Musictool — conversions for score, studio and stage

Pitch

Frequency, notation, intervals and temperament

For players

12-EDO nearest

24-EDO nearest

0.0 ¢

MIDI note69

MIDI exact69.000

Cents off 12-EDO0.0

Cents off 24-EDO0.0

Period2.273 ms

Wavelength 20°C0.781 m

Nearest tempered pitch of the frequency you type, against the reference above. ↑ marks a quarter-tone (+50 ¢) above the letter name.

Tuner

live input · autocorrelation · against the reference above

—

cents

A4 = 440 Hz —

Note—

Deviation—

Frequency—

Target—

Needs a click to start — the browser will ask for microphone access.

Note → frequency

f = A4 · 2^((n − 69)/12)

Note

Octave

Offset ¢

Frequency—

MIDI—

Period—

Wavelength—

—

MIDI ↔ frequency

two-way · fractional note numbers allowed

MIDI note

Frequency Hz

Name—

Pitch bend ¢—

Octave up—

Octave down—

—

Note 60 is middle C. Every 12 notes doubles the frequency; every 1 note is 100 ¢.

Transpose

f₂ = f₁ · 2^((semitones + ¢/100)/12)

Source Hz

Semitones

Cents

Result—

From—

To—

Ratio—

—

Transposing instruments

written C sounds the instrument's key · concert ↔ written, with the key signature

Instrument

Note

Octave

Concert key

You enter—

You get—

Transposition—

Concert pitch—

Written key—

Key signature—

—

Every transposing instrument in this key

Instrument	Sounds	Written C sounds	Written key	Signature

Harmonic series

notated, with the deviation from equal temperament · click any note to hear it

Fundamental

Octave

Partials

Show

—

Every partial in detail

Partial	Ratio	Note	Frequency	Cents over the fundamental	Off equal temperament

String harmonics

where the nodes fall on the string · partial 1 is the open string itself

String

Open string

Octave

Length mm

Partial

—

Finger this interval—

Touch ratio—

Sounds—

Touch position, exactly—

Frequency—

Above the string—

Off equal temperament—

Usable nodes—

First node—

Node spacing—

—

Every node in detail

Node	Fraction	From nut	From bridge	Stopped interval	Stopped pitch there	What it sounds

Frequency ↔ wavelength

λ = c / f · c = 331.3 + 0.606 · T

Frequency Hz

Wavelength m

Air °C

Speed of sound—

Half λ—

Quarter λ—

Delay per λ—

Quarter λ is the distance from a wall where that frequency cancels hardest — useful for placing mics, monitors and traps.

Playback speed → pitch

¢ = 1200 · log₂(speed)

Speed %

Ratio

Source length s

Shift ¢—

Semitones—

A440 becomes—

New length—

EDO / microtonal table

step k of n-EDO: f = root · 2^(k/n)

Divisions per octave

Steps shown

Preset

Root note

Root octave

Root offset ¢

Root Hz

Root pitch—

Step size—

Best fifth 3/2—

Best third 5/4—

The whole table

Step	Cents	Ratio	Frequency	Nearest 12-EDO	Error ¢

Harmony

Tonicising a chord — its own ii and dominant — and substituting that dominant

For players

Intervals

build one from a root, or name the one between two notes · spelling decides: F–B is an augmented fourth, F–C♭ a diminished fifth

Root

Octave

Interval

Direction

—

Interval—

Semitones—

Inversion—

Character—

Against just intonation—

—

Scales

a curated collection, not the whole world · tempered scales are notated, microtonal ones measured in cents

Root

Scale

Notes—

Degrees—

Steps—

Tones—

Family—

—

Circle of fifths

click any key · the ring shows what lies a fifth away, the inner ring its relative minor

—

Key—

Signature—

Relative—

Parallel—

Dominant—

Subdominant—

—

Degrees ↔ functions Beta

roman numerals and Riemann function symbols · the two describe the same chord from different sides, and they do not always agree one to one

Key

Mode

Sequence

—

The whole table

Chord ↔ scale

which scale fits a jazz chord · chord tones, tensions and the one note to leave alone

Root

Chord

Scale

Chord tones—

Tensions—

Avoid—

Scale—

—

Chord builder

every chord of a kind on one root · click a card to hear it

Root

Playback

Arpeggio

—

Cadences

the four closing formulas, realised in four parts · click a chord to hear it

Key

Mode

Seventh on the dominant

Name—

Ending—

Bass—

Closes on—

Positions—

—

Secondary ii — V7 — target

borrow the target's own supertonic and dominant · ii7/x is minor, iiø7/x when the target is minor · click a chord to hear it

Key

Mode

From

—

→

Secondary ii

—

→

Secondary dominant

—

→

Target

—

Chromatic in ii—

Chromatic in V7—

ii 7th → V 3rd—

Tritone—

3rd resolves—

7th resolves—

Every tonicisable chord in this key

Target	Chord	Secondary ii	Secondary dominant	V7 notes	Chromatic	Tritone

Tritone substitution

subV7 — the dominant a half step above its target · same tritone, chromatic bass · click a chord to hear it

Key

Mode

Resolving to

Substitutes for—

Shared tritone—

Root motion—

Chromatic tones—

Strict spelling—

—

Typical tensions on this subV7

Chord	Adds	R	3	5	♭7	9	♯11	13

Backdoor dominant

♭VII7 — borrowed from the parallel minor · no leading tone, ♭6 falls to 5 instead · click a chord to hear it

Key

Mode

Resolving to

Front door for comparison—

Chromatic tones—

♭7 falls to 5—

3rd rises to 3rd—

Bass—

♯11 is the target 3rd—

—

Diatonic modulation — pivot chord

chords belonging to both keys · the pivot is heard in the old key and reinterpreted in the new · click a chord to hear it

From — key

mode

To — key

mode

Pivot

Pivot heard twice—

Common chords—

Distance—

Cadence that confirms the new key—

Relationship—

New key signature—

—

Every chord the two keys share

Chord	In the old key	In the new key	As a pivot

Chord analyser Beta

live input · chroma with harmonic suppression, plus a separate bass search

Hold last reading

—

no signal

Bass—

Confidence—

Pitch classes heard—

Window—

Needs a click to start — the browser will ask for microphone access.

Composition

Systems that order pitches — the twelve-tone matrix and every arrangement of a small set

For composers

Twelve-tone matrix

the row and its 48 forms · the same grid read as numbers, as letters or as notes

Numbering

Row — click the twelve pitch classes in order

Prime—

Intervals—

Selected—

Property—

—

Combinations — after Kircher

choose up to six pitches and read every order they can take · six notes give 720, the number Mersenne tabulated in 1636

Pitches — click to add, in any order

Largest leap

Begins on

Ends on

Reduce

Pitches—

All orders—

After filtering—

Selected—

—

Bitonal chords Beta

one triad against all twenty-four others · shared tones, semitone frictions and how the pair actually sounds

Lower triad

Quality

Sort by

Pair—

Distinct tones—

Shared—

Semitone frictions—

Roots apart—

Voicing—

—

Infinity series — Nørgård

one rule, endless melody · every second note gives its inversion, every fourth the series itself

Starting note

Length

Show inside it

One step is

Tempo ♩=

—

First sixteen—

Range—

Distinct pitches—

Duration—

—

Euclidean rhythms Beta

k onsets spread as evenly as possible over n steps · the same construction turns up in traditional music across the world

Onsets k

Steps n

Rotate

Tempo ♩=

Step is

—

Pattern—

Gaps—

Even—

Cycle—

—

Pitch-class sets Beta

normal order, prime form and interval vector · what a collection of notes is, independent of register, spelling and transposition

Pitch classes — click to add or remove

Cardinality—

Normal order—

Prime form—

Interval vector—

Symmetry—

Complement—

Z-partner—

—

Motif transformations Beta

enter a motif, then stretch, compress, transpose or reverse it · rhythm and pitch are changed independently

Note value

Keyboard — click a key to add that note

drop a .musicxml or .xml file here to read its first voice as the motif

Transpose

Interval factor

Rhythm factor

Reverse

Quarter tones

Notes—

Original—

Transformed—

Ambitus—

Length—

—

Micropolyphony — mensuration canon Beta

one motif in several voices, each in its own time measure · the method of Ligeti's Lux aeterna

Note value

Keyboard — click a key to add that note

Layers — one number per voice

Transpose each voice by

Entries

Show

Voices—

Motif—

Voice lengths—

They meet again after—

Statements—

—

Mixtures — planing Beta

chords that follow a melody in parallel · tonal, real, variable or distance mixture, in close position below or above the line

Melody — click keys, repeats allowed, up to 50 notes

Mixture type

Tonic

Scale

Chord type

Stacking — intervals above the lowest tone

Chord lies

Mixture type—

Chord structure—

Structure of the shift—

Chords—

Outside the scale—

—

Tempo

Beats, bars, milliseconds and samples

For players

Visual metronome

shares its tempo with the table below · space starts and stops · F for fullscreen

BPM

Beats per bar

Subdivision

Click Accent bar 1

120 bpm bar 1
beat 1 of 4

120 bpm

Bar1

Beat1

Beat length500.00 ms

Step length500.00 ms

Elapsed0:00.0

BPM → note values

quarter note ms = 60000 / BPM · dotted ×1.5 · triplet ×⅔

BPM

Sample rate

Quarter note

— taps

Value	Straight ms	Dotted ms	Triplet ms	Hz	Samples

Type in either BPM or quarter note — they track each other. The Hz column is the LFO rate that matches the straight value.

Tempo markings ↔ BPM

conventional ranges · they overlap on purpose, because the words carry character as well as speed

Marking

BPM

Modifier

Marking—

Range—

Typical—

Meaning—

German—

French—

—

The whole range chart

Marking	Meaning	Range	20 — 210 BPM

Tuplets — how to write them

n in the time of m · which note value to use, and what the bracket must say

Divide a

dotted

into n

in the time of

Tempo ♩=

Write it as—

Bracket—

Each note—

Whole group—

Against the plain note—

—

Talea & color — isorhythm

a rhythm of one length against a pitch series of another · they meet again after the least common multiple, and not before

Talea — durations

Color — pitches in semitones

Unit

Metre

Tempo ♩=

—

Talea—

Color—

Cycle—

Talea turns—

Color turns—

Bars—

Duration—

Cycle length—

—

Polyrhythm study

x against y across one cycle · common grid = LCM(x, y)

Ratio x : y

BPM

Beats per bar

Beat unit

Cycle spans

Hear the grid Number the grid

Common grid—

Grid unit—

Count grid at—

They meet—

Cycle length—

Attacks per cycle—

Voice A—

A note length—

A pulse—

Voice B—

B note length—

B pulse—

—

Tempo change

enter two tempi · reduce T₂ : T₁ to p : q · split the old beat into p, and q of those parts is the new beat

Tempo before

…counted in

Meter before

Tempo after

…counted in

Meter after

Keep the ratio within

How to count it

—

Ratio used—

Exact ratio—

Lands on—

Off wanted by—

Change—

Common pulse—

Old beat ÷ p—

New beat ÷ q—

Bar before—

Bar after—

—

Other ratios that come close

How to count it	Pivot	Ratio	Lands on	Off by	To execute

Bars ↔ duration

seconds = bars · beats · (4/denominator) · 60/BPM

BPM

Beats/bar

Beat unit

Bars

Duration m:s.ms

Seconds—

Total beats—

One bar—

Bars per minute—

Enter bars or a duration — the other side follows. Fractional bars are allowed.

Samples ↔ seconds

samples = seconds · sample rate

Sample rate

Samples

Seconds

Milliseconds—

Timecode-ish—

One sample—

Distance in air—

Sample-accurate edits: 1 ms at 48 kHz is 48 samples. Round to whole samples before nudging.

Level

Amplitude, gain and loudness

For techs

dBFS ↔ amplitude

dB = 20 · log₁₀(amplitude)

dBFS

Linear (0–1)

Percent—

16-bit value—

24-bit value—

Headroom to 0—

Gain change ↔ ratio

amplitude ×2 = +6.02 dB · power ×2 = +3.01 dB

Gain dB

Amplitude ×

Power ×—

Percent change—

Perceived—

Bits equivalent—

Roughly +10 dB reads as “twice as loud”; +6 dB doubles the waveform but only nudges perceived loudness.

Loudness — LUFS to target

gain = target LUFS − measured LUFS · 1 LU = 1 dB

Measured LUFS-I

Measured true peak dBTP

Delivery target

Target LUFS

Peak ceiling dBTP

Apply gain—

Resulting true peak—

Over ceiling by—

Loudness range left—

Linear factor—

—

Files

Size, duration and a sanity check

For techs

File-size sanity checker

bytes = sample rate · channels · (bit depth / 8) · seconds

Sample rate

Bit depth

Channels

Duration m:s

Expected size—

Same in MiB—

Data rate—

Per minute—

Max before 4 GiB—

Actual file size

Unit

Card / drive GB

Implied duration—

Ratio to expected—

Fits on card—

Enter an actual size to have the numbers checked against your settings.

Picture

Frames, timecode and drop-frame arithmetic

For techs

Frames ↔ time

seconds = frames / frame rate

Frame rate

Frames

Seconds

One frame—

Milliseconds—

Samples @48k—

As h:m:s.f—

—

SMPTE timecode

hh:mm:ss:ff ↔ frame count ↔ wall-clock

Frame rate

Drop frame

Timecode

Total frames

Timecode clock—

Real elapsed—

Drift—

Audio samples @48k—

—

Timecode arithmetic

A ± B, and the distance between two hits

Frame rate

Drop frame

Operation

Result—

Result frames—

Result seconds—

Bars @ 120 BPM 4/4—