sequencer.henryfellerhoff.com

Scale Sequencer is a free browser-based step sequencer that lets you build melodies and chord progressions by clicking tiles on a grid. It works with any scale you select — from Ionian (Major) and Pentatonic Minor to Blues, Whole Tone, and Messiaen's modes of limited transposition. It's a migration of ToneMatrix by Max L, with additional scales added by Henry Fellerhoff. If you want to sketch musical ideas quickly without installing software or learning a DAW, this is the tool for you.

How It Works

The interface is a grid of tiles. Each column represents a step in the sequence, and each row corresponds to a note in the selected scale. Clicking a tile activates that note at that step. The sequence loops continuously, so you hear your pattern repeat and evolve as you add or remove notes.

Core Controls

Supported Scales

The scale list goes well beyond the basics:

• Diatonic modes: Ionian (Major), Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian (Natural Minor), Locrian
• Pentatonic & Blues: Pentatonic Minor, Pentatonic Blues
• Melodic minor: All seven modes
• Symmetric scales: Whole Tone (Mode 1), Octatonic (Mode 2)
• Messiaen's modes: Modes 1–7 of limited transposition

This range means you can move from simple pop melodies to jazzier or more experimental harmonic territory without leaving the page.

What You Can Do With It

• Sketch a melody — Place a few notes in a pentatonic scale and let the loop run. Adjust until something sticks.
• Build a chord progression — Use a diatonic mode and stack notes in the same column to imply chords.
• Explore unfamiliar scales — Switch to a Messiaen mode or Whole Tone and hear how the intervals behave.
• Share an idea — Use the Share Your Song link to send a pattern to a collaborator.

Key Limitations to Know

• It's a step sequencer, not a full production tool — no mixing, effects, or export to audio files is mentioned.
• The grid is fixed; you can't change the number of steps or rows.
• Everything runs in the browser, so your work lives in the session unless you use the share link.

Who It's For

Scale Sequencer suits anyone who wants a low-friction way to experiment with scales and patterns: beginners learning how modes sound, producers looking for a quick melodic seed, or anyone curious about less common scales like Messiaen's modes. If you need arrangement, sound design, or file export, you'll want a dedicated DAW instead.

Scale Sequencer is a browser-based step sequencer that lets you build melodies and chord progressions by clicking tiles on a grid. To use it, pick a root note and a scale, click tiles to activate steps, and press play — no installation, account, or setup required. It works best for quick melodic ideas, scale exploration, and looping patterns rather than full multi-track production.

What you're working with

The interface is built around three controls plus a grid:

• Root note selector — twelve options: C, C#/Db, D, D#/Eb, E, F, F#/Gb, G, G#/Ab, A, A#/Bb, B.
• Scale selector — the available scales include Ionian (Major), Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian (Natural Minor), Locrian, Pentatonic Minor, Pentatonic Blues, all seven modes of Melodic minor, Whole Tone, and Messiaen's Modes of Limited Transposition (Mode 1 through Mode 7).
• Tile grid — the step sequencer itself. Clicking a tile activates that step.
• Clear Notes — resets the grid so you can start over.
• Share Your Song — generates a shareable version of your pattern.

The tool is described as "a step sequencer for any scale" and is based on a migration of ToneMatrix by Max L, with additional scales by Henry Fellerhoff.

Step-by-step: building your first melody

1. Choose a root note

Click the note you want your melody centered on. If you're unsure, C is the simplest starting point because it has no sharps or flats in its major scale.

2. Choose a scale

Your scale choice determines which notes are available and, more importantly, the mood of the result:

If you're new to scales, start with Pentatonic Minor — it's hard to produce a bad-sounding pattern with only five notes.

3. Click tiles to build a pattern

Each click on a tile activates that step. The grid is a step sequencer, so the horizontal position represents time and the vertical position represents pitch within your chosen scale.

Practical approach:

• Start with a rhythm, not a melody. Activate a few tiles in the same row at regular intervals to establish a pulse.
• Add movement gradually. Move up or down one row at a time rather than jumping across the grid — small intervals sound more melodic.
• Leave gaps. Silence between notes is what makes a pattern feel like music rather than noise.
• Repeat a motif. Activate the same shape twice in different positions to create a sense of structure.

4. Listen and adjust

Play the pattern back and listen for notes that clash or feel out of place. Because you're locked to a scale, nothing will be technically "wrong" — but some combinations will sound more intentional than others. Deactivate tiles that feel cluttered.

5. Reset if needed

Click Clear Notes to wipe the grid and start fresh. There's no undo mentioned, so if you're happy with a pattern, share it before clearing.

6. Share your song

Click Share Your Song to generate a shareable link or output for your pattern. Use this to save a version you like before experimenting further.

Common sticking points

• "My melody sounds random." This usually means too many tiles are active. Reduce density and repeat a short motif instead.
• "I don't know which scale to pick." Start with Pentatonic Minor or Ionian. Move to Dorian or Aeolian once you want a specific mood.
• "Changing the scale ruined my pattern." Switching scales remaps the pitches of active tiles, so the rhythm stays but the notes change. Share your song first if you want to keep the original.
• "I can't tell what key I'm in." The root note plus scale name is your key — for example, C + Aeolian means C natural minor.

When to use this tool

Scale Sequencer is a good fit when you want to:

• Sketch a melodic idea quickly without opening a DAW
• Hear how different scales sound against the same rhythm
• Explore unusual scales (Messiaen modes, whole tone) without music theory background
• Generate a loop you can later recreate in a full production tool

It's not designed for multi-track arrangement, mixing, or exporting audio stems — for those, you'd move the idea into a DAW after sharing it here.

Scale Sequencer is a browser-based step sequencer that its own page describes as "based on a migration of ToneMatrix by Max L," with additional scales contributed by Henry Fellerhoff. In other words, it takes the tile-grid idea behind ToneMatrix and rebuilds it around scale selection: instead of being locked to one fixed note set, you pick a root note and a scale, then click tiles to place notes. The page also links to a GitHub repository for the project.

The connection, stated plainly

The site's own credit line is the clearest evidence: "Based on a migration of ToneMatrix by Max L. Additional scales by Henry Fellerhoff." That tells you two things at once:

• The interaction model is inherited. ToneMatrix popularized the click-a-grid, looping-pattern sequencer format. Scale Sequencer keeps that core idea.
• The scale system is the extension. The "additional scales" credit points to what was added on top of the original concept.

The page title reinforces this: "Create melodies and chord progressions with any scale."

What ToneMatrix established, and what changed

ToneMatrix is a minimalist grid sequencer: you toggle cells in a matrix, and a playhead sweeps across, triggering notes as it passes. The appeal is immediacy — no piano roll, no note names, just pattern-making by clicking.

Scale Sequencer keeps that immediacy but changes what each row or tile represents. Rather than a single fixed set of pitches, the grid is mapped to whichever scale you choose. That means the same clicking gesture produces musically different results depending on your scale selection.

Why the distinction matters

If you have used ToneMatrix, you already know how to use Scale Sequencer — the learning curve is essentially the clicking mechanic. What you gain is control over the harmonic palette. The page lists a wide range of options, including:

• Modes of the major scale: Ionian (Major), Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian (Natural Minor), Locrian
• Pentatonic and blues: Pentatonic Minor, Pentatonic Blues
• Melodic minor modes: Modes 1 through 7
• Symmetric and limited-transposition scales: Whole Tone (Mode 1), Octatonic (Mode 2), and Messiaen's Modes of Limited Transposition 3 through 7

You also select a root note from all twelve chromatic pitches (C through B, with enharmonic spellings like C#/Db).

Practical takeaway

The relationship is best understood as lineage plus extension: ToneMatrix supplied the sequencer concept, and Scale Sequencer adapted it into a tool where scale choice drives the note grid. If you want the ToneMatrix experience but with control over mode, pentatonic vs. diatonic flavor, or exotic symmetric scales, that is precisely the gap this project fills. The page also offers "Clear Notes" and "Share Your Song" functions, and credits the scale work to Henry Fellerhoff with a GitHub link for the project.

Scale Sequencer is a free, browser-based tool — there is no pricing, payment, or subscription information anywhere on the page, and nothing suggests you need an account or installation to use it. You open sequencer.henryfellerhoff.com, click tiles, and make music. The only caveat: the site itself never states "free" in those words, so treat this as "no cost signals present" rather than a formal pricing guarantee.

What the page actually shows

The site describes itself simply as "A step sequencer for any scale. Click tiles and make music." That's the entire interaction model described — no login wall, no download link, no checkout, no payment platform mentioned.

Why there's no paywall to worry about

The tool is a migration of ToneMatrix by Max L, with additional scales added by Henry Fellerhoff (credited with a GitHub link on the page). It's a small, single-purpose web toy rather than a commercial product, which is consistent with the absence of any monetization signals.

What you can do without paying or signing up

Everything the page advertises is available from the first click:

• Pick a root note — all twelve chromatic options (C, C#/Db, D, and so on through B).
• Pick a scale or mode — Ionian (Major), Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian (Natural Minor), Locrian, Pentatonic Minor, Pentatonic Blues, all seven melodic minor modes, Whole Tone, the Messiaen modes of limited transposition, and Octatonic.
• Click tiles to place notes on the step grid.
• Clear Notes to reset the grid.
• Share Your Song to generate a shareable version of what you made.

Practical notes before you start

• Because no account exists, your work lives in the URL you share — if you don't use Share Your Song, there's no saved library to return to.
• The page gives no indication of offline support, so assume you need an internet connection each time.
• If a future version ever introduces paid tiers, that would be a change from what's documented here; as of the page content available, nothing of the sort is mentioned.

Bottom line: if you want a no-signup, no-install way to sketch melodies against a wide range of scales, this tool fits that use case with no cost barrier described.

Scale Sequencer offers 30+ selectable scales and modes, grouped into four families: the seven diatonic modes, pentatonic and blues scales, the seven melodic minor modes, and the symmetric/limited-transposition scales (Whole Tone, Octatonic, and Messiaen's other modes). You pick a root note (C through B, including sharps/flats) and a scale name, then click tiles on the grid to place notes. The available options below reflect exactly what the site lists.

Diatonic modes (7)

These are the modes of the major scale, each starting on a different degree:

Pentatonic and blues (3)

• Pentatonic — the major pentatonic (five notes)
• Minor Pentatonic — the minor pentatonic (five notes)
• Blues — minor pentatonic plus a blue note

These are the most forgiving scales for beginners because almost any combination of their notes sounds consonant.

Melodic minor modes (7)

The site lists all seven modes built from the melodic minor scale, labeled "Melodic minor, Mode 1" through "Mode 7." Mode 1 is the melodic minor scale itself; the others are its rotations (often called Lydian dominant, altered, etc., though the site uses the numeric labels).

Symmetric and limited-transposition scales

• Whole Tone — Mode 1 (six notes, all whole steps)
• Octatonic — Mode 2, listed under Messiaen's Modes of Limited Transposition
• Messiaen's Modes of Limited Transposition — Mode 3 through Mode 7

These scales repeat at the octave in fewer than 12 distinct transpositions, which is why they're grouped as "limited transposition." They produce more exotic, less tonal-sounding melodies than the diatonic modes.

How to choose a scale

• Want a familiar pop/rock sound? Start with Ionian (Major) or Aeolian (Natural Minor).
• Want something modal but still tonal? Try Dorian, Mixolydian, or Lydian.
• Want to avoid wrong-sounding notes? Use Pentatonic, Minor Pentatonic, or Blues.
• Want an experimental or cinematic texture? Try Whole Tone or the Messiaen modes.

How the selection works

1. Pick a root note (C, C#/Db, D, … B).
2. Pick a scale or mode from the list.
3. Click tiles on the step grid to place notes; the grid constrains your choices to the selected scale.
4. Use Clear Notes to reset, and Share Your Song to generate a link.

Because the grid only shows notes in the chosen scale, switching scales after placing notes will change which pitches your existing pattern maps to — worth trying if you want a quick variation on an idea.

The tool is a migration of ToneMatrix by Max L, with additional scales added by Henry Fellerhoff (source: site footer/GitHub credit).