THIRI Chord Intelligence — Claude Code MCP server: how to install
Computes exact music theory, voicings, and reharmonizations for coding agents. Useful whenever your assistant needs reliable chord logic without LLM hallucinations.
claude mcp add --transport http chord-intelligence https://mcp.thiri.ai/mcpWhat THIRI Chord Intelligence does
Language models frequently hallucinate chord tones and awkward voice leading. THIRI avoids statistical guessing by evaluating pitch-class sets mathematically over ℤ/12. The calculation stays deterministic. Available tools include analyze_chord for harmonic functions and reharmonize with 8 standard methods, including tritone substitutions and Coltrane changes.
The generate_voicing tool builds voicings such as rootless forms while scoring transitions against previous chords. Through conduct_band, the model splits natural language song prompts into instrument tracks. Audio rendering runs remotely through POST /v2/render, so local Csound installations are unnecessary.
You need an API key from build.thiri.ai/keys to run requests. While the hosted HTTP endpoint handles chord calculations, local sound playback requires running the companion package via stdio.
What it helps with
- calculate roman numerals and harmonic functions without errors
- spell chord pitches and MIDI notes accurately
- reharmonize progressions using tritone substitutions or Coltrane changes
- turn natural language song descriptions into instrument lanes
Example prompts for the agent
- Analyze the chord progression Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 in the key of C.
- Generate a rootless voicing for Cmaj7 and evaluate voice leading into Dm7.
- Apply Coltrane changes to reharmonize Dm7 G7 Cmaj7.
How to install THIRI Chord Intelligence
1Platform CLI: remote server
claude mcp add --transport http chord-intelligence https://mcp.thiri.ai/mcp2Platform CLI
claude mcp add --env THIRI_API_KEY=<THIRI_API_KEY> --transport stdio thiri-chord-intelligence -- npx -y @bluesprincemedia/thiri-mcpReplace <…> with your own values
1Platform CLI: remote server
codex mcp add thiri-chord-intelligence --url https://mcp.thiri.ai/mcp2Platform CLI
codex mcp add thiri-chord-intelligence --env THIRI_API_KEY=<THIRI_API_KEY> -- npx -y @bluesprincemedia/thiri-mcpReplace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"thiri-chord-intelligence": {
"url": "https://mcp.thiri.ai/mcp"
}
}
}{
"mcpServers": {
"thiri-chord-intelligence": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@bluesprincemedia/thiri-mcp"
],
"env": {
"THIRI_API_KEY": "<THIRI_API_KEY>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"servers": {
"thiri-chord-intelligence": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://mcp.thiri.ai/mcp"
}
}
}{
"servers": {
"thiri-chord-intelligence": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@bluesprincemedia/thiri-mcp"
],
"env": {
"THIRI_API_KEY": "<THIRI_API_KEY>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
1Platform CLI: remote server
gemini mcp add -t http thiri-chord-intelligence https://mcp.thiri.ai/mcp2Platform CLI
gemini mcp add -e THIRI_API_KEY=<THIRI_API_KEY> thiri-chord-intelligence npx -y @bluesprincemedia/thiri-mcpReplace <…> with your own values
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about THIRI Chord Intelligence
How to install THIRI Chord Intelligence in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add --transport http thiri-chord-intelligence https://mcp.thiri.ai/mcp in your terminal. This connects Claude Code directly to the hosted endpoint.
What is the difference between hosted mode and the conductor companion?
The hosted connector at https://mcp.thiri.ai/mcp provides harmonic data and band lanes. To render and play WAV files locally, run the local thiri-conductor-mcp package.
Does audio rendering require installing Csound locally?
No local Csound installation is required because rendering runs server-side through POST /v2/render. The companion tool simply retrieves and plays the resulting audio.
