Controlling Pitch
The Pitch controls turn rhythmic patterns into melodic material. Use (PITCH) to choose which notes a Track can play, transpose them within the current key, and lock specific notes to individual steps.
A useful way to think about Pitch on the T1 is:
- Rhythm decides when notes happen
- Pitch decides which notes are available
- Scale and Root decide the tonal framework those notes live inside
This means Pitch is not just a transposition control. It is one of the main ways you define the melodic identity of a Track.
Pitch is always constrained by the Track’s current Scale and Root, which makes it easy to explore note movement while staying in key.
- Works per Track
- Constrained by the current Scale and Root
- Supports per-step pitch locks for precise melodic control
Pitch output always follows the current Scale and Root. Transposing with (PITCH) keeps the result in key.
Why Pitch Matters
Pitch is where the T1’s tonal behavior begins.
A Track can use:
- a single note for stable melodic focus
- a small note pool for riffs and controlled variation
- a larger note pool for broader melodic and harmonic movement
Because the T1 works with selected note pools instead of fixed note sequences, Pitch gives you a flexible source of tonal material that can later be shaped by:
- Harmony
- Voicing
- Style
- Range
- Phrase
- per-step pitch locks
This is one of the main strengths of the system: a small amount of selected pitch material can produce many musical results.
Quick Start
- Tap (PITCH) to show the chromatic keyboard on the 16 value buttons.
- Tap the lit [VBx] buttons to enable or disable notes for the Track.
- Turn (PITCH) to transpose the selected notes.
- Turn (SCALE) to choose a Scale.
- Hold [CTRL] and turn (SCALE) to set the Root note.
Double-tap (PITCH) to latch the keyboard view while you work. Press [BANK] to return.
Selecting Notes with Pitch
In Pitch view, the 16 value buttons act as a chromatic keyboard. Notes in the current Scale are available for selection, while notes outside the Scale are unavailable.
- Enabled notes define the pool of notes the Track can play
- Turning (PITCH) transposes that note pool within the current Scale
- A Track can use anything from a single note to a broader pitch set
A small pitch set often produces focused melodic results, while a larger set gives the sequencer more freedom.
A Useful Starting Approach
If you are not sure where to begin:
- start with 2 to 4 notes
- try root, third, and fifth first
- listen to how the Track behaves before adding more notes
This often gives clearer and more musical results than enabling a large number of notes immediately.
Start with just a few notes, such as the root, third, and fifth. This often gives clearer melodic results than enabling every note in the Scale.
Learn more about the Pitch & Harmony parameters.
Pitch as a Note Pool
One of the most important ideas on the T1 is that Pitch usually defines a pool of available notes, not a fixed written melody.
That note pool can then be interpreted in different ways depending on the rest of the tonal system:
- it can behave like a melody
- it can become chord material
- it can become an arpeggio
- it can be reshaped by Harmony or Voicing
- it can be moved over time by Range and Phrase
This is why Pitch is so central: it supplies the raw tonal material that other systems act upon.
A Track with:
- one selected pitch often behaves more like a fixed melodic center
- multiple selected pitches can create broader melodic or harmonic movement
Scale and Root
Scale and Root define the harmonic framework for Pitch.
- Scale determines which notes are available
- Root sets the tonal center of that Scale
Changing Scale immediately updates which notes can be selected in the Pitch keyboard. Changing Root changes the key center, but does not rewrite notes that are already locked to steps.
This means Pitch always exists inside a tonal context. You are not just selecting notes in isolation — you are selecting notes that belong to the current harmonic framework.
If you change Scale or Root, the available notes shown in Pitch update to reflect the new harmonic context.
Learn more about the Scale & Root parameters.
Per-Step Pitch Locks
Use per-step pitch locks to anchor important notes or add melodic detail within a generative pattern.
- Double-tap (PULSES) to open the step view.
- Hold [CTRL] and press a [VBx] to select a step for detailed editing.
- Press (PITCH) to show the keyboard for that step.
- Tap a note to lock that pitch to the selected step.
A per-step pitch lock overrides the Track’s general pitch behavior for that step, while still respecting the current Scale and Root.
This is useful when you want:
- a fixed downbeat note
- a stable phrase ending
- a specific melodic anchor inside a more generative pattern
- a few intentional notes inside otherwise flexible pitch behavior
Use pitch locks on a few key steps, such as downbeats or phrase endings, and let the rest of the pattern remain more open.
Learn more about Per-Step Editing.