12-Tone Row Generator
Generate a random twelve-tone row and inspect Prime, Inversion, Retrograde, and Retrograde Inversion forms.
Create a twelve-tone row, inspect its prime, inversion, retrograde, and retrograde-inversion forms, then set register, duration, and BPM for playback or MIDI export.
Create the row before exploring its forms
- Enter or generate an original row and choose its starting register.
- Compare P, I, R, and RI forms before changing playback settings.
- Play the complete row or export the selected forms as MIDI.
Understand the twelve-tone row
A twelve-tone row presents all 12 pitch classes without repetition. It avoids tonal hierarchy and forms the basis for serial composition.
Prime row score
Prime
P₀The original ordered row.
Inversion
I₀Intervals are mirrored around the first pitch.
Retrograde
R₀The row played backward.
Retrograde inversion
RI₀The inversion played backward.
Twelve-tone matrix
All transpositions of the row and its inversion.
From a row to a playable twelve-tone study
Generate the prime row
The original row is the source for every displayed form; preserve its order when comparing transformations.
Read inversion and retrograde
Register, note length, and BPM affect the playable result without changing the pitch-class logic of the row.
Sing one form before comparing another
- Enter or generate an original row and choose its starting register.
- Compare P, I, R, and RI forms before changing playback settings.
- Play the complete row or export the selected forms as MIDI.