Tonnetz
Generates chord progressions by navigating the Tonnetz — a mathematical lattice of harmonic relationships used in neo-Riemannian music theory.
Starting from an initial triad, each step applies the next transformation in the sequence to walk through related chords. Inspired by Ornament & Crime’s Tonnetz mode — every clock tick advances the chord, so harmony evolves continuously.
Transformations
Section titled “Transformations”| Op | Name | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| P | Parallel | Flips the third — major ↔ minor (C major → C minor) |
| L | Leading-tone | Moves root or fifth by semitone (C major → E minor) |
| R | Relative | Shifts to the relative key (C major → A minor) |
Compound operations apply multiple transforms at once: PL, PR, LR, PLR. Use · (hold) to sustain the current chord without transforming.
Parameters
Section titled “Parameters”| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Chord | Starting triad — root note + quality (major / minor). Tap a triangle on the lattice view to change. |
| Sequence | Ordered list of transform operations. Add with +, remove with −. The sequence loops when exhausted. |
| RATE | Steps per transform (1–64). 1 = chord changes every step (O&C style). 4+ = pad style, chord held before next transform. |
| Voicing | How chord notes are spaced: Close (root, 3rd, 5th), Spread (root, 3rd+octave, 5th), Drop2 (root, 5th, 3rd+octave) |
| Rhythm | Which steps produce sound: all (every step), legato (chord boundaries only, held), offbeat, onbeat, syncopated |
| Anchors | Chord reset points at specific step positions. The walk jumps to the anchor chord, then continues transforming from there. Long-press a triangle on the lattice to add. |
Lattice View
Section titled “Lattice View”Double-tap a Tonnetz node in the Scene view (or press EDIT in the Dock panel) to open the lattice view — a full-screen overlay showing the Tonnetz grid.
| Interaction | Action |
|---|---|
| Tap a triangle | Set as start chord |
| Drag across triangles | Draw a walk path — auto-generates the transform sequence |
| Long-press a triangle | Add an anchor at the next available step position |
During playback, the lattice highlights the current chord (blue pulse) and traces the walk path. A chord name trail below the header shows the progression history.
Example
Section titled “Example”Start chord: C major. Sequence: P → L → R. Rate: 1 (per-step).
| Step | Transform | Chord |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | — | C major (C E G) |
| 1 | P | C minor (C E♭ G) |
| 2 | L | A♭ major (A♭ C E♭) |
| 3 | R | F minor (F A♭ C) |
| 4 | P (loops) | F major (F A C) |
| 5 | L | D♭ major (D♭ F A♭) |
With Rate: 4, each chord would be held for 4 steps before the next transform — slower harmonic movement.
Related
Section titled “Related”- Generators — merge mode, seed, presets, step sequencer integration