The Pytakt MML Tutorial

MML (Music Macro Language) is a text-based language for describing music, which spread in Japan in the 1980s, mainly in the form of embedded in the BASIC language. It can easily describe music with short strings. Various dialects of MML existed since that time, with basic syntax differing somewhat between manufacturers and each implementing their own unique extensions. The MML available in Pytakt also features various unique extensions, such as flexible note duration specification, chord and polyphonic notation, and expression control. This tutorial will explain Pytakt's MML step by step. It is written to be understandable without knowledge of programming or the Python language, except for parts of Chapters 14 and 15.

  1. How to Play Music Written in MML
  2. Pitches
  3. Durations
  4. Chords and Multi-Voice Music
  5. Tempo, Time Signatures, Keys, and Titles
  6. Velocity, Playing Durations, and Time Shifts
  7. Timbre, Pitch Bend, and Control Changes
  8. Multi-Part Music

(The following chapters are planned to be added.)

  1. Simple Repeats
  2. Rhythmic Parts
  3. Continuous Changes
  4. How to Use Effectors
  5. The Product Effector
  6. Defining Variables and Functions
  7. Loops and Conditionals
  8. Controlling Staff Notation Outputs
  9. Customization


Last update: Jan 30 2026 18:47 JST     Copyright (C) 2026 Satoshi Nishimura