Program a drum pattern, a bass line and a melody on a step grid. Every pitched note is locked to the key and scale you pick, so it stays musical. Set the tempo and swing, press play, and the link becomes your save file.
A step sequencer is the oldest kind of music software and still the fastest way to sketch an idea. The grid is one bar of time cut into equal steps — 16 sixteenth notes by default. Rows are instruments. You are drawing a pattern, and it repeats.
Start with the kick on beats 1 and 3 and a snare on 2 and 4 — that is most of popular music. Add a hi-hat on every step for drive, or every other step for space. Then a bass note on the root under the kick, and a short melodic phrase that leaves gaps. Because every pitched cell is snapped to your chosen key and scale, you can click freely and it will not sound wrong — the skill is in the rhythm and the space, not in avoiding bad notes.
To understand what the scale you picked is doing, open the Scale & Chord Finder or the Circle of Fifths. For a progression to build the loop around, use the Chord Progression Generator. The rhythm and arrangement theory is in the Cloud Atelier guides. When you outgrow the browser, the electronic music production guide and our gear picks by budget cover what to buy next.
1. Pick a key and scale, a tempo and 16 or 32 steps — or start from a preset.
2. Click cells on the drum, bass and melody rows to switch steps on. Pitched rows only offer notes from your scale.
3. Press Play. Raise the swing to push every second sixteenth later for a looser feel.
4. Press Copy link to share or save the pattern — the whole loop is stored in the link.
A basic house groove at 124 BPM with 16 steps: kick on steps 1, 5, 9 and 13 (every beat), clap on 5 and 13 (beats 2 and 4), and a hi-hat on 3, 7, 11 and 15, the off-beats. Put a bass note on the off-beats too and the loop already moves like the genre.
How does the online sequencer work?
Each row is an instrument, each column is a step in time. Click a cell to place a hit or a
note; the pattern loops. The drum rows are on or off; the bass and melody rows are pitched,
and every pitch is locked to the key and scale you choose so nothing sounds wrong.
What is swing?
Swing delays every second sixteenth note so the groove feels less rigid — the difference
between a straight drum-machine feel and a shuffle. Push the swing slider up for more of
that lilt.
Can I save or export the pattern?
The pattern is stored in the page link. Copy the URL after you build something and it will
reopen exactly as you left it — that is your save file and your share link. There is no
audio export; record the tab if you need a file.
Is it free?
Yes, completely free, no account, no ads. All sound is generated in your browser with the
Web Audio API, so it works offline once the page has loaded.
What is the difference between 16 and 32 steps?
Each step is a sixteenth note. With 16 steps the loop is one bar long; with 32 it is two
bars, which gives you room for a fill or a call-and-response melody.
What tempo should I use for different genres?
Rough ranges: hip-hop 85–95 BPM, house 120–128, techno 125–140, drum and bass 170–175. Start
near the range, then nudge the tempo until the groove feels right.