12-tone Matrix Tips 12-tone Assignment   William Wieland
  • I do not use graph paper.
  • I write my 12-tone row across the top of a blank piece of paper.
  • I use only flats so I do not confuse enharmonic equivalents.
  • I write the left-most inversion down the left side.
  • I quarter my matrix with a horizontal and a vertical line to see hexachords. I quarter the quarters for easier reading and to better see trichords.
  • I do one interval at a time of the original row all the way down, i.e. I finish one inversion at a time.
  • I frequently check completed rows against a chromatic scale. (Is there a C? Is there a D flat? etc.)
  • When finished, I check the diagonal from upper left to lower right.