commas (all characters accepted)
Root Note
Melodic Pattern
Numbers: intervals between steps. Positive = up, negative = down. The number is the musical interval (3 = a third = 2 scale steps). click to try it ↓
← up a third → up a third → down a fourth, repeats
Names: use whatever characters your scale uses (note names, numbers, solfège) with up or down between them. First character sets the starting position. Commas optional. click to try it ↓
Repeated notes: two identical characters in a row (A A) = repeat. upup / downdown = add an octave.
Accents:* before a step = play that note louder. The first note of each repetition is accented automatically; use * to accent others too. click to try it ↓
← accent on the down step
← same idea, note names
Chromatic Options
Chromatic approach:( before a step = include an additional pitch a half step below target; ) = half step above. Red cells.
"Chromatic approach" is for a half step below a target, immediately landing on the target. For example, in the C major scale, assuming we start our pattern on the root, the input (3 will be read as "going up a third but approached chromatically" and the tool will produce the notes C (starting note) then D# to E. click to try it ↓
← interval steps
We could also get the same output by giving the input: click to try it ↓
← note names
Chromatic adjustments:[ before a step = play a note a half step below indicated note, INSTEAD of indicated note; ] = half step above. Purple cells.
"Chromatic adjustments" are for lines where we want a chromatic note, but do not want it to immediately resolve. For example if we wanted the notes, in the C major scale, C E D♭ E D we would use either the stepwise input: click to try it ↓
← interval steps
or the note name input of: click to try it ↓
← note names
Longer example for both approaches:
Assuming C major scale, if we wanted to produce a pattern that starts with the notes:
C → D# → E → F# → A → A → G
we could use either of these inputs: click to try it ↓
← interval steps
← note names
Tempo (BPM)
Octave
Waveform
Volume
50%
Pattern Output
Pattern will appear here automatically
Other Options
Start On Scale Degree
1 = root, 2 = 2nd, etc.
Repetitions
Times to repeat pattern
Iteration Re-Start Options
Every N reps
restart interval from origin
Every N reps, the pattern restarts from a new note. The offset is relative to the previous restart — e.g. 3 restarts a third higher each time. You can also supply a list: 4, -5, -2 means +4th, then −5th, then −2nd, then loops. Leave blank to disable.
Expanded pattern — copy & paste into the pattern box to edit further
Display Mode
Solfège and Scale Degrees only available when using Preset Scales (but you can enter whatever characters you want in Custom/Manual mode)
