Understanding the Piano Roll Interface
The piano roll is where most of the real magic happens inside Tchaikovsky.
If you’re new to digital music production, it might look a little confusing at first — but once you get the basics down, it becomes one of the most powerful tools you’ll ever use.
Here’s a simple guide to help you get comfortable.
What is the Piano Roll?
The piano roll is a visual way to edit and arrange notes.
Think of it like a grid:
- Up and down = different pitches (higher notes are higher on the screen)
- Left to right = time (moving along the song timeline)
Each little rectangle you see is a note. You can drag, stretch, and move them around however you want.
Basic Actions
Here’s what you can do inside the piano roll:
- Add a note: Click on an empty space.
- Move a note: Drag it up, down, left, or right.
- Resize a note: Drag the edges to make it longer or shorter.
- Delete a note: Select it and press delete (or right-click and delete).
- Select multiple notes: Click and drag to box-select.
You can quickly sketch melodies, chords, basslines, or full rhythms — all by just clicking and dragging.
Key Features in Tchaikovsky’s Piano Roll
- Quantization: Snap notes to the nearest beat or subdivision for a tighter groove.
- Velocity Editing: Adjust how hard or soft a note is played (usually shown as bars under each note).
- Zoom Controls: Zoom in for detailed edits or out to see the full arrangement.
- Instrument Assignment: Quickly change the instrument playing a track from within the roll.
Everything is designed to be lightweight and fast — no lag, no confusion.
Tips for Better Editing
- Keep it simple at first — try building short 4- or 8-bar loops.
- Use copy and paste to quickly create variations.
- Layer simple melodies over basic chords to create fuller tracks.
- Trust your ears — if it sounds good, it is good.
You don’t have to “know theory” to use the piano roll. You’ll learn naturally just by playing around.
Final Thoughts
Tchaikovsky’s piano roll is designed to make editing AI-generated (or self-created) music feel natural, fast, and fun.
Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be moving notes around like second nature — and opening up a whole new side of your creativity.
Jump in, experiment, and see what you can create.