Your First Composition

In this tutorial, you'll create a simple three-note melody in under 5 minutes. No prior music theory knowledge required!

Step 1: Open RMT Compose

Go to rmt.world or start your local development server.

You'll see the workspace with the default module loaded - a complex composition demonstrating the app's capabilities.

Step 2: Reset to a Clean Slate

Let's start fresh:

1. Click the BaseNote (orange circle at position 0)
2. The Variable Widget appears at the bottom (a resizable pull-up window)
3. Scroll down in the Variable Widget
4. Click "Clean Slate"

This resets the workspace to a minimal state with just the BaseNote.

TIP

The "Reset to Default Module" option in the menu loads Bach's Neverending Canon transcription - great for exploring, but complex for a first tutorial! Feel free to play around with it first to see what RMT Compose can do.

Understanding the BaseNote

The BaseNote (orange circle) is a reference point, not an actual playable note. It defines the base frequency, tempo, and other defaults that other notes can reference. To hear sound, you need to add notes that reference it.

Step 3: Understand the Workspace

The workspace shows notes on a frequency/time grid:

• Vertical axis (Y): Frequency - higher pitches are higher on screen
• Horizontal axis (X): Time - notes to the right play later
• Note rectangles: Each colored rectangle is a playable note
• Dashed lines: Octave guides (show octaves relative to the selected note, or the BaseNote if nothing is selected)
• Orange circle: The BaseNote (reference point, not playable)
• Triangles at bottom: Measure bars - notes with startTime and measure-based duration
• Dark rectangles with dashed border: Silences (startTime/duration only, no frequency)

After "Clean Slate", you'll see only the BaseNote. Let's add some notes!

Step 4: Add Your First Note

1. Click the BaseNote (orange circle) to select it
2. The Variable Widget appears at the bottom
3. Find the "Add Note" section
4. Select "Note" as the type
5. Select "At End" for the link position
6. Click "Create Note"

A new note appears! This is your first playable note - it references the BaseNote's frequency.

Step 5: Add a Second Note (Perfect Fifth)

1. With the first note still selected, select "At End" (to link to the end of the first note) or "At Start" (to play at the same start time)
2. Click "Create Note"
3. A second note appears, starting after the first one ends
4. Now let's change its pitch to a perfect fifth (ratio 3/2)
5. Find "frequency" in the Variable Widget
6. Replace the expression with:

base.f * (3/2)

Legacy JavaScript syntax

module.baseNote.getVariable('frequency').mul(new Fraction(3, 2))

7. Click Save

The note moves up to the 3/2 position - a perfect fifth above the BaseNote.

Step 6: Add a Third Note (Octave)

1. With the second note selected, select "At End" and click "Create Note"
2. A third note appears
3. Change its frequency expression to:

base.f * 2

Legacy JavaScript syntax

module.baseNote.getVariable('frequency').mul(new Fraction(2))

4. Click Save

The note moves to the octave position (2/1 ratio).

Step 7: Play Your Composition

Click Play (▶) to hear your three-note melody:

1. Root (1/1 - same as BaseNote frequency)
2. Perfect fifth (3/2)
3. Octave (2/1)

Congratulations! You've created your first RMT composition!

Step 8: Experiment

Try these modifications:

Change the base frequency

1. Click the BaseNote (orange circle)
2. Find "frequency" and change it from 440 to 330
3. Play again - same intervals, different starting pitch!

Try different ratios

Common musical intervals as ratios:

Interval	Ratio	Expression
Major third	5/4	base.f * (5/4)
Minor third	6/5	base.f * (6/5)
Perfect fourth	4/3	base.f * (4/3)
Minor seventh	7/4	base.f * (7/4)

Adjust duration

Use the duration icons (whole, half, quarter notes) in the Variable Widget to change note lengths.

Step 9: Save Your Work

Don't lose your creation:

1. Click the hamburger menu (☰)
2. Select Save Module
3. A JSON file downloads to your computer

You can load this file later via Load Module > Load from file.

What You've Learned

• The workspace displays notes on a frequency/time grid
• The BaseNote is the reference point for all ratios
• Expressions define note properties mathematically
• Notes can depend on each other through expressions
• Ratios like 3/2 and 5/4 create musical intervals

Next Steps

• Read Core Concepts to understand the theory
• Explore the User Guide for detailed feature documentation
• Try the Build a Major Scale tutorial