How to Play a MIDI File or Your Own Keyboard in Z-Tonnetz

Updated

Open ztonnetz.com and use the Import MIDI button to load a file, or play notes on a connected MIDI keyboard to drive the visualization live. Before either works smoothly, pick an instrument from the sound list (Piano, Organ, Guitar, Strings, Brass, E-Piano, Synth, Wind, Warm, Sine) and use the transport controls — Play, Stop, Speed, Volume — to manage playback. The site is labeled Z-Tonnetz beta, so expect a work-in-progress feel.

Playing a MIDI File

  1. Open the site and wait for the SoundFont to finish loading. The page states this should take less than 5 seconds; the transport stays at 0:00 until it's ready.
  2. Click Import MIDI and choose a .mid file from your device.
  3. Press Play. The 3D Tonnetz animates as chords and voice leading unfold in real time.
  4. Adjust Speed (shown as 1.0x) and Volume (shown as 50%) to taste. Stop halts playback.

If you don't have a file handy, the Demo files list is a fast way to verify that sound and visuals work before importing your own. It includes pop tracks (a-ha — Take On Me, Toto — Africa, Radiohead — Creep), classical works (Bach's Prelude in C, Beethoven's Für Elise, Debussy's Clair de Lune), and game music (Uematsu — Ahead on Our Way).

Expected result

After loading, you should hear the selected instrument and see the harmony move through the 3D space. If you hear nothing, check that the SoundFont has finished loading and that Volume isn't at zero.

Playing Your Own Keyboard

The site's description says you can "play any MIDI file or your own keyboard and watch chords, voice leading and key relationships unfold in real time." The page itself doesn't document a separate connection step, so the practical approach is:

  1. Connect a MIDI keyboard to your computer and make sure the browser can see it (MIDI access in browsers typically requires granting permission when prompted).
  2. Play notes. The visualization should respond as you play.
  3. Use the note row (C D E F G A B with ♯ ♮ ♭ accidentals) and the Advanced panel if you want to enter or inspect notes without hardware.

If live input doesn't respond, the demo files and Import MIDI remain reliable ways to confirm the visualization itself is working.

Choosing a Sound and View

The instrument list covers Piano, Organ, Guitar, Strings, Brass, E-Piano, Synth, Wind, Warm, and Sine — useful for matching the timbre to the repertoire (organ for Bach, strings for sustained lines). The view controls — 2D, 3D, Torus, Leading Tones, Chords — change how the harmony is drawn, so switch these while a file plays to see the same progression from different angles.

Common Snags

  • Silence after import: confirm the SoundFont finished loading and Volume is up.
  • Timing feels off: change Speed rather than restarting; the transport shows elapsed time as 0:00 / 0:00.
  • Live keyboard not registering: fall back to the on-screen note row or a demo file to isolate whether the issue is the input device or the page.
  • Beta quirks: the page is explicitly labeled beta, so reload if the visualization stalls.