Stromian Tuplet Notation: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Stromian tuplet notation 1.jpg|thumb|Nested tuplet from polyriddim by phonon|200x200px]]
[[File:Stromian tuplet notation 1.jpg|thumb|Nested tuplet from polyriddim by phonon|200x200px]]
[[File:Stromian tuplet notation 2.jpg|thumb|Nested tuplet used frequently in The Black Page by Frank Zappa|199x199px]]
[[File:Stromian tuplet notation 2.jpg|thumb|Nested tuplet used frequently in The Black Page by Frank Zappa|199x199px]]
Stromian tuplet notation is a system for expressing nested tuplets in text. STN’s main purpose is to convey complicated tuplet ideas over text. The system strikes a balance between legibility and efficiency.
'''Stromian tuplet notation''' is a system for expressing '''nested tuplets'''. STN’s main purpose is to convey complicated tuplet ideas over text. The system strikes a balance between '''legibility''' and '''efficiency'''.




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11[8:6+5]:8    —>    11[8:6+5]:8/8
11[8:6+5]:8    —>    11[8:6+5]:8/8
The notation system used on the Metr tool on chambercode.com is very similar to STN, the main difference being that it doesn’t have STN’s redundant numerators.
A triplet inside of a nested triplet is pretty easy to conceptualize when reading it on sheet music, as opposed to STN, where it would be written like “3[3[3:2+1]:2+1]:2”. STN has its limitations, but it allows those familiar with it to glance at “11[6+9:5]:8” and think “ah yes, a 11:8 tuplet with a nested 9:5 at the end”.

Revision as of 03:45, 20 June 2026

Nested nested triplet
Nested tuplet from polyriddim by phonon
Nested tuplet used frequently in The Black Page by Frank Zappa

Stromian tuplet notation is a system for expressing nested tuplets. STN’s main purpose is to convey complicated tuplet ideas over text. The system strikes a balance between legibility and efficiency.


When written with STN, the exact length of the tuplet can be ambiguous. If there’s a 4 in the denominator, that could mean 4 quarter notes long, but it could also be 4 eighth notes, 4 sixteenth notes, etc. This ambiguity can be solved by writing the denominator as a time signature instead of a plain number.

11[8:6+5]:8 —> 11[8:6+5]:8/8

The notation system used on the Metr tool on chambercode.com is very similar to STN, the main difference being that it doesn’t have STN’s redundant numerators.

A triplet inside of a nested triplet is pretty easy to conceptualize when reading it on sheet music, as opposed to STN, where it would be written like “3[3[3:2+1]:2+1]:2”. STN has its limitations, but it allows those familiar with it to glance at “11[6+9:5]:8” and think “ah yes, a 11:8 tuplet with a nested 9:5 at the end”.