Free · in your browser

Stick Lab

Build the rhythm, see the count, choose the sticking, practice the check. A free percussion measure builder and sticking-practice tool that runs entirely in your browser.

Launch Stick Lab → See what it does

No download. No install. No account. Free forever.

One measure of 4/4 in Stick Lab's Notation view: beamed sixteenth-note groups with an augmentation dot on beat 2, counting labels 1 e and a under each slot, and R and L sticking letters above the played notes. — A built measure in Notation view — beams, beamlets, dots and rests all follow standard notation rules.

4/4 · One measure

R1 Le R& La

R2 Le R& La

R3 ·e ·& La

R4 Le R& ·a

Tap a notehead to switch it off; the grid position stays, so the count still runs underneath it. Every played note keeps its hand, and any single R or L can be overridden without touching the rest.

What it is

A measure builder and a sticking lab

Stick Lab is an offline percussion measure builder and sticking-practice tool. Build one measure of 4/4, view it as a timing grid or as real rhythmic notation, turn on counting and stickings, and practice it against a steady check pattern with looping playback.

Tap noteheads on and off until the measure matches the music in front of you — a book, a packet, an audition excerpt, a lesson assignment. Nothing to install, no account, and no network needed once the page has loaded.

See it in action

One measure, three ways to read it

Stick Lab's Grid view: four beats of sixteenth slots with played notes shown as filled noteheads and silent ones as quiet rings, counting labels below and alternating R and L sticking letters above. — **Grid, for building**Big tappable cells. Silent slots stay visible as quiet placeholders, so you can turn them back on.

The same measure in Notation view, engraved as beamed sixteenth-note groups with an augmentation dot, rests, counting labels and sticking letters. — **Notation, for reading**The same rhythm as real engraving — beams, partial beams, dots, rests and triplet brackets.

The same measure with natural sticking starting on the left hand, so each beat restarts from L and the sticking letters alternate only within that beat. — **Sticking, either hand**Natural sticking starting left — every beat restarts from the chosen hand, so an empty beat never shifts the next one.

Key features

Built for the band hall

Measure builder

One measure of 4/4 in quarter, eighth, triplet or sixteenth subdivisions — 4, 8, 12 or 16 slots. Tap any notehead to turn it on or off.

Grid or notation

Grid gives you big tappable cells, easiest for building a rhythm. Notation shows the same measure on a rhythmic staff.

Notation styles

Flags, Dotted or Beamed. Durations, rests, beams, partial beams, augmentation dots and triplet brackets follow standard notation rules for every pattern you can build.

Sticking, two ways

Alternating: hands walk across played notes only — a silent slot never consumes the alternation
Natural: every beat restarts from the starting hand, so an empty beat doesn't shift the next one
Start from R or L, and override any single note to R, L or Auto

Check pattern

Before: one full measure of straight subdivisions, then yours
Underneath: the same subdivisions running quietly beneath your measure
During the check, the notes you turned off light up too — your rhythm is the full subdivision with notes removed

Playback

Play, loop, and set tempo anywhere from 40 to 240 BPM. The check voice and your measure use distinct sounds, and each beat's first subdivision is emphasised so the pulse stays audible.

Randomize and Reset

Randomize builds a playable practice rhythm and clears any sticking overrides. Reset turns every note back on. Both are one tap.

Keyboard and screen readers

Space play/stop Tab reach every control Enter activate

Every control is a standard button, including each notehead, and noteheads are labelled for screen readers.

No account, no data

No account, no backend, no network requests, and no storage of any kind. There is no practice data to collect, and the app keeps running offline once it has loaded.

Quarter1 2 3 4
Eighth1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Triplet1 trip let 2 trip let 3 trip let 4 trip let
Sixteenth1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a

Who it's for

Students, classrooms, and studios

Students

Match the rhythm you're stuck on, see the count under it, and hear where each note lands against a running subdivision. Practice the sticking your teacher assigned, or override a note and try the other hand.

Teachers

Build a rhythm on the classroom display, switch from grid to notation so students read what they just heard, and set the check pattern to Before so the whole section hears the subdivision first.

Private teachers

Start the check pattern Before, then switch to Underneath once the rhythm is close. Hearing their notes land against a running subdivision makes rushed and dragged notes obvious without you saying a word.

Why it's different

A grid isn't notation. Stick Lab shows you the same measure as both.

Percussion-specific
Counting, sticking, and check patterns built for the band hall — not a generic rhythm trainer with drums bolted on.
Two views, one measure
Build in the grid, read it as notation. The same rhythm, so students connect what they tapped to what's on the page.
The check makes timing audible
A steady subdivision before or underneath your measure turns "that felt off" into "that note came early."
Free
No paywall, no account, no download. Open the URL and practice.
Works everywhere, offline
Phone, tablet, Chromebook, desktop, classroom display. Any browser, and no network once it's loaded.

Ready to practice?

Launch Stick Lab — free, no signup. Need a walkthrough? The operating guide covers every control and both check-pattern modes.

Launch Stick Lab → Read the Guide