Harken Super Composer is a unified music composition environment supporting both 12-TET (Western equal temperament) and 24-TET (quarter-tone microtonal) tuning systems. Write music using Harken Numeric Notation, create arrangements with up to 16 simultaneous tracks, assign different tuning systems per track, add Western chord symbols, and export professional lead sheets in traditional notation.
Key features: Each track can use either 12-TET or 24-TET independently, enabling hybrid compositions that blend Western harmony with microtonal exploration. The Chord Symbols track provides full Western chord symbol support (always 12-TET), and the Lead Sheet feature renders traditional notation when all tracks use 12-TET.
12-TET (12-tone equal temperament): Standard Western tuning with 12 semitones per octave. Pitch classes 0–11 map to C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B. All traditional instruments, chord symbols, and Lead Sheet export work in this mode.
24-TET (24-tone equal temperament): Microtonal tuning with 24 quarter-tones per octave. Each step is 50 cents (half of a semitone). Pitch classes 0–23 include all 12 semitones plus 12 intermediate quarter-tones. Lead Sheet export is blocked when any track uses 24-TET, as traditional notation cannot represent quarter-tones.
Tuning badges: Each track displays [12] or [24] in the score grid to show its current tuning. Set tuning in ⊞ Control Panel → Score tab → Tuning dropdown before adding a new track.
When to use each:
0dom7+w) in the Chord Symbols track for microtonal harmony.Format: [beats/note-value] or [beats/note-value:subdivision]
Examples:
[4/4] — 4 quarter-note beats (4 slots per bar, one note per beat)[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 — this is the startup default)[12/8:12] — 12/8 with 12 subdivisions (twelve eighth-notes)[12/8:24] — 12/8 with 24 subdivisions (twenty-four sixteenth-notes)Default: Every new score starts with [4/4:8] already stamped in measure 1 — a 4/4 bar on an eighth-note grid — so you can write rhythm right away. To use a different meter or subdivision, edit that header directly or pick new values from the Meter and Subdivision menus (either one restamps measure 1). A later measure left without its own header inherits the prevailing grid.
24-TET Note: A complete 24-pitch cycle requires 24 rhythmic slots. Use [12/8:12] for 24 eighth-notes across 2 measures, or [12/8:24] for 24 sixteenth-notes in 1 measure.
Default: A new score opens with a single measure, already stamped [4/4:8]. Add more only when your piece needs them — so an empty bar never counts off silent time during playback.
Adding: Raise the Measures number in the setup bar to append empty bars to the end of the score. Everything you've already notated is preserved.
Removing: Lower the Measures number to drop bars from the end. Empty bars go without a prompt; if a bar you're about to remove still has notation in it, the Composer asks you to confirm before deleting it.
12-TET Pitches (0-11): Standard chromatic scale starting from your tonic.
Example (Tonic = C, 12-TET):
24-TET Pitches (0-23): All 12 semitones plus 12 quarter-tones.
Quarter-Sharp Modifier (+): In 24-TET tracks, adds 50 cents (quarter-tone) to any pitch.
24-TET Examples:
0+ — C quarter-sharp (50¢ above C)6+ — F# quarter-sharp (50¢ above F#)10+ — A# quarter-sharp (50¢ above A#)Complete 24-TET chromatic scale:
0, 0+, 1, 1+, 2, 2+, 3, 3+, 4, 4+, 5, 5+, 6, 6+, 7, 7+, 8, 8+, 9, 9+, 10, 10+, 11, 11+
What are chord symbols? A shorthand notation for Western harmony that appears in the Chord Symbols track (top row with yellow labels). The Chord Symbols track supports both 12-TET chromatic chords and 24-TET spectral chords using the quarter-tone modifier.
Format: [root][quality][+][alterations][duration]
12-TET Examples (Chromatic Chords):
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 note24-TET Examples (Spectral Chords):
0dom7+w — Spectral C dominant 7: (0, 4+, 7+, 10+)w — root stays natural, intervals shift +50¢0maj7+w — Spectral C major 7: (0, 4+, 7+, 11+)w0min7+w — Spectral C minor 7: (0, 3+, 7+, 10+)w0maj+w — Spectral C major triad: (0, 4+, 7+)w0min+w — Spectral C minor triad: (0, 3+, 7+)wThe + Modifier: Three Usages
1. After root (quarter-sharp root): Detunes entire chord by +50 cents
0+dom7w — C quarter-sharp dominant 7 (detuned chord: 0+, 4+, 7+, 10+)3+maj7h — D# quarter-sharp major 7 (detuned chord: 3+, 7+, 10+, 2+)2. After quality (spectral chord): Root stays natural, intervals shift +50 cents (Tonic Anchor Principle)
0dom7+w — Spectral C dominant 7 (spectral chord: 0, 4+, 7+, 10+)0maj7+w — Spectral C major 7 (spectral chord: 0, 4+, 7+, 11+)3. Both modifiers combined: Quarter-sharp root AND spectral intervals
0+dom7+w — C quarter-sharp root + spectral upper structure (0+, 5, 8, 11): the root rides up +50¢ while the 3rd/5th/7th each rise a full semitone. The two + operators stack — they do not coincide.Spectral Chord Syntax: The single + modifier after the quality transforms ALL chord intervals (except the root) into quarter-tone extensions. This implements the Tonic Anchor Principle: the root (0) stays in 12-TET as the harmonic anchor, while thirds, fifths, and sevenths extend +50 cents into spectral space. This creates familiar bass foundation with shimmering microtonal color above.
Detuned vs Spectral:
0+dom7w): ALL pitches shift +50¢. The chord maintains 12-TET intervals but sounds a quarter-tone higher.0dom7+w): Root anchors in 12-TET, only the intervals (3rd, 5th, 7th) shift +50¢. Creates mixed 12-TET + quarter-tone sonority.Common chord qualities:
maj — major triadmin — minor triaddim, dim7 — diminished chordsaug, aug7 — augmented chordssus2, sus4 — suspended chordsdom7 or dom — dominant 7thmaj7, maj7#5 — major 7th chordsmin7, min7b5 (ø7), hdim7 (alt ø7) — minor 7th chordsminmaj7 — minor-major 7thmaj6, min6, maj69, min69 — sixth chordsmaj9, dom9, min9, minmaj9, aug9, maj9#5, dom9sus4maj11, dom11, min11, maj7#11, maj9#11maj13, dom13, min13, maj13#11add2, add4, add9, add11dom7sus4, maj7add4, maj7add6, maj9sus4 — 54 qualities totalAlterations: Add after quality: b9, #9, #11, b13, #5, b5, add2, add4, add6, add9, add11, add13
Visual entry: Use ⊞ Control Panel → Symbols tab with 34 quality buttons, 13 alteration buttons (including spectral +), 24 root buttons (12-TET 0-11 + 24-TET spectral 0+-11+), duration buttons, and special symbols.
What: Notation for multiple pitches sounding simultaneously within a melodic track (chords/intervals). Works in both 12-TET and 24-TET tracks.
Syntax: (pc1,pc2,pc3,...)duration
12-TET Examples:
(0,4,7)w — C major triad, whole note(0,3,7,10)h — C minor 7th, half note24-TET Examples (Spectral Harmony):
(0,3+,7,10)w — Spectral minor 7th (quarter-sharp 3rd), whole note(0+,4+,7+)q — Uniform quarter-sharp major triad, quarter note(2,6+,9)e — Mixed natural/quarter-sharp chord, eighth noteOctave shifts within chords: Apply ^ or v to individual pitches.
(0,4,7^)h — Major triad with high 5th(0v,3+,7,10)w — Spectral minor 7th with bass rootNote: Parenthetical notation is for melodic chords (simultaneous attacks in tracks). For harmonic symbols above the staff, use the Chord Symbols track.
What is Spectral Harmony?
The practice of selectively applying quarter-tone inflections to individual voices within traditional chord structures, creating timbral color while maintaining harmonic coherence. Use this technique in 24-TET tracks.
Techniques:
1. Mixed Natural + Quarter-Sharp: Use quarter-sharps on specific chord tones for spectral color.
(0,3+,7,10)w — Spectral minor 7th (quarter-sharp on the 3rd)(0,4+,7,10)h — Spectral dominant 7th (quarter-sharp on the 3rd)(0,3+,7,10+)q — Spectral minor 7th (quarter-sharps on 3rd and 7th)2. Uniform Quarter-Sharp: Raise entire chord by 50 cents for shimmering coherence.
(0+,4+,7+,10+)w — Uniform quarter-sharp dominant 7th(0+,3+,7+)h — Uniform quarter-sharp minor triadCompositional Tip: Natural pitches (0-11) anchor the harmony. Quarter-sharps (0+-11+) add spectral color. Experiment with different combinations to discover unique voice-leading colors.
Letters (additive):
w — whole noteh — half noteq — quarter notee — eighth notes — sixteenth notet — thirty-second note. — dot (adds 50% duration)Examples:
0h — pitch 0, half note4+q. — pitch 4 quarter-sharp (24-TET), dotted quarter7w — pitch 7, whole note0+qe — pitch 0 quarter-sharp (24-TET), quarter + eighth (3 eighths total)6e — pitch 6, eighth noteDefault: If no duration letter, note gets one slot (one quarter-note beat in 4/4).
* — rest (quarter-note slot in 4/4)*h — half-note rest*q — quarter-note rest*w — whole-note rest*e — eighth-note rest^ — up one octavev — down one octaveExamples:
0^q — pitch 0, one octave higher, quarter note6+vq — pitch 6 quarter-sharp (24-TET), one octave lower7^^h — pitch 7, two octaves higher, half note(0,4,7)^h — C major triad, one octave upApply octave displacement to multiple consecutive pitches using toggle syntax:
^pitches^ — shift all enclosed pitches up one octavevpitchesv — shift all enclosed pitches down one octave^^pitches^^ — shift all enclosed pitches up two octavesvvpitchesvv — shift all enclosed pitches down two octavesExamples:
^0q,4q,7h^ — three notes with explicit durations, all shifted up^0,2,3,5,7,9,10,0^ — eight notes with implicit 1-slot duration, all shifted upv2h,5q,9q,0wv — four notes with explicit durations, all shifted down^0q,(0,4,7)h,7w^ — span containing a chord (all shifted up)Span Rules:
^0q,0q^,0vq,^0q^' — play note at 25% of its written duration (sharp, detached)Example: 0+' — pitch 0 quarter-sharp (24-TET), staccato quarter note
~ — sustain previous pitch without re-attack (tie symbol)Examples:
0q~q — pitch 0 quarter tied to another quarter (half note total)|0+h.| |~e,7,4,2| — pitch 0 quarter-sharp dotted half tied across barline to eighth| — measure separator (optional, visual/code only)Example: |0,4+,7| or 0,4+,7 (both valid)
The Control Panel keypad (⊞ Control Panel → Notes tab) provides visual pitch entry:
12-TET Mode: Single row of pitch buttons (0-11) for natural semitones.
24-TET Mode: Two-row layout:
[0] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11][0+] [1+] [2+] [3+] [4+] [5+] [6+] [7+] [8+] [9+] [10+] [11+]How to use:
Color Coding: Buttons use the Harken ColorMap. For 24-TET, quarter-sharps show interpolated colors (midway between adjacent naturals).
Harken Super Composer supports up to 16 simultaneous tracks plus a dedicated Chord Symbols track for complete ensemble arrangements. Each track can use either 12-TET or 24-TET independently.
Track structure:
Tuning badges: Each track displays [12] or [24] in the score grid to show its current tuning.
How to manage tracks: Click ⊞ Control Panel → Score tab to add/delete/configure tracks. Set tuning before adding a new track.
Example multitrack setups:
Each track can use a different instrument from the sampled library (40+ instruments available). All instruments support both 12-TET and 24-TET playback.
12-TET mode: Instruments play standard Western pitches using note names (C4, F#3, etc.).
24-TET mode: Instruments play quarter-tone frequencies with automatic detuning applied.
How to assign: Open ⊞ Control Panel → Score tab → select instrument from dropdown for each track.
Common instruments:
The Drums instrument is a ten-voice acoustic kit (real jazz-kit samples). A drum track is unpitched, so it ignores tonic and tuning: set its Clef to None and leave it in 12-TET. Selecting Drums in the Score tab sets the clef to None automatically and locks the tuning control — switching 12/24-TET has no effect on a drum track.
Voice map. On a drum track the position numbers are kit slots, not pitches:
0 — Kick1 — Snare2 — Hi-Hat (closed)3 — Hi-Hat (open)4 — Ride5 — Crash6 — Ride Bell7 — Rimshot8 — Cowbell9 — WoodblockNumbers 10–11 are silent (reserved for future kit pieces).
Writing a groove. Use the same Harken Notation as any track — number plus duration, separated by spaces:
2 2 2 2 — four closed hi-hats (quarter notes)0 2 1 2 — kick, hat, snare, hat4 4 4 4 — a ride patternSimultaneous hits. Stack voices with parentheses, exactly like a melodic chord:
(0,4)q — kick and ride together(1,2)q — snare and closed hi-hat together(0,5)h — kick and crash, half noteMixer (bottom panel): Unified mixing console with faders and controls for all channels.
Channel order:
Controls per channel:
Playback Controls (main toolbar):
What: The Galaxy is a live 3D visualization of the Harken geometric model that lights up in real time as your composition plays. It does not make sound — Harken Super Composer is the sole clock and sound source, and it drives the Galaxy one-way. Every note-on flashes the matching pitch-class node in its Harken color, so you can see the harmony move through the geometry as you hear it.
Opening it: Click Galaxy in the dock (the persistent tray at the bottom of the screen, alongside Lessons and Control Panel) to show or hide the panel. It does not open automatically — open it from the dock whenever you want it. The first time it opens centered on screen; after that it remembers wherever you drag (or resize) it for the rest of the session.
Moving & sizing the panel:
Exploring the model (inside the panel):
What you're looking at: A nested-polyhedra map of the Harken system — the dodecahedron (the 12 pitch classes), the decagon layer (24-TET spectral pitches), the pentagonal icositetrahedron, the central singularity where all tritone diameters meet, the interior star field, and a bounding sphere. Tritone axes and the equator are drawn in as reference lines.
Color & flashing:
Tip: Turn on ↺ Loop and watch a phrase cycle in the Galaxy — repeating reflections and rotations become easy to spot as symmetric motion through the geometry.
What: Converts your Harken numeric notation into traditional staff notation with chord symbols — perfect for sharing with traditional musicians. Uses VexFlow to render professional-quality notation.
When available: Lead Sheet export is only available when ALL tracks are 12-TET. If any track uses 24-TET, the feature is blocked because traditional notation cannot represent quarter-tones.
How to use:
What gets rendered:
~)24-TET blocking: If Lead Sheet is disabled, check your tuning badges. Switch all tracks to 12-TET to enable traditional notation export.
Click ↶ Undo to restore the previous score state. The undo system tracks all changes:
Maximum 50 undo levels. Use Cmd-Z (Mac) or Ctrl-Z (Windows/Linux) as keyboard shortcut.
Geometric transformation operations create variations of melodic AND harmonic material while preserving rhythmic structure. Transform any measure on melodic tracks or the Chord Symbols track using mathematical operations derived from the dodecahedron mapping. The Super Composer transformation system operates in full 24-TET space, providing complete coverage of all possible inversions and transpositions.
Single Measure Transform:
Multi-Measure, Multi-Track Transform (v1.0.0):
/drum|perc/i pattern in track name) copy unchangedExample workflow: Select m.1-2 (Piano/Bass/Drums) → Click R0 → Piano+Bass reflect to m.3-4, Drums copy as-is → Complete 4-bar phrase with symmetrical harmonic relationship.
Available transformations:
Reflections (24 axes): Inversion across axes of symmetry on the dodecahedron.
Rotations (24 transpositions): Shift all pitches by N quarter-tones.
Retrograde: Time reversal — reverses the order of pitch events while preserving durations. Chord symbols maintain identity in reversed positions.
Reverse: Anchors the first note as the launch note, then reverses the order of the remaining notes while the rhythm stays in place (durations keep their slots; only the tail pitches reverse into them). Example: 0,4,7,10 → 0,10,7,4. Distinct from Retrograde (full end-for-end flip of both order and rhythm) and from Inversion/Reflect (R0). Rests, ties, and stacked chord tones hold their positions; chord symbols pass through unchanged.
What transforms: Pitch numbers AND chord symbols. Duration letters, octave modifiers, rests, ties, and staccato markings pass through unchanged. Quarter-sharp modifiers recalculate based on transformation result.
12-TET Melody Example:
|0q,4q,7q,10q||0q,8q,5q,2q||5q,9q,0^q,3^q|Chord Symbol Example:
|0maj7w|7dom7w||5min7w|2min7b5w| (both root AND quality transform)|5maj7w|0^dom7w| (root transposes, quality preserved)24-TET Spectral Example:
|0maj7+w| (spectral Cmaj7)|0+maj7+w| (quarter-sharp axis produces detuned spectral chord)|5+maj7+w| (quarter-tone transposition of spectral chord)Combinatorial power: With 24 Reflections, 24 Rotations, and Retrograde, a single melodic + harmonic phrase generates 1,152 distinct variations (24 × 24 × 2 = 1,152). Multi-track transformation creates complete ensemble passages with unified harmonic logic. Use for developing motivic material, creating variations, systematic exploration of pitch/harmonic space, and exhaustive combinatorial composition.
What: Automatically generates random tone rows for serial composition. The Tone Row feature creates a complete 24-TET chromatic cycle (all 24 quarter-tones) with harmonic alignment.
How to use:
Output structure:
[12/8:12] meter (12 eighth-notes per measure)Tone Row 12 (12-TET): Generates a twelve-tone row instead — tonic 0 followed by the eleven naturals (1–11) shuffled — in a single [12/8:12] measure on Track 0. Tone Row 24 requires 24-TET mode; Tone Row 12 works in either mode.
Example output (Tone Row 24 — Track 0 only):
[12/8:12]0,3+,7,1,5+,9,... (m.1)
...,11,4+,2,8+,6,10+ (m.2)
Use cases: Serial composition, twelve-tone technique, dodecaphonic exploration, complete chromatic cycles, microtonal tone rows.
Note: Requires at least 2 measures in your composition. Tone row generation captures undo state, so you can undo and regenerate for different permutations.
Export (.hkn format):
Import:
Sample Compositions:
Workflow tip: Export frequently. Create versions (draft1.hkn, draft2.hkn, final.hkn) to track progress and allow backtracking.
12-TET Example (Western Harmony):
[4/4]0h,4q,7q|2h,5q,9q|4h,7q,11q|0w
Chords: 0maj7w|2min7w|4maj7w|0maj7w
24-TET Example (Complete Chromatic Cycle):
[12/8:12]0e,0+e,1e,1+e,2e,2+e,3e,3+e,4e,4+e,5e,5+e
6e,6+e,7e,7+e,8e,8+e,9e,9+e,10e,10+e,11e,11+e
24-TET Example (Spectral Harmony):
[4/4](0,3+,7,10)w|(5,8+,0,3)w|(7,10+,2,5)w|(0,3+,7,10)w
Hybrid Example (12-TET + 24-TET):
Track 1 (Piano, 12-TET): [4/4]0,4,7,0^|
Track 2 (Flute, 24-TET): [4/4]0+q,3+q,7+q,10+q|
Chords: 0maj7w|
Hamiltonian cycle on pentagonal icositetrahedron (24-TET "cycle of fifths"):
[12/8:12]0,6+,1,7+,2,8+,3,9+,4,10+,5,11+
6,0+^,7,1+^,8,2+^,9,3+^,10,4+^,11,5+^
Galaxy panel: Drag the title bar to move it, drag the bottom-right corner to resize, drag inside the view to rotate, and scroll to zoom.
[12] and [24] help you quickly identify each track's mode[12/8:12] or [12/8:24]Close this guide and start composing!