HARKEN SUPER COMPOSER v0.16.4

Quick Reference — Page 1 of 5

Core Concepts

Harken Numeric Notation: Tonic-relative pitch encoding using numbers 0–11. All pitches reference the tonic (0).

0	Tonic (root note)
1–11	Chromatic pitch classes above tonic
+	Quarter-tone modifier (24-TET mode only) — 50 cents higher
^	Octave up
v	Octave down
*	Rest
\|	Bar line
'	Staccato (short/detached)
~	Tie/sustain from previous note

Tuning Modes

Super Composer supports two tuning systems, selectable via the Mode selector:

12-TET	Standard chromatic (12 equal divisions)
24-TET	Quarter-tone system (24 equal divisions, 50-cent steps)

Key principle: All 12-TET notation is valid in 24-TET mode. The + modifier adds quarter-tone content when needed.

Duration Notation

w	Whole note
h	Half note
q	Quarter note
e	Eighth note
.	Dot (50% longer)

Duration chaining: Combine letters additively (e.g., 0he = half + eighth note).

Parenthetical Chords (Melody Tracks)

Chords can be notated within melody tracks using parentheses for simultaneous attack.

(pc1,pc2,pc3,...)duration

(0,4,7)h	C major triad, half note
(0,3,7)q	C minor triad, quarter note
(2+,5+,9+)w	Quarter-tone chord (24-TET), whole note
(0,4^,7^)h	Octave shifts within chord voicing

Each pitch class within parentheses can use the + modifier (24-TET) and octave shifts (^ v).

Time Signatures

[4/4] or [4/4:16]

Format: [beats/beatType] or [beats/beatType:slots]

Place at the start of the score or when the meter changes.

Understanding Subdivisions

Subdivision (slots) determines the rhythmic grid for each measure.

[4/4:8]	8 slots = eighth note grid (default)
[3/4:6]	6 slots = eighth note grid
[4/4:5]	5 slots = quintuplet subdivision
[12/8:12]	12 slots = eighth note grid
[5/4:10]	10 slots = eighth note grid
[4/4:16]	16 slots = sixteenth note grid
[4/4:12]	12 slots = triplet quarters

Higher slot counts allow more precise rhythmic notation. The subdivision affects how duration letters and dashes are interpreted.

HARKEN SUPER COMPOSER v0.16.4

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Basic Examples

Simple melody 12-TET

[4/4] 0q, 2q, 4q, 5q | 7h, 7h | 9q, 7q, 5q, 4q | 2w |

With octave shifts 12-TET

[4/4] 0q, 2q, 4^q, 5^q | 7^h, *h |

Rests and staccato 12-TET

[4/4] 0q', *q, 4q', *q | 7h, 5q, 4q |

Using ties (cross-bar sustain) 12-TET

[4/4] 0h, 2q, 4q | ~h, 5q, 7q |

Quarter-tone melody 24-TET

[4/4] 0q, 1+q, 3+q, 5q | 7+h, 9+h |

Mixed chromatic and quarter-tone 24-TET

[4/4] 0q, 2q, 4q, 5q | 7+q, 9+q, 11+q, 0h |

Parenthetical chords in melody 12-TET

[4/4:8] 0q, 4q, 7q, 10q, (0,4,7,10)h |

Quarter-tone chords 24-TET

[4/4] (0,3+,7)h, (2+,5+,9+)h | (0,4,7,10)w |

Chord Symbols

Chord symbols combine root, quality, alterations, and duration in one token.

Basic format

root + [+] + quality + alterations + duration

In 24-TET mode, the + modifier appears immediately after the root number for quarter-sharp roots.

Common qualities

maj	Major triad
min	Minor triad
dim	Diminished triad
aug	Augmented triad
sus4	Suspended 4th
sus2	Suspended 2nd
dom7	Dominant 7th
maj7	Major 7th
min7	Minor 7th
dim7	Diminished 7th
min7b5	Half-diminished (ø7)
hdim7	Half-diminished (alt)
minmaj7	Minor-major 7th
maj6	Major 6th
min6	Minor 6th
dom9	Dominant 9th
maj9	Major 9th
min9	Minor 9th
dom11	Dominant 11th
maj11	Major 11th
min11	Minor 11th
dom13	Dominant 13th
maj13	Major 13th
min13	Minor 13th
!	No Chord (N.C.)

Extended qualities: aug7, maj7#5, maj69, min69, minmaj9, aug9, maj9#5, dom7sus4, and many more (54 total). Use Chords panel buttons or type directly.

Alterations: Append b5, #5, b9, #9, #11, b13 after quality (e.g., dom7b9#11w).

Spectral chords (24-TET)

Append + after quality to shift all intervals (except root) +50 cents:

0dom7+w  → (0, 4+, 7+, 10+)w   Spectral: root natural, intervals quarter-sharp
0+dom7w  → (0+, 4+, 7+, 10+)w  Detuned: all pitches +50¢
0+dom7+w → (0+, 4.5, 7.5, 10.5)w  Both: quarter-sharp root + spectral intervals

Chord examples

[4/4] 0maj7w | 9dom7w | 2min7w | 7dom7w |

I-vi-ii-V progression (12-TET)

[4/4] 7+domh | 3+minq, 5+domq | 0maj7w |

Quarter-sharp chord roots (24-TET detuned chords)

[4/4] 0dom7+w | 5maj7+w | 2min7+w |

Spectral chords: root natural, intervals +50¢ (24-TET)

HARKEN SUPER COMPOSER v0.16.4

Quick Reference — Page 3 of 5

Getting Started

Select tuning mode (12-TET or 24-TET)
Set tonic (key center) and tempo
Configure measures (count, columns, time signature)
Click measure cells to type notation
Press Play to hear your composition

Key Controls

Mode	Select 12-TET or 24-TET tuning system
Tonic	Set the key center (C–B)
Tempo	Set playback speed (BPM)
Play	Start playback from beginning
Stop	Stop playback
Loop	Enable/disable looping
Click	Enable/disable metronome
Swing	Enable/disable swing feel (12-TET only)
✦ Galaxy	Open/close the live 3D Galaxy Visualizer (see Page 5)

Score Setup

Measures	Total number of measures
Columns	Measures per row (1–8)
Time Sig	Select meter for all measures
Pickup	Enable incomplete first measure

Each measure can override the global time signature by typing [beats/beatType] at the start.

Multi-Track & Instruments

Super Composer supports up to 8 melodic tracks (Tracks 0–7) plus a dedicated chord track.

Add Track: Click '+' button to add a new instrumental track
Delete Track: Click '×' button on any track to remove it
Select Instrument: Choose from piano, guitar, bass, drums, and more
Mute/Solo: Control which tracks play during playback
Drag to reorder: Use drag handles (⋮⋮) to reposition tracks in the score grid and lead sheet
Grand staff: Adjacent piano tracks (piano_rh + piano_lh) with different clefs are automatically braced
Chord Track: Use Track 9 for chord symbols above the staff

Notation Entry

Pitch Classes

12-TET mode: Type 0–11 for pitches relative to tonic.

24-TET mode: Type 0–11 for chromatic pitches, or append + for quarter-sharp (e.g., 3+, 7+, 11+).

Octave Modifiers

Single notes and chords (postfix): ^ for octave up, v for octave down.

Spans (prefix/postfix toggle): Apply octave displacement to multiple consecutive pitches:

^pitches^ — all enclosed pitches up one octave
vpitchesv — all enclosed pitches down one octave
Examples: ^0,2,4,5^ or v7q,9q,11qv
No per-note modifiers allowed inside spans; can contain chords

Durations

Letters: w (whole), h (half), q (quarter), e (eighth)
Dot modifier: Add . after letter for dotted note (e.g., h.)
Chain durations: Combine additively (0he = half + eighth; 3+qe = quarter + eighth on E-quarter-sharp)

Special Symbols

*	Rest
\|	Bar line (auto-inserted)
'	Staccato
~	Tie/sustain from previous note
( )	Parenthetical chord (simultaneous attack)

HARKEN SUPER COMPOSER v0.16.4

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File Operations

Save: Downloads .HKN file (JSON format)
Load: Upload .HKN file to restore composition
Clear: Erase all notation (keeps setup)

Control Panel (5 Tabs)

The unified Control Panel provides access to all composition tools through five tabs:

Score: View and edit all tracks, drag to reorder staves using ⋮⋮ handles
Keypad: Input pitch classes, durations, and symbols with visual buttons
Chords: Visual chord symbol entry interface for harmonies
Transform: Apply geometric transformations to melodic material
Mixer: Control track instruments, mute/solo, and volume levels

Switch between tabs using the tab buttons. The Control Panel can be toggled open/closed and repositioned on screen.

Transform Panel

The Transform panel applies geometric operations to melodic content AND chord symbols, preserving rhythms while transforming pitch relationships and harmonic quality.

How to Use

Click a measure cell (any staff 0–7 or Chord Track) to select it as the source
Click a transformation button (Reflection, Rotation, or Retrograde)
Result writes automatically to the next measure on the same staff/track

Transformations

R0–R5.5	12-TET Reflection across twelve axes. Transforms both melody pitch and chord quality.
R0+–R5.5+	24-TET Reflection (quarter-tone axes). Produces spectral outputs.
T0–T11	12-TET Rotation +0 to +11 semitones. Preserves chord quality, transposes root.
T0+–T11+	24-TET Rotation (quarter-tone steps). Preserves quarter-sharp modifiers.
Retrograde	Reverse event order (time reversal). Maintains pitch/chord identity.

Chord Symbol Transformation

Reflection: Both root and quality transform. 0maj7w across R0 → 5min7w. Uses CHORD_REFLECTION_MAP (54 quality pairings).

Rotation: Only root transposes, quality preserved. T5 on 0maj7w → 5maj7w. Quarter-tones propagate in 24-TET.

Spectral axes (R0+–R5.5+): Produce quarter-sharp roots. R0+ on 0maj7w → 0+maj7w (detuned chord).

Sample & Lead Sheet

The Sample button loads an example composition to explore Super Composer features.

Click Lead Sheet to view or print traditional notation with chord symbols. The lead sheet shows your composition in standard staff notation. Adjacent piano staves with different clefs are automatically braced as grand staff.

Tips & Tricks

Press Tab to move to next measure while entering notation
The measure number badge shows PICKUP for anacrusis
Highlighted measure shows current playback position
Errors show in red with helpful messages
In 24-TET mode, all 12-TET notation remains valid — freely mix chromatic and quarter-tone content
The + modifier always appears immediately after the pitch class number
Swing applies triplet feel to consecutive eighth notes (12-TET mode only)
Quarter-tones are tuned to exact 50-cent intervals (half a semitone)

HARKEN SUPER COMPOSER v0.16.4

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Galaxy Visualizer

The Galaxy is a live 3D view of the Harken geometric model that lights up in real time as your composition plays. It makes no sound — Super Composer drives it one-way — but every note-on flashes the matching pitch-class node in its Harken color, so you see the harmony move through the geometry as you hear it.

Opening & Positioning

Click ✦ Galaxy in the toolbar (between Control Panel and Help) to show/hide
Opens automatically beside the Control Panel on first start, centered on screen
Remembers wherever you drag it for the session
Drag the Galaxy title bar to move the panel
Drag the bottom-right corner to resize (stays square so the galaxy stays round)
Closing pauses the render loop, protecting playback timing

Exploring the Model

Drag	Rotate the galaxy in 3D
Scroll / pinch	Zoom in and out
Idle	Gentle auto-spin keeps the full geometry in view

What It Shows

A nested-polyhedra map of the Harken system: the dodecahedron (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 as reference lines.

Color & Flashing

Nodes use the canonical Harken ColorMap, bound to absolute pitch
Tonic glows green; tritone glows dark red
Each chord flashes once at note-on, then fades on its own
24-TET quarter-tones light spectral nodes in interpolated colors (midway between adjacent naturals), matching the Keypad and Chords panels

Tip

Turn on Loop and watch a phrase cycle — reflections and rotations become easy to spot as symmetric motion through the geometry.