# Ritornello: Song Form — by Songdeed > Song structure and arrangement tool focusing on form before notes. (iPhone/iPad app by EVAN TRACEN POWERS.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ritornello-song-form/id6802468296 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [EVAN TRACEN POWERS](https://appshunter.io/developer/6788864324) - Category: Music, Education - Price: $4.99 - Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 3 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-09-01 - Data updated: 2026-09-20 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ritornello-song-form/id6802468296/reviews.md ## What is Ritornello? The shape of the song, before the notes. Every other songwriting tool starts with a chord or a groove. Ritornello starts with the FORM — how long the verse is, where the chorus lands, whether the bridge actually goes anywhere — then fills it with the parts you have written and plays them back as one song. HOW IT WORKS • Lay out the sections: bars, key, meter, tempo, and a 1–5 energy rating that is your own judgement, not a measurement. • Attach the parts as you write them — chords from one app, a bassline from another, a groove from a third, stacked in the same bars — and press Play to hear them together, transposed into the section's key and laid along the form. • Read what the form is doing. Six checks: where the first chorus lands, whether the bridge departs harmonically, whether three choruses are identical, whether the energy arc goes anywhere, whether a section contrasts with its neighbours, and how long the whole thing runs. • With nothing attached, Play still keeps time: a click on every bar, accented at each section start. Sixteen bars of verse at 96 BPM is forty seconds, and sitting through forty seconds tells you something the number does not. • Hand the finished chart to a band: a one-page PDF, or the whole arrangement as MusicXML or MIDI. WHAT'S INSIDE • Eight starting forms: verse–chorus, verse–pre-chorus, AABA, 12-bar blues, Nashville, EDM, hip-hop and through-composed. Or start from nothing. • Several files in ONE section. Chords from one app, a bassline from another, a groove from a third — stacked in the same bars and sounding together. Ritornello reads MusicXML and MIDI, which is what every Songdeed app already exports. • An audition with four instrument voices and a real drum kit, assigned by register, synthesised on your device. It plays with the ringer switch in either position. • A form map: one printable page where width is time and height is your energy rating, so the shape of the song is a picture you can photograph for a group chat. • A one-page chart PDF: the form map, the form on one line, and every section's bar number. Nothing on it names a file from your phone. • Export the whole arrangement as MusicXML for Noteflight, MuseScore, Sibelius or Dorico, or as MIDI with drums on General MIDI channel 10. • Every trim, loop, pad and transposition is written down. A 4-bar progression in a 16-bar verse says it repeated four times; a 16-bar groove in an 8-bar chorus says how many notes were cut and at which bar. • As many songs as you want, with rolling backups, and a .ritornello file you can keep or send yourself. • Fully offline. No account, no sign-in, no ads, no in-app purchases, no subscription. • Ritornello collects nothing. Nothing leaves your device. WHAT IT WILL NOT DO It is not a DAW and will never become one: no audio recording, no mixing, no piano roll, no note-by-note editing. It arranges symbolic material according to a form you designed, then hands the result to whatever you actually record in. It also will not name your chords back to you. A MusicXML file carries notes, not meaning — a progression arrives as pitches, so the app can transpose it and lay it out but cannot tell you it was a ii–V–I. Anything it cannot know, it says it cannot know. Ritornello is by Songdeed. It is where the line meets: Mediant for the chords, Continuo for the bassline, Talea for the drums, Contrapunctus for the counterpoint, Filigree for the ornaments, Melisma for the words. ## Key features - Lay out song sections (bars, key, meter, tempo) - Attach and play multiple musical parts together - Analyze song structure with six key checks - Visualize song energy arc with a form map - Export arrangements as PDF, MusicXML, or MIDI - Offline functionality with no account required ## Frequently asked questions about Ritornello ### What is Ritornello's main purpose? Ritornello focuses on song form and structure, allowing you to lay out sections and attach musical parts before composing notes. It helps visualize the song's energy and arrangement. ### Can I record audio directly in Ritornello? No, Ritornello is not a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). It does not support audio recording, mixing, or note-by-note editing. It arranges symbolic material and exports it for use in other recording software. ### What file formats can Ritornello export? Ritornello can export your finished arrangement as a one-page PDF chart, MusicXML for use in notation software like Noteflight or Sibelius, or as MIDI files. ### Does Ritornello require an internet connection? No, Ritornello is fully offline. It does not require an account, sign-in, or an internet connection to function. ### How does Ritornello handle different musical parts? You can attach chords, basslines, or grooves from other apps as MusicXML or MIDI files. These parts are then stacked within the same bars and played back together, transposed to the section's key. ### What are the built-in song forms available in Ritornello? Ritornello offers eight starting forms including verse–chorus, verse–pre-chorus, AABA, 12-bar blues, Nashville, EDM, hip-hop, and through-composed. You can also start from scratch. ### How does Ritornello handle song structure analysis? Ritornello provides six checks on your song's structure, including chorus placement, harmonic departure of bridges, chorus repetition, energy arc, section contrast, and overall song length. ### Is Ritornello suitable for beginners? Yes, Ritornello is designed to help songwriters focus on structure. Its clear layout and analysis tools can be beneficial for both beginners and experienced musicians looking to refine their song forms. ## Version history (last 1 release) ### 1.0 — 2026-09-01 No release notes. ## More apps by EVAN TRACEN POWERS - [Anacru: Complex Rhythm Studio](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anacru-complex-rhythm-studio/id6788864322) - [Filigree: Motif Sketchpad](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filigree-motif-sketchpad/id6794147286) - [Contrapunctus: Second Voice](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contrapunctus-second-voice/id6795214128) - [Mediant: Chords & Harmonize](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mediant-chords-and-harmonize/id6795401642) - [Continuo: Bassline Maker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/continuo-bassline-maker/id6795707280) - [Melisma: Lyrics & Melody](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/melisma-lyrics-and-melody/id6797390048) All apps by EVAN TRACEN POWERS: https://appshunter.io/developer/6788864324 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-20.*