Step Sequencer

This simulation shows how music loops are built. A board holds four rows (Kick, Snare, Hat and Bell) and eight steps. Students click cells to switch notes on or off, and a glowing playhead sweeps across the grid, sounding every cell that is on. Tempo can be changed from 60 to 200 BPM, and presets such as Backbeat, Four on the floor, Random or Empty give starting patterns. Readouts show the current step, tempo, number of cells on, and the length of one step and of the whole loop. It teaches rhythm, steps and beats, tempo in beats per minute and how seconds relate to BPM, so it fits music and math lessons.

• Choose the Empty pattern and click cells to build a beat of your own.
• Turn on only the Kick row on steps 1 and 5, then add Snare on steps 3 and 7.
• Move Tempo to 60 and then to 200 BPM and read the Step / loop length readout.
• Try the Four on the floor preset and describe what is different from Backbeat.
• Add Bell notes to make a tune, and use the Playing toggle to pause and start again.

1. 1Build a looping rhythm pattern by choosing which steps are on.
2. 2Explain how tempo in BPM sets the length of a step and a loop.
3. 3Calculate the length of a beat in seconds from beats per minute.
4. 4Describe how layered sounds make a groove.

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