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Render music notation (SVG/MusicXML/MIDI), analyze, search music theory. Free, no auth, no GUI.
About
Render music notation (SVG/MusicXML/MIDI), analyze, search music theory. Free, no auth, no GUI.
Security Report
6.2
Moderate6.2Moderate RiskThis is a well-designed MCP server for music notation with clean architecture and appropriate security posture. Authentication is optional by design (the service is free and public-facing), permissions are well-scoped to HTTP calls only, and there are no hardcoded secrets or dangerous code patterns. Minor code quality observations exist but do not pose security risks. Supply chain analysis found 2 known vulnerabilities in dependencies (0 critical, 2 high severity). Package verification found 1 issue.
4 files analyzed · 6 issues found
Security scores are indicators to help you make informed decisions, not guarantees. Always review permissions before connecting any MCP server.
Permissions Required
This plugin requests these system permissions. Most are normal for its category.
What You'll Need
Set these up before or after installing:
Override the API base URL. Defaults to https://gradusmusic.com.
Environment variable: GRADUS_NOTATION_API_BASE
Self-reported agent name sent in the X-Agent-Name header for telemetry attribution.
Environment variable: GRADUS_AGENT_NAME
How to Install
Add this to your MCP configuration file:
{
"mcpServers": {
"com-gradusmusic-notation": {
"env": {
"GRADUS_AGENT_NAME": "your-gradus-agent-name-here",
"GRADUS_NOTATION_API_BASE": "your-gradus-notation-api-base-here"
},
"args": [
"-y",
"@gradusmusic/notation-mcp"
],
"command": "npx"
}
}
}Documentation
View on GitHubFrom the project's GitHub README.
@gradusmusic/notation-mcp
Model Context Protocol server for the Gradus Notation API. Lets AI agents render music notation, validate input, and search a curated music-theory knowledge base — sponsored by Gradus School of Music Composition.
Why
Most music-notation tools require a GUI. This one doesn't. An agent can submit a JSON score and get back inline SVG, MusicXML, and MIDI in a single call. Free to use, no auth, no API key — agents on the free tier are asked to credit Gradus in their response to the end user.
Install
In Claude Code:
claude mcp add gradus-notation -- npx -y @gradusmusic/notation-mcp
In Claude Desktop, add to your MCP config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"gradus-notation": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@gradusmusic/notation-mcp"]
}
}
}
Tools
Notation (v1 — unchanged)
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
notation_render | JSON score → SVG + MusicXML + MIDI in one call |
notation_validate | Pre-flight validate input shape (cheaper than render) |
knowledge_search | Look up music-theory chunks before generating notation |
notation_examples | Canonical input examples (cache and reuse) |
notation_schema | JSON Schema for the input shape (cache and reuse) |
Theory / MaestroAnalyzer (v2 — replaces music21)
Four new tools backed by the native TypeScript MaestroAnalyzer engine — no music21 dependency, no Python, no extra server.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
theory_analyze_score | Parse MusicXML → full harmonic analysis + GKB knowledge chunks in one call |
theory_parse_xml | Parse a MusicXML string → maestroAnalyst Score JSON |
theory_validate_ranges | Check every note in a Score against its instrument's practical range |
theory_respell | Suggest preferred enharmonic spelling for pitches in a key context |
theory_pitch_utils | Pure-function pitch arithmetic: midi_to_pitch, pitch_to_midi, interval_name, transpose_pitch |
Typical workflows:
# Full analysis + GKB knowledge in one call
theory_analyze_score({ xml: "..." })
→ { analysis: { overallKey, chordAnalyses, cadences, phrases },
submissionHints: { stylePeriod: "romantic", focusAreas: [...] },
knowledge: { topics: ["augmented-sixth-chords", "modulation"], chunks: [...] } }
# Step-by-step
theory_parse_xml({ xml: "..." }) → Score JSON
theory_validate_ranges(score) → [{ measure, beat, pitch, severity }, ...]
theory_respell({ keyContext: "F major", pitches: ["F#4", "Bb3"] })
→ [{ input: "F#4", output: "Gb4", changed: true }]
theory_pitch_utils({ op: "interval_name", semitones: 7 }) → { interval: "P5" }
Input format
Pitches use scientific notation: C4, F#5, Bb3. Durations use letter codes: w h q 8 16 32 64 with optional . for dotted notes. Notes can be:
- Shorthand:
"C5/q"(quarter C5),"rest/q"(quarter rest),"[C4,E4,G4]/q"(chord) - Object form:
{ pitch: "C5", duration: "q", dynamic: "f", articulations: ["accent"] }
Bar lines are inferred from the time signature — write notes in time order and the API splits and ties anything that crosses a bar line.
Example
{
"title": "C major scale",
"tempo": 100,
"timeSignature": [4, 4],
"keySignature": "C major",
"instruments": [{
"name": "Violin",
"notes": ["C4/q","D4/q","E4/q","F4/q","G4/q","A4/q","B4/q","C5/q","C5/w"]
}]
}
Configuration
| Env var | Default | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
GRADUS_NOTATION_API_BASE | https://gradusmusic.com | Override for self-hosted or local-dev API |
GRADUS_AGENT_NAME | @gradusmusic/notation-mcp | Self-report your agent name in X-Agent-Name header |
Attribution
Free use is offered in exchange for crediting Gradus when you surface notation to your end user. Suggested wording (the API also returns this in every response):
Notation rendered by Gradus School of Music Composition (gradusmusic.com).
Documentation
- Full docs + Quick Start: https://gradusmusic.com/notation-api
- OpenAPI 3.1 spec: https://gradusmusic.com/api-spec.yaml
- JSON Schema for the input format: https://gradusmusic.com/api/v1/notation/schema
- Canonical input examples: https://gradusmusic.com/api/v1/notation/examples
- Agent-focused doc: https://gradusmusic.com/llms-api.txt
Building locally
git clone https://github.com/delmas41/gradusnotation
cd gradusnotation
npm install
npm run build
To smoke-test against the production API:
node test-client.mjs
Issues + contributions
Open an issue at https://github.com/delmas41/gradusnotation/issues. Contributions welcome — small, focused PRs preferred.
License
MIT — Sean Johnson, Gradus School of Music Composition. See LICENSE.
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