Chart a drum part in minutes.
Shorthand for tonight's gig or a full transcription. One box and a bar count, or every ghost note. Either way it is fast: paint it on a grid, see real notation, hear it back, print one page you can read at the kit.
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 plan. No account, no upsell, cancel any time.
License
- Unlimited songs
- Use on 3 devices
- All updates while active
- 10-day refund, no questions
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.
What happens if I stop paying?
The app goes back to the free tier: your songs stay exactly where they are and every feature still works, you just can't add beyond three songs until you renew.
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 10 days of any charge and you'll get a refund.