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Song Sections

PixelBoop supports 8 song sections (pattern banks) for building complete songs. Each section stores an independent pattern for all 4 tracks.

Section Overview​

Song Sections

Song Sections

8 sections (columns 36-43) for building full songs
Section Columns
Columns 36-43. Each column triggers a different section.
Current Section
The active section glows brighter. Tap another to switch.
Pattern Grid
Columns 4-35. Shows notes for the current section.

Switching Sections​

Tap any section column (36-43) to switch to that section.

Switching Sections

Switching Sections

Tap a section column to switch patterns
Section 1 (Active)
Column 36. Currently active section.
Section 2
Column 37. Tap to switch.
Section 3
Column 38. Tap to switch.
Other Sections
Columns 39-43. 5 more sections available.

Each section is independent:

  • Switching sections changes which pattern is displayed and playing
  • Notes you place are saved to the current section
  • All 4 tracks are switched together

Section Thumbnails​

Each section column shows a thumbnail preview of the notes in that section.

Section Thumbnails

Section Thumbnails

Each section shows a preview of its contents
Section 1 Preview
Shows a condensed view of notes in section 1.
Section 2 Preview
Different notes in section 2.
Empty Section
Section 3 has no notes yet.

Thumbnails use track colors to show where notes are:

  • 🟡 Yellow = Melody notes
  • 🩵 Teal = Chord notes
  • 🩵 Blue = Bass notes
  • 🔴 Red = Rhythm hits

Section Play Mode​

Enable Section Play Mode to automatically advance through all sections during playback.

Section Play Mode

Section Play Mode

Auto-advance through sections during playback
Section Play Toggle
Located in the control row. Tap to enable section play mode.
Playback Order
Sections play in order: 1 → 2 → 3 → ... → 8 → 1

Section Play Behavior​

When Section Play Mode is enabled:

  1. Pattern plays through all 32 steps
  2. At step 32, advances to the next section
  3. Cycles through all 8 sections
  4. Loops back to section 1 after section 8

This creates a 256-step song (8 sections × 32 steps).

Building a Song​

Workflow​

  1. Start in Section 1: Create your intro or verse pattern
  2. Copy to Section 2: Duplicate and modify for variation
  3. Section 3: Build a chorus or bridge
  4. Continue: Fill sections 4-8 with song parts
  5. Enable Section Play: Listen to the full song

Arrangement Ideas​

SectionPurposeExample
1IntroSparse melody, no drums
2Verse 1Add bass and light drums
3ChorusFull energy, all tracks
4Verse 2Variation of section 2
5ChorusSame as section 3
6BridgeDifferent feel, buildup
7ChorusFinal chorus, extra energy
8OutroStrip back, fade out

Section Reference​

SectionColumnDefault Color
136Red
237Orange
338Yellow
439Green
540Cyan
641Blue
742Purple
843Magenta

Section Copy & Merge​

PixelBoop supports copying sections and merging them additively with other sections. This is perfect for creating variations and building up arrangements.

Copy a Section (Hold 1s)​

Copy Section

Copy Section

Hold section column for 1s to copy
Hold Section Column
Hold any section column for 1 second to copy it.
Tooltip Shows 'COPIED X'
Confirmation that section X was copied to clipboard.

How to copy:

  1. Hold any section column (36-43) for 1 second
  2. See "COPIED X" tooltip (where X is section number)
  3. Section is now in clipboard

Merge to Another Section (Tap)​

Merge Sections

Merge Sections

Tap target section to merge additively
Source Section (Copied)
Section 1 was copied. It contains some notes.
Target Section (Before Merge)
Section 2 has different notes.
After Merge
Section 2 now has notes from BOTH sections (additive).

How to merge:

  1. Copy a section (hold 1s)
  2. Tap a different section column
  3. See "MERGED" tooltip
  4. Target section switches to active
  5. Target section now contains notes from both sections (additive merge)

Additive Merge Behavior​

When merging sections:

  • Existing notes are preserved: Notes in the target section stay
  • New notes are added: Notes from the copied section are added
  • Overlapping notes: If both sections have a note at the same position, the copied note replaces it
  • All tracks merged: Melody, Chords, Bass, and Rhythm all merge

Use Cases​

Creating Variations​

  1. Copy section 1 (intro)
  2. Merge to section 2
  3. Add extra notes to section 2 (variation)

Building Up Arrangements​

  1. Section 1: Just melody
  2. Copy section 1, merge to section 2
  3. Add bass to section 2 (melody + bass)
  4. Copy section 2, merge to section 3
  5. Add drums to section 3 (melody + bass + drums)

Combining Song Parts​

  1. Section 1: Verse melody
  2. Section 2: Chorus chords
  3. Copy section 1, merge to section 3
  4. Copy section 2, merge to section 3
  5. Section 3 now has both verse melody AND chorus chords

Undo Support​

Merging is fully undoable:

  • Press Undo (row 0, column 21) to restore the pre-merge state
  • Or use double-swipe left gesture for quick undo

Section Variation (Tap-Tap)​

If you tap a section and then tap an empty section, you get a variation (not a merge):

  1. Tap section 1 (active)
  2. Tap section 2 (empty)
  3. See "SEC VARIATION" tooltip
  4. Section 2 gets a copy of section 1 (traditional copy, not merge)

Difference from Copy-Merge:

  • Variation: Replaces target section (overwrite)
  • Copy-Merge: Adds to target section (additive)

Ghost Notes​

Enable Ghost Notes to see faded notes from other sections while editing. This helps maintain continuity across sections.

Ghost Notes

Ghost Notes

See notes from other sections for reference
Active Notes
Current section's notes are bright.
Ghost Notes
Notes from other sections appear dim for reference.

Toggle ghost notes using the control in row 0 (see Top Controls).

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