Rhythm Writer

Chart a drum part in minutes.

Build a song section by section. Paint the groove on a grid, see it as real drum notation, hear it back, and print a one-page chart you can read at the kit.

Try it free $29, one time Free for up to 3 songs, every feature included. No account. Your songs are files on your computer.
the grid above becomes the staff. Painted in about ten seconds.

What it does

Made for working drummers who need a chart tonight, not a score next month.

Grid in, notation out

Tap hits into a lane grid for kick, toms, snare, hi-hat, ride and crash. The staff redraws as you go: beams, rests, dots, tuplets, accents, ghost notes, open and choked hats.

Sections and phrases

Intro, verse, chorus, bridge, or your own names. A section can hold several phrases, so a 2-bar intro of nothing, 2 of ride and 2 of groove sit under one banner. Repeats are a number, not a copy.

Hear it

Loop one groove or play the whole song with four built-in kits, swing, a click and a count-in. Drop your own samples in a folder for a fifth.

Print and gig view

A letter-size worksheet, portrait or landscape, with a compact mode that fits most songs on a page or two. On a tablet, gig view shows one screen at a time and keeps the screen awake.

Any meter, any grid

From 2/4 to 15/16, 8ths to 64ths, triplets and sextuplets. Per-section tempo, dynamics from pp to fff, crescendos and decrescendos.

Your files, offline

Songs are plain JSON files in a folder you choose. Works without a connection once installed, on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPad and Android. Export and import to move between devices.

Pricing

One price. No subscription, no account, no upsell.

Free

$0
  • Every feature
  • Up to 3 songs
  • Print, playback, gig view
Open the app

License

$29 one time
  • Unlimited songs
  • Use on 3 devices
  • Free updates
  • 30-day refund, no questions
Buy a license

Questions

Where are my songs stored?

In a folder you pick on your computer, one small JSON file per song, in Chrome and Edge. In Safari and on phones and tablets they live in the browser's own storage; use Export to back them up. Nothing is uploaded anywhere.

Does it work on an iPad?

Yes. Open the site in Safari and choose Add to Home Screen. Editing works with touch, and gig view is built for reading at the kit.

Do I need an account?

No. A license is a key you paste in once per device. It's checked when you enter it and occasionally after, and keeps working offline.

Can I chart songs that aren't mine?

For your own practice and gigs, of course. Rhythm Writer ships no copyrighted charts and doesn't share your files.

What if I want my money back?

Reply to your receipt within 30 days and you'll get a refund.