In 2025 I built and released DrumFlow - a pattern generator for handpan and tongue drum players on iPhone and iPad.
I got into handpan music a while ago and found myself constantly looking for new patterns and rhythms to try. The problem with random generation is that it usually sounds terrible - just notes without musical coherence. So I built something that generates patterns using motif-based composition: it creates a short musical phrase and develops it, producing rhythms that actually sound good and work well with the instrument.
The workflow is simple: generate a pattern, listen to it, try it, save it to your library. The app shows color-coded notes indicating hand assignments, which helps when learning a new pattern. A built-in metronome keeps things tight while exploring ideas.
DrumFlow can be configured to match a real drum by setting scale, layout, and root note. It supports common handpan scales like Kurd, Celtic, and Hijaz, as well as various Pentatonics. This way, patterns generated in the app translate directly to playing on the physical instrument.
Everything syncs via iCloud across devices. No subscriptions, no recurring fees.