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Melody Notepad

The Melody Notepad is a melody composer and sequencer with two input modes — Linear (tap or record notes one at a time) and Step Sequencer (fill a grid of 8 or 16 steps). Create melodies, loops, and rhythmic patterns, then play them back at any tempo.

Melody Notepad

Creating a Melody

Tap Mode

  1. Select a note duration (Whole, Half, Quarter, Eighth, or Sixteenth) using the duration chips.
  2. Choose the octave (3-6) using the up/down arrows.
  3. Tap any of the 12 note buttons (C through B) to add a note to the sequence.
  4. Tap the Rest button to insert a rest of the selected duration.

Notes appear in the sequence display at the top as colored blocks showing the note name and duration.

Record Mode

  1. Tap Record to switch to recording mode.
  2. Tap the microphone button to start listening.
  3. Play a note on your ukulele — the app detects the pitch and adds it to the sequence once the note stabilizes.
  4. Continue playing notes to build the melody.
  5. Tap stop when finished.

Step Sequencer Mode

Toggle from Linear to Step Sequencer mode using the mode switch at the top.

  1. The sequencer shows a grid of 8 steps by default. Tap Expand to switch to 16 steps, or Shrink to return to 8.
  2. Tap any step in the grid to open a pitch picker. Select a note name and octave to assign it to that step.
  3. Long-press a step to clear it (reset it to silence).
  4. Tap Play to loop the sequence continuously at the current BPM. The active step is highlighted as it plays.
  5. Tap Stop to end playback.

The step sequencer is ideal for building rhythmic patterns and loop-based ideas without worrying about note durations — each step has equal timing determined by the BPM.

Editing

  • Tap any note in the sequence to select it. The selected note is highlighted.
  • Tap the delete icon to remove the selected note.
  • The sequence scrolls horizontally if it extends beyond the screen width.

Playback

  • Set the BPM using the slider (40-220 BPM).
  • Tap Play to hear the melody played back. The current note is highlighted during playback.
  • Tap Stop to halt playback.
  • Tap Clear to remove all notes from the sequence.

Saving and Loading

Melodies are saved to the device and persist between sessions.

  • Tap the save icon or use the menu to Save As with a custom name.
  • Use Load to open a previously saved melody from a list.
  • Use Rename to change the name of the current melody.
  • Use New to start a fresh empty melody (you will be prompted to save unsaved changes).
  • Use Delete to permanently remove the current melody.

Tips

  • Use Tap mode for precise control over note placement and duration.
  • Use Record mode to quickly capture a melody idea by playing it on your ukulele.
  • Use Step Sequencer mode for rhythmic patterns and loop-based ideas — great for experimenting with riffs.
  • Start with quarter notes for simple melodies, then add eighth and sixteenth notes for faster passages.
  • Experiment with different octaves to create melodies that span the full ukulele range.
  • In Record mode, if the app picks up unwanted notes from background noise, increase the Noise filtering slider in Settings.
  • In the step sequencer, start with 8 steps for short loops and expand to 16 when you need a longer phrase.