HarmonyBuilder
HarmonyBuilder is music notation and composition software for writing and hearing four-part harmony.
What HarmonyBuilder is
HarmonyBuilder is music notation and composition software for writing and hearing four-part harmony. Its Basic edition supports four-part score writing, moving notes, experimenting with harmony and rhythm, playback and MIDI export. The Educational edition adds voice-leading checks, color-coded chord notes, and chord recognition and naming. Professional includes a Chord Selector wheel, a Voicing Generator and tools for harmonizing melodies or bass lines. Institutional provides a dedicated database where teachers and students can share assignments, homework and compositions; its score accounts are password-protected. Compositions can be saved to a computer or public web archive and in MIDI format, while a private hyperlink can open a composition in a browser. The software runs on Windows, Mac and Linux and requires Java 6 or higher. A free trial of up to 28 days includes Basic, Educational and Professional functionality. Basic costs $14 a month, and Educational costs $49 a month. The maker identifies music students, teachers, composers, arrangers, songwriters and musicians as intended users, and provides manuals, tutorial videos and FAQs.
Good
- Basic includes MIDI export and playback
- Educational checks voice-leading errors
- Professional includes melody and bass harmonizing tools
- Institutional offers shared assignment and composition database
- Runs on Windows, Mac and Linux
Watch out
- Requires Java 6 or higher
- No mobile apps are listed
- No free plan; trial lasts up to 28 days
Who it suits
HarmonyBuilder suits music students, teachers, composers, arrangers, songwriters and musicians working with four-part harmony. Teachers and students who need to share assignments and compositions can consider the Institutional package.
Verdict
HarmonyBuilder offers distinct tools for writing, studying and arranging four-part harmony, with an Institutional option for teacher-student sharing. Check the Java requirement and plan details, as only Basic and Educational have listed prices.
Plans and prices
From HarmonyBuilder's own pricing page, checked 28 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free | Up to 28 days · Includes Basic, Educational and Professional functionality |
| Basic | $14, paid once | Four-part notation · MIDI export · score sharing · $14 activation price |
| Professional | $19, paid once | Includes Basic and Educational · chord and voicing tools · melody or bass harmonization · $19 special offer shown in chart |
| Educational | $49, paid once | Includes Basic · voice-leading error checks · color-coded chords · automatic chord recognition · $49 activation price |
| Institutional | Priced on request | Networking capabilities · dedicated database · online student and teacher accounts · By Request · server subscription |
The facts
Each one read from HarmonyBuilder's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Audience
- The maker identifies music students, teachers, composers, arrangers, songwriters, and musicians as intended users.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Basic editing
- The Basic edition supports four-part music, note movement, harmony and rhythm experimentation, and MIDI export.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Composition tools
- The Professional edition includes a Chord Selector wheel, Voicing Generator, and tools to harmonize melodies or bass lines.checked 28 Sep 2026
- File formats
- The comparison chart says compositions can be saved to the user's computer or a public web archive and in MIDI format.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Harmony education
- The Educational edition checks voice-leading errors, color-codes chord notes, and recognizes and names chords.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Institutional collaboration
- The Institutional package provides a dedicated database for sharing assignments, homework, and compositions between teachers and students.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- HarmonyBuilder is music notation and composition software focused on writing and hearing four-part harmony.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Score sharing
- Users can email a private hyperlink that opens a composition in a browser.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Security
- The comparison chart describes Institutional score accounts as password-protected.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Support
- The maker directs users with technical support questions to contact it and provides user manuals, tutorial videos, and FAQs.checked 28 Sep 2026
- Technical requirement
- HarmonyBuilder is written in Java and requires Java 6 or higher to run on Windows, Mac, or Linux.checked 28 Sep 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Nochecked 21 Sep 2026
- Trial
- The maker offers a free trial for up to 28 days that includes Basic, Educational, and Professional levels.checked 28 Sep 2026
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