# How to change a ring to a list?

**URL:** <https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-change-a-ring-to-a-list/1725>\
**Category:** Support, Help & Resources\
**Created:** [November 22, 2018, 4:49am UTC](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-change-a-ring-to-a-list/1725 "2018-11-22T04:49:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![zzm88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a88e4f/32.png) [@zzm88](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/u/zzm88)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 4:49am UTC](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-change-a-ring-to-a-list/1725/1 "2018-11-22T04:49:15Z")

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We can use list\_name.ring to make the list a ring. How to do it the other way around? ( ring to list)

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**Author:** ![robin.newman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@robin.newman](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/u/robin.newman)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 8:19am UTC](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-change-a-ring-to-a-list/1725/2 "2018-11-22T08:19:45Z")

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put  
`.to_a`  
on the end (to array)  
eg

```ruby
puts scale(:c4,:major) #a ring
puts scale(:c4,:major).to_a #a list

```

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**Author:** ![ethancrawford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@ethancrawford](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/u/ethancrawford)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2018, 9:26am UTC](https://in-thread.sonic-pi.net/t/how-to-change-a-ring-to-a-list/1725/3 "2018-11-22T09:26:11Z")

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@zzm88 - note that `.to_a` comes directly from the Ruby language, which Sonic Pi is based on. If you’re wondering about similar sorts of functions which don’t seem to be available in Sonic Pi, there’s a chance it will be available in plain Ruby. (However, only Sonic Pi functions as seen in the help docs are officially supported, so anything else may or may not work. Basic Ruby maths operations are pretty safe for example).