Scales

Finding the right notes can be hard... scales are here to help!

What is a scale?

A scale is a labeled set of notes that go well together. Strudel lets you pick a scale and then use simple numbers that always sound good.

Use a scale

strudel
setcpm(60)
n("0 2 4 <[6,8] [7,9]>")
.scale("C:minor").sound("piano")

Try out different numbers - any number should sound good!

Try different scales

• C:major
• A2:minor
• D:dorian
• G:mixolydian
• A2:minor:pentatonic
• F:major:pentatonic

strudel
setcpm(60)
n("0 2 4 5 4 2").scale("C:major").sound("piano")

Automate the scale

Just like anything else, the scale can be a pattern:

strudel
setcpm(60)
n("<0 -3>, 2 4 <[6,8] [7,9]>")
.scale("<C:major D:mixolydian>/4")
.sound("piano")

If you have no idea what these mean, don't worry - they're just labels for sets of notes. Take your time and find scales you like!

How n + scale works

• n("0 2 4") - small numbers are scale degrees.
• .scale("C:minor") - the scale to interpret them in.
• 0 is the first note, 1 the second, etc.

TL;DR

• .scale("C:minor") maps n numbers to in-scale notes.
• Any number you pick sounds good in the scale.
• Scales can be automated with patterns like <C:major D:mixolydian>/4.