Learning music with Strudel

Live coding, algorave, and appeal

• Multiple commenters describe Strudel-based live coding as captivating performance art, both online (short clips) and in-person (basement rave where the crowd watched code edits before drops).
• Algorave is seen as “having a moment,” especially for people who enjoy both programming and electronic music.
• Several users say Strudel feels more approachable than traditional DAWs with complex UIs.

Comparisons with other environments

• Strudel is frequently compared to TidalCycles: similar concept, but Strudel runs in JavaScript, is easier to start with, and more visual; Tidal offers deeper features, Haskell’s full power, and mature tooling.
• Some use other tools for complementary strengths: Lambda Musika or Glicol for lower‑level synthesis/sound design, with Strudel as a sequencer; FoxDot, Sardine, Max/Pd, Csound, etc. mentioned as predecessors/peers.
• One commenter notes Strudel’s rhythm model reflects Indian classical ideas more than Western notation, which can confuse classically trained users.

Learning, docs, and musical foundations

• Many praise Strudel’s official docs and this tutorial as intuitive and inspiring for learning music theory and composition.
• Others feel the learning material is incomplete (only the first chapter of a planned larger work) and that documentation lacks guidance on structuring full songs, not just small patterns.
• Several note you still need basic musical vocabulary; some lean on LLMs to generate starter code, then tweak it.

Community demos and creative workflows

• A shared Strudel piece with code-driven visual theming receives heavy praise for being musically strong, pedagogical, and a full arrangement rather than just a loop; some warn about seizure risk from visuals.
• People share metronomes, trance tracks, “functional DAW” experiments, and even Beethoven-style attempts, often emphasizing how satisfying it is to “see the code work” and modify live.
• There’s interest in exporting audio/video (e.g., MP4) and better bridging Strudel sketches into full-track production and mastering.

Tooling, local use, and performance

• Strudel can run locally from its Codeberg repo; there are Neovim and VS Code plugins, with options for headless mode and custom CSS (e.g., hiding code on a second screen).
• Some report browser or OS-specific issues (Safari module imports, Linux stuttering vs smooth performance on others); a dev build at a separate URL is suggested for better performance.

LLMs, forks, and ethics

• Forks that add natural-language “vibe” or “add a bass layer” interfaces are shared.
• Several object that these forks are hosted on GitHub after Strudel was deliberately moved to Codeberg for ethical reasons.

Interface design and theory nitpicks

• The REPL is widely admired: continuous evaluation, highlighting currently playing expressions, compact inline widgets, and minimal chrome—seen as uniquely performance-friendly.
• There’s a side discussion on whether certain Strudel “chords” are really chords or arpeggios, and a small nit about drum sound labeling (bd/sd vs RolandTR909).