Give Your LLM Musical Superpowers with Melrose MCP

Ever wanted to ask Claude to "play something that sounds like Debussy" and actually hear music? The melrose-mcp server makes this possible by connecting LLMs directly to real-time MIDI music generation and playback.

Skip the Music Theory, Start Creating

Most music programming requires deep theory knowledge or complex DAW setups. Melrose MCP changes that by letting you describe music in plain English to your LLM, which then translates it into the melrōse language and plays it immediately.

Instead of wrestling with music notation software, you can:

• Ask your LLM to "play the opening of Für Elise" and hear it instantly
• Request "a slow jazz progression in C minor" and get immediate playback
• Say "make it sound more like Mike Oldfield" and hear the variation

Real-Time Music Programming Through Conversation

This server turns music creation into a conversational workflow. Your LLM becomes a musical collaborator that can:

Compose on demand: sequence('(F4 A4 D5) 4(F4 A4 D5) (G4 B4 E5)') gets generated from "play something impressionist"

Control playback: Change tempo mid-session, switch MIDI devices, or adjust expressions without breaking flow

Iterate naturally: "Make it slower," "add some minor seventh chords," or "try it in a different key" - your LLM handles the technical translation

Perfect for Creative Applications

Whether you're building music education tools, prototyping game soundtracks, or adding dynamic music to applications, this server opens up possibilities that were previously complex to implement:

• Interactive music tutoring: Students can ask questions and hear examples immediately
• Rapid prototyping: Test musical ideas without setting up complex audio pipelines
• Dynamic soundscapes: Generate context-appropriate music based on user input or application state
• Accessibility: Make music creation available to users who don't read traditional notation

Four Essential Tools, Zero Friction

The server provides exactly what you need for musical LLM interactions:

• melrose_play: Execute musical expressions and hear them immediately
• melrose_bpm: Adjust tempo on the fly for different moods or contexts
• melrose_devices: List and manage MIDI output devices
• melrose_change_output_device: Switch between speakers, DAWs, or hardware synths

Integration That Just Works

Drop this into your existing MCP setup and start experimenting:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "melrōse": {
      "command": "/path/to/melrose-mcp",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

Your LLM immediately gains musical capabilities. No API keys, no cloud dependencies, no complex audio routing - just install the Go binary and connect to your MIDI setup.

Why This Matters Now

LLMs are getting better at understanding creative intent, but they've been trapped in text-only outputs. Music is a natural extension of their capabilities - and this server makes that connection seamless.

The melrōse language strikes the right balance: powerful enough for complex compositions, simple enough for LLMs to generate reliably. You get the expressiveness of music programming without the typical learning curve.

Start with simple experiments like "play a C major scale" and quickly move to sophisticated requests like "create a Bach-style invention in G minor." Your LLM handles the complexity while you focus on the creative direction.

Ready to add a musical dimension to your LLM workflows? Install with go install github.com/emicklei/melrose-mcp@latest and start the conversation.