How to Use Step Size to Shape Your Melodies
How using the step size control gives you precise command over the character and feel of your melodies.
A smaller step size makes a melody feel sung and lyrical. A larger one gives a sense of space, drama, and movement.
Step size controls the pitch distance between consecutive notes in a melody. It's one of the most direct ways to change how a melody feels without changing the key, the tempo, or the rhythm.
In MIDI Maker you'll find it under TONES on any Polysynth — a dial that runs from 1 (smallest steps) to 10 (largest steps).
What Step Size Actually Means
On a keyboard, E and F are adjacent — one semitone apart. Playing them consecutively is a very small step. E and G are two steps apart (a major second). E and B span seven semitones — a much larger leap.
A melody built mostly from small steps moves gradually up and down the scale, note by note. It feels close, flowing, singable — the kind of melody a voice could comfortably perform. Think of a gentle pop ballad or a classical melody.
A melody built from large steps jumps between notes that are far apart in pitch. It feels energetic, surprising, angular — more like a horn riff or a dramatic orchestral theme. The listener can't predict where the next note will land.
How It Works in MIDI Maker
When you set the step size dial, you're telling the generator how much pitch movement to prefer between notes. A low setting keeps notes close together; a high setting allows — and favours — larger intervals.
One important nuance: melodies still respect chord alignment and key changes. If the harmony demands a note that's further away than the step size would usually allow, the generator will make that jump. Step size shapes the tendency, not a hard rule.
When to Use Each Setting
Low step sizes (1–3) work well for melodic leads in ambient, lo-fi, or slower genres where you want the melody to feel warm and approachable. They also blend naturally into dense arrangements without drawing too much attention.
High step sizes (7–10) create more dramatic melodic movement and work well for lead lines in electronic or cinematic music, or anywhere you want the melody to feel bold and unpredictable.
Mid-range settings (4–6) give you a balance — enough movement to keep things interesting, enough step-by-step motion to stay coherent.
The best way to understand step size is to hear it. Set a melody running, then slowly turn the dial from 1 to 10 and listen to how the character of the melody changes in real time.