---

title: Mondo Notation

layout: ../../layouts/MainLayout.astro

---

import { MiniRepl } from '../../docs/MiniRepl';

import { JsDoc } from '../../docs/JsDoc';

# Mondo Notation

"Mondo Notation" is a new kind of notation that is similar to [Mini Notation](/learn/mini-notation/), but with enough abilities to make it work as a standalone pattern language.

Here's an example:

<MiniRepl

  mondo

  client:idle

  tune={`$ note (c2 # euclid <3 6 3> <8 16>) # *2 

  # s "sine" # add (note [0 <12 24>]*2)

  # dec(sine # range .2 2) 

  # room .5

  # lpf (sine/3 # range 120 400)

  # lpenv (rand # range .5 4)

  # lpq (perlin # range 5 12 # * 2)

  # dist 1 # fm 4 # fmh 5.01 # fmdecay <.1 .2>

  # postgain .6 # delay .1 # clip 5

$ s [bd bd bd bd] # bank tr909 # clip .5

# ply <1 [1 [2 4]]>

$ s oh\*4 # press # bank tr909 # speed.8

# dec (<.02 .05>\*2 # add (saw/8 # range 0 1))

`}

/>

## Mondo in the REPL

For now, you can only use mondo in the repl like this:

<MiniRepl client:idle tune={'mondo`s hh*8`'} />

The rest of this site will only use the mondo notation itself.

In the future, the REPL might get a way to use mondo notation directly.

## Calling Functions

Compared to Mini Notation, the most notable feature of Mondo Notation is the ability to call functions using round brackets:

<MiniRepl mondo client:idle tune={`(s hh*8)`} />

The first element inside the brackets is the function name. In JS, this would look like:

<MiniRepl client:idle tune={`s("hh*8")`} />

The outermost parens are not needed, so we can drop them:

<MiniRepl mondo client:idle tune={`s hh*8`} />

## Mini Notation Features

Besides function calling with round parens, Mondo Notation has a lot in common with Mini Notation:

### Brackets

- `[]` for 1-cycle sequences

- `<>` for multi-cycle sequences

- `{}` for stepped sequences (more on that later)

### Infix Operators

- \* => [fast](/learn/time-modifiers/#fast)

- / => [slow](/learn/time-modifiers/#slow)

- ! => [extend](/learn/stepwise/#extend)

- @ => [expand](/learn/stepwise/#expand)

- % => [pace](/learn/stepwise/#pace)

- ? => [degradeBy](/learn/random-modifiers/#degradeby) (currently requires right operand)

- : => tail (creates a list)

- .. => range (between numbers)

- , => [stack](/learn/factories/#stack)

- | => [chooseIn](/learn/random-modifiers/#choose)

### Example

<MiniRepl

  mondo

  client:idle

  tune={`note <

[e5 [b4 c5] d5 [c5 b4]]

[a4 [a4 c5] e5 [d5 c5]]

[b4 [~ c5] d5 e5]

[c5 a4 a4 ~]

[[~ d5] [~ f5] a5 [g5 f5]]

[e5 [~ c5] e5 [d5 c5]]

[b4 [b4 c5] d5 e5]

[c5 a4 a4 ~]

>`}

/>

## Chaining Functions

Similar to how "." works in javascript (JS), we can chain functions calls with the "#" operator:

<MiniRepl

  mondo

  client:idle

  tune={`n <0 2 4 [3 1] -1>*4 

 # scale C4:minor 

 # jux rev 

 # dec .2

 # delay .5`}

/>

Here's the same written in JS:

<MiniRepl

  client:idle

  tune={`n("<0 2 4 [3 1] -1>*4")

 .scale("C4:minor")

 .jux(rev)

 .dec(.2)

 .delay(.5)`}

/>

### Chaining Functions Locally

A function can be applied to a single element by wrapping it in round parens:

<MiniRepl mondo client:idle tune={`s [bd hh bd (cp # delay .6)] # bank tr909`} />

in this case, `delay .6` will only be applied to `cp`. compare this with the JS version:

<MiniRepl client:idle tune={`s(seq("bd", "hh", "bd", "cp".delay(.6))).bank('tr909')`} />

here we can see how much we can save when there's no boundary between mini notation and function calls!

### Chaining Infix Operators

Infix operators exist as regular functions, so they can be chained as well:

<MiniRepl client:idle mondo tune={`s [bd hh] # bank tr909 # *2`} />

In this case, the \*2 will be applied to the whole pattern.

### Lambda Functions

Some functions in strudel expect a function as input, for example:

<MiniRepl client:idle tune={`n("0 .. 7").scale("C:minor").sometimes(x=>x.dec(.1))`} />

in mondo, the `x=>x.` can be shortened to:

<MiniRepl client:idle mondo tune={`n 0..7 # scale C:minor # sometimes (# dec .1)`} />

chaining works as expected:

<MiniRepl client:idle mondo tune={`n 0..7 # scale C:minor # sometimes (# dec .1 # jux rev)`} />

## Strings

You can use "double quotes" and 'single quotes' to get a string:

<MiniRepl client:idle mondo tune={`n 0..7 # scale 'C minor'`} />

## Multiple Patterns

The `$` sign can be used to separate multiple patterns:

<MiniRepl

  client:idle

  mondo

  tune={`$ s [bd rim [~ bd] rim] # bank tr707

$ chord <Dm9!3 Db7> # voicing

  # struct[x ~ ~ x ~ x ~ ~] # delay .5`}

/>

The `$` sign is an alias for `,` so it will create a stack behind the scenes.

## variables

using the `def` keyword, you can define variables:

<MiniRepl

  client:idle

  mondo

  tune={`

$ def melody [0 1 2 3]

$ n melody # scale C:minor

`}

/>