Hooktheory MCP Server
# Hooktheory MCP Server
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI agents to interact with the Hooktheory API for chord progression generation, song analysis, and music theory data retrieval.
## Quick Start
Get up and running in 3 simple steps:
1. **Set up authentication** using your Hooktheory account credentials:
```bash
export HOOKTHEORY_USERNAME="your-username"
export HOOKTHEORY_PASSWORD="your-password"
```
2. **Install and run:**
```bash
uvx hooktheory-mcp
```
3. **Try these examples with your AI assistant:**
- "Find songs with the chord progression I-V-vi-IV"
- "Analyze the song 'Wonderwall' by Oasis"
- "Show me popular chord progressions in C major"
- "Find songs similar to 'Let It Be' by The Beatles"
That's it! Your AI can now access music theory data and chord progressions.
## Common Usage Examples
### Search for Songs by Chord Progression
```
Find songs using the progression 1,5,6,4 in the key of C major
```
### Analyze Any Song
```
What are the chords in "Someone Like You" by Adele?
```
### Discover Popular Progressions
```
What are the most common chord progressions in pop music?
```
### Find Similar Songs
```
Find songs that have similar chord progressions to "Hotel California"
```
## Features
The server provides the following tools for music analysis and generation:
- **Chord Progression Search**: Find songs with specific chord progressions
- **Song Analysis**: Analyze specific songs to get chord progressions and key information
- **Popular Progressions**: Discover the most popular chord progressions
- **Similar Songs**: Find songs with similar chord progressions
- **Progression Generation**: Generate chord progressions based on music theory patterns
## Installation
### Prerequisites
- Python 3.11 or higher
- A Hooktheory account (Sign up at https://www.hooktheory.com)
### Setup
1. **Install with uvx (recommended):**
```bash
uvx hooktheory-mcp
```
2. **Or install from source:**
```bash
git clone <repository-url>
cd hooktheory-mcp
uv sync
```
3. **Set up authentication:**
```bash
export HOOKTHEORY_USERNAME="your-username"
export HOOKTHEORY_PASSWORD="your-password"
```
Or create a `.env` file:
```
HOOKTHEORY_USERNAME=your-username
HOOKTHEORY_PASSWORD=your-password
```
4. **Test the installation:**
```bash
uvx hooktheory-mcp --help
# Or if installed from source:
uv run hooktheory-mcp --help
```
## Usage
### Command Line
The server can be run in different modes:
**Standard MCP mode (stdio transport):**
```bash
uvx hooktheory-mcp
# Or from source: uv run hooktheory-mcp
```
**Streamable HTTP mode for web integration:**
```bash
uvx hooktheory-mcp --transport streamable-http
# Or from source: uv run hooktheory-mcp --transport streamable-http
```
**Server-Sent Events (SSE) mode:**
```bash
uvx hooktheory-mcp --transport sse
# Or from source: uv run hooktheory-mcp --transport sse
```
### MCP Client Configuration
For Claude Desktop, add this to your configuration:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"hooktheory": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["hooktheory-mcp"],
"env": {
"HOOKTHEORY_USERNAME": "your-username",
"HOOKTHEORY_PASSWORD": "your-password"
}
}
}
}
```
**Alternative for development/local install:**
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"hooktheory": {
"command": "uv",
"args": ["run", "hooktheory-mcp"],
"cwd": "/path/to/hooktheory-mcp",
"env": {
"HOOKTHEORY_USERNAME": "your-username",
"HOOKTHEORY_PASSWORD": "your-password"
}
}
}
}
```
## Available Tools
### 1. `get_chord_progressions`
Search for songs with specific chord progressions.
**Parameters:**
- `cp` (required): Chord progression in Roman numeral notation (e.g., "1,5,6,4")
- `key` (optional): Musical key (e.g., "C", "Am")
- `mode` (optional): Scale mode ("major", "minor")
- `artist` (optional): Filter by artist name
- `song` (optional): Filter by song title
**Example:**
```
Find songs with the progression I-V-vi-IV in the key of C major
```
### 2. `analyze_song`
Analyze a specific song to get its chord progression and music theory data.
**Parameters:**
- `artist` (required): Artist name
- `song` (required): Song title
**Example:**
```
Analyze "Wonderwall" by Oasis
```
### 3. `get_popular_progressions`
Get the most popular chord progressions from the database.
**Parameters:**
- `key` (optional): Filter by musical key
- `mode` (optional): Filter by scale mode
- `limit` (optional): Max results (default: 20)
**Example:**
```
Show me the most popular chord progressions in C major
```
### 4. `find_similar_songs`
Find songs with similar chord progressions to a reference song.
**Parameters:**
- `artist` (required): Reference artist name
- `song` (required): Reference song title
- `similarity_threshold` (optional): Similarity score 0.0-1.0 (default: 0.7)
**Example:**
```
Find songs similar to "Let It Be" by The Beatles
```
### 5. `generate_progression`
Generate chord progressions based on music theory patterns.
**Parameters:**
- `key` (optional): Starting key (default: "C")
- `mode` (optional): Scale mode (default: "major")
- `length` (optional): Number of chords (default: 4)
- `style` (optional): Musical style hint ("pop", "rock", "jazz")
**Example:**
```
Generate a 4-chord pop progression in A minor
```
## API Integration
The server integrates with the Hooktheory API using OAuth 2.0 authentication:
- **Base URL**: `https://www.hooktheory.com/api`
- **Authentication**: OAuth 2.0 with username/password → Bearer token
- **Rate Limiting**: 1.5 requests/second with exponential backoff
- **Token Management**: Automatic token caching and refresh (24-hour expiry)
- **Error Recovery**: Automatic retry with backoff on rate limits and auth failures
### Authentication Flow
1. Server exchanges username/password for Bearer token via `POST /users/auth`
2. Token is cached and automatically refreshed when expired
3. All API requests use Bearer token authentication
4. Rate limiting prevents exceeding API limits with intelligent backoff
## Development
### Project Structure
```
hooktheory-mcp/
├── src/hooktheory_mcp/
│ └── __init__.py # Main MCP server implementation
├── pyproject.toml # Project configuration
├── uv.lock # Dependency lock file
└── README.md # This file
```
### Adding New Tools
To add new tools, edit `src/hooktheory_mcp/__init__.py` and add new functions decorated with `@mcp.tool()`:
```python
@mcp.tool()
async def your_new_tool(param1: str, param2: Optional[int] = None) -> str:
"""
Description of your tool.
Args:
param1: Description of parameter
param2: Optional parameter description
Returns:
Description of return value
"""
# Implementation here
return result
```
### Testing
```bash
# Run basic connectivity test
uv run python -c "
import asyncio
from hooktheory_mcp import hooktheory_client
asyncio.run(hooktheory_client._make_request('test'))
"
```
## Troubleshooting
### Common Issues
1. **Authentication Credentials Not Set**
```
Error: HOOKTHEORY_USERNAME and HOOKTHEORY_PASSWORD environment variables are required
```
Solution: Set both `HOOKTHEORY_USERNAME` and `HOOKTHEORY_PASSWORD` environment variables
2. **HTTP 401 Unauthorized**
```
HTTP error calling https://www.hooktheory.com/api/trends/...: 401
```
Solution: Verify your username and password are correct. The server will automatically retry authentication.
3. **Rate Limited (HTTP 429)**
```
Rate limited. Waiting X seconds before retry
```
Solution: This is normal - the server automatically handles rate limiting with exponential backoff
4. **Connection Errors**
```
HTTP error calling https://www.hooktheory.com/api/trends/...: ConnectError
```
Solution: Check internet connection and Hooktheory API status
### Debug Mode
Enable debug logging:
```bash
export PYTHONPATH=src
python -c "
import logging
logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)
from hooktheory_mcp import main
main()
"
```
## Contributing
1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Submit a pull request
## License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
## Links
- [Hooktheory API Documentation](https://www.hooktheory.com/api/trends/docs)
- [Model Context Protocol Specification](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/)
- [MCP Python SDK](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/python-sdk)TDQS
Scored across 2 tools
The two tools have clearly distinct purposes: get_chord_transitions retrieves chord statistics and transition probabilities, while get_songs_by_progression finds songs containing specific chord progressions. There is no overlap in functionality, making it easy for an agent to select the correct tool based on whether it needs analytical data or song references.
Both tool names follow a consistent verb_noun pattern with get_ as the verb prefix and descriptive nouns (chord_transitions, songs_by_progression). The naming is predictable and readable, adhering to snake_case throughout without any deviations or mixed conventions.
With only 2 tools, the server feels under-scoped for a music theory domain, as it lacks essential operations like searching for chords, analyzing melodies, or accessing other Hooktheory features. This minimal set may force agents to work around gaps, limiting the server's utility beyond basic queries.
The tool surface is severely incomplete for a Hooktheory server, missing core functionalities such as chord lookup, melody analysis, or accessing user data. While the existing tools cover chord transitions and song searches, they do not provide a full CRUD/lifecycle or comprehensive coverage of the music theory domain, leading to potential agent failures in broader tasks.