Harken Composer is a comprehensive multitrack notation and playback tool for the Harken Music System. Write music using numeric pitch notation (0-11 relative to your tonic), create arrangements with up to 8 simultaneous staves, add chord symbols, assign different instruments, and export professional lead sheets in traditional notation.
Format: [beats/note-value] or [beats/note-value:subdivision]
Examples:
[4/4] — 4 quarter-note beats (4 slots per bar — this is the default)[3/4] — 3 quarter-note beats (waltz)[6/8] — 6 eighth-note beats (compound meter)[4/4:8] — 4/4 with 8 subdivisions per bar (eighth-note grid)[4/4:12] — 4/4 with 12 subdivisions per bar (triplet grid)[4/4:7] — 4/4 with 7 subdivisions (septuplets)Default: If no time signature is written in measure 1, the composition defaults to 4/4 with 4 slots (quarter-note grid). The meter selector shows your current setting.
Subdivision: Optional. Use for eighth-note grids (:8), triplets (:12), or polyrhythms. Most compositions use the default 4-slot quarter-note grid.
What are slots?
Slots are the smallest rhythmic units in a measure — like a grid. By default in 4/4, each beat is one slot (quarter note), giving you 4 slots per bar. This is the standard for most music.
Default slot grids:
[4/4] → 4 slots (1 per beat, quarter-note grid) — DEFAULT[3/4] → 3 slots (1 per beat, quarter notes)[6/8] → 6 slots (1 per eighth)When to use explicit subdivisions:
[4/4:8] gives 2 slots per beat (eighth-note grid)[4/4:12] gives 3 slots per beat (triplet eighths)[4/4:5] or [4/4:7] for quintuplets or septuplets[4/4] — the default 4-slot quarter-note grid works perfectlyIgnore subdivisions if:
You're writing standard quarter-note melodies and rhythms. The 4/4 default handles this beautifully.
0-11: Chromatic scale starting from your tonic.
Example (Tonic = C):
Chords/Arpeggios: Separate pitches with commas: 0,4,7 (C major triad)
Format: [root][quality][alterations][duration]
What are chord symbols? A shorthand notation for chords that appears in the Chord Row (top row with yellow labels). Perfect for jazz standards, lead sheets, and harmonic notation. Use the Control Panel → Chords tab for visual entry of chord symbols.
Examples:
0maj7w — C major 7 chord, whole note7dom7h — G dominant 7 chord, half note2min7q — D minor 7 chord, quarter note0dom7b9#11h — C7♭9♯11, half note (altered dominant)!w — no chord (displays as "N.C." on lead sheet), whole note~w — sustain previous chord, whole noteCommon chord qualities:
maj or blank — major triad (e.g., 0w or 0majw)min — minor triaddom7 or dom — dominant 7thmaj7 — major 7thmin7 — minor 7thmin7b5 — half-diminished (ø7)dim, dim7 — diminished chordsaug — augmented triadsus2, sus4 — suspended chordsmaj9, dom9, min9, maj11, dom11, min11, maj13, dom13, min13Alterations: Add after quality: b9, #9, #11, b13, #5, b5
Example: 0dom7b9#11w = C7♭9♯11, whole note
Where to use: The top row (yellow measure labels) is the Chord Row — dedicated exclusively to chord symbols. Use it alongside melodic staves below for complete arrangements.
Letters (additive):
w — whole noteh — half noteq — quarter notee — eighth notes — sixteenth note. — dot (adds 50% duration)Examples:
0h — pitch 0, half note4q. — pitch 4, dotted quarter7w — pitch 7, whole note0qe — pitch 0, quarter + eighth (3 eighths total)5s. — pitch 5, dotted sixteenthDefault: If no duration letter, note gets one quarter-note slot (one beat in 4/4).
* — rest (quarter-note slot in 4/4)*h — half-note rest*q — quarter-note rest*w — whole-note rest^ — up one octave_ — down one octaveExamples:
0^ — pitch 0, one octave higher7_ — pitch 7, one octave lower' — play note at 20% of its written duration (sharp, detached)Example: 0' — staccato quarter note
~ — sustain previous pitch without re-attack (tie symbol)Examples:
0q~q — quarter note tied to another quarter (half note total)|0h.| |~e,7,4,2,5| — dotted half tied across barline to eighth| — measure separator (optional, visual/code only)Example: |0,4,7| or 0,4,7 (both valid)
Harken Composer supports up to 8 simultaneous staves plus a dedicated Chord Track for complete ensemble arrangements.
Track structure:
How to manage staves: Click ⚙ Score button to open Score Panel and add/delete/configure staves.
Example multitrack setups:
The Control Panel is your unified command center for composition, mixing, visual entry, and chord symbols. Click ⚙ Control Panel to open, then choose from four tabs:
Global Settings (applies to all staves):
Staves List:
Grand Staff Auto-Bracing: When adjacent piano staves use different clefs (RH treble + LH bass), they automatically render as a braced grand staff on the lead sheet.
Channel strips (one per track):
Track order in mixer:
Visual pitch and duration entry palette for melodic staves.
Visual chord symbol entry palette for the chord track.
Tip: The Control Panel remembers your last-used tab and reopens there.
Each stave can use a different instrument from the FluidR3 GM soundfont library (128 instruments available).
How to assign: Open ⚙ Score Panel → select instrument from dropdown for each stave.
Common instruments:
piano (default), electric_piano, honky_tonk_pianoacoustic_bass, electric_bass_finger, electric_bass_pickacoustic_guitar, electric_guitar, electric_guitar_cleanviolin, viola, cello, contrabasstrumpet, trombone, french_horn, tubaflute, clarinet, oboe, alto_sax, tenor_saxdrums (standard kit)synth_lead, synth_pad, synth_bassPlayback tip: Each instrument sounds immediately on playback — no configuration needed beyond selection.
Type directly into measure fields. Fast for experienced users.
Example: [4/4]|0h,4q,7q|
Tips:
Click ⚙ Control Panel to access visual entry palettes:
Workflow: Click any measure to target it, then use Control Panel buttons to insert notation. The panel shows which measure you're editing.
Swing behavior:
What: A partial measure at the beginning (anacrusis/upbeat)
How to use:
Loop behavior: Pickup plays ONCE at start, then loops skip it (standard musical form)
Title: Click "Untitled Composition" to edit
Composer: Click "Composer" to edit
Both fields export with your .hkn file.
Export:
Import:
What: Converts your Harken numeric notation into traditional staff notation with chord symbols — perfect for sharing with traditional musicians.
How to use:
What gets rendered:
~)Perfect for:
Technical note: The Lead Sheet feature uses VexFlow to render notation. All tonic transpositions, time signatures, chord symbols, and rhythmic complexity are faithfully translated. Multitrack scores render all staves on the same page.
The Control Panel (⚙ button) is a unified workspace with four tabs for managing your composition:
Tabs:
How to use: Click ⚙ to open Control Panel, then select the tab you need. The panel stays open while you work — click X or press Escape to close.
Use ! in the Chord Row when you want to explicitly mark "no chord" — displays as N.C. (no chord) in the lead sheet.
Example:
!w — No chord for whole note (displays as "N.C." above staff)0maj7h, !h — Cmaj7 for 2 beats, then N.C. for 2 beatsWhen to use: Solo breaks, rubato passages, intro pickups, or anywhere harmony intentionally drops out.
When two adjacent staves both use piano as the instrument but have different clefs (one treble, one bass), Harken Composer automatically creates a grand staff with:
How to set up:
Tip: Name them "Piano (RH)" and "Piano (LH)" for clarity. Use drag handles (⋮⋮) to reorder if needed.
In the Control Panel → Score tab, each staff has a ⋮⋮ drag handle on the left. Click and drag to reorder staves. This changes:
Use cases:
Tip: Drag handles only appear when you have multiple staves. Order changes save with Export.
Geometric transformation operations that create variations of melodic material while preserving rhythmic structure. Transform any measure on staves 0-7 using mathematical operations derived from the dodecahedron mapping.
How to use:
Available transformations:
What transforms: Pitch numbers (0-11) only. All duration letters, octave modifiers, rests, ties, and staccato markings pass through unchanged.
Example:
|0q,4q,7q,10q||0q,8q,5q,2q|Combinatorial power: With 12 Reflections, 12 Rotations, and Retrograde, a single seed generates 288 distinct variations (12 × 12 × 2 = 288). Use for developing motivic material, creating variations, and systematic exploration of pitch space.
Note: Transform operates on melodic staves only (0-7). The Chord Track cannot be transformed.
Click the Sample button to load Giant Steps by John Coltrane — demonstrating multitrack notation, chord symbols, swing feel, and multiple instruments.
Use the sample to:
The sample is fully editable. Play it, study it, then make it your own.
Harken Composer doesn't auto-save. Use Export to save your compositions as .hkn files (JSON format).
Export:
Import:
Workflow tip: Export frequently as you work. Think of it like "Save As..." — create versions (draft1.hkn, draft2.hkn, final.hkn) so you can backtrack if needed.
[4/4][4/4:8] — most jazz and pop music[4/4:7]Close this guide and start composing!