Unbalanced brackets in Tidal mini-notation produce a GHCi parse error, leaving the old pattern playing

Each bracket type in Tidal mini-notation has a distinct role and must be balanced: [] for subgroups (subdivision), <> for alternation, () for Euclidean rhythms such as (3,8), and {}%n for polymeter. An unbalanced or misused bracket triggers a GHCi parse error on that block; the old pattern is not updated and keeps playing. The diagnostic is to reduce the inner group to a flat string and gradually restore complexity.

Examples

‘bd [sn hh’ — unbalanced [ ] → GHCi parse error. Fix: ‘bd [sn hh]’. Misusing () around a subgroup instead of (3,8) also parses incorrectly.

Assessment

List the four Tidal mini-notation bracket types, state each one’s purpose, and describe the recovery action when a parse error fires.