Free tool

Chord progression generator. Pick a key, mode and genre, hear the chords, and download the MIDI. Free, in your browser, no sign-up.

Updated

Mode

Length

Chords

Play as

C major · Pop · 118 BPM · notes in the key: C D E F G A B

  1. Bar 1

    F

    IV

    F A C

  2. Bar 2

    G

    V

    G B D

  3. Bar 3

    Am

    vi

    A C E

  4. Bar 4

    C

    I

    C E G

Make a song on these chords

Names F G Am C in C major at 118 BPM. Needs a free account. The file stays on this device while you sign up, then it is saved or opened for you. Privacy

How to generate a chord progression

  1. Step 1: Pick a key, mode and genre

    Any of 12 keys, 7 modes from major and minor to dorian and phrygian, 22 genres, and 4, 8, 12, 16 bars.

  2. Step 2: Generate and listen

    Each press of Generate writes a new progression in the genre's idiom, always in key. Press Play to hear it with a bass line, held or played as an arpeggio.

  3. Step 3: Take it with you

    Read the chord names and Roman numerals, copy them, download a MIDI file for any DAW, or open the progression in the SoundGen studio.

At a glance

Chord Progression Generator specifications
Keys and modes12 keys; major, minor, harmonic minor, dorian, mixolydian, lydian, phrygian
GenresPop, Rock / indie, R&B, Neo-soul, Soul / Motown, Gospel, Country, Folk / singer-songwriter, Jazz, Lo-fi hip-hop, Bossa nova, Blues, Afrobeats, Reggaeton / Latin, Deep house, Melodic house & techno, Trance, Future bass, Trap, Drill (UK / NY), Cinematic / ambient, Classical / orchestral concert
Length4, 8, 12, 16 bars, one chord per bar, in 4/4
ChordsTriads or sevenths, built only from the notes of the chosen key and mode
TempoThe genre's typical tempo, or any from 40 to 240 BPM
OutputChord names and Roman numerals on screen; playback in the browser; a Standard MIDI File (.mid) with the chords and a bass line
Sign-upNot needed
Daily limitNone: there is no usage counter or cap

Where the progressions come from

Each genre starts from the progressions that define it, the same genre profiles SoundGen's AI arranger writes from: I–V–vi–IV for pop, ii–V–I for jazz, i–♭VI–♭VII for a lot of trap and EDM, the 12-bar form for blues. They are read as scale degrees, so they move to any key, and then continued with the moves chords usually make (IV and ii lead to V, V leads home to I), ending on the tonic when the progression is long enough to need an ending.

Every chord is built from the notes of the key and mode you choose, so the progression always stays in key, and the Roman numerals show each chord's place in it: upper case for major, lower case for minor, ° for diminished. Borrowed chords, a common colour in rock and gospel, are left out on purpose; add them yourself once you have the shape.

Modes, briefly

Major sounds bright and settled, minor darker. Dorian is a minor with a raised sixth, warmer and less sad, the sound of a lot of funk and neo-soul. Mixolydian is major with a flat seventh, the bluesy rock and country sound. Lydian's raised fourth floats; phrygian's flat second is tense and dark. Harmonic minor raises minor's seventh, so its V chord pulls home harder.

What to do with a progression

Loop four bars for a verse or a beat; use eight or more for a section with a cadence at its end. Download the MIDI and drag it onto a piano, pad or guitar track in any DAW, then change the voicings and rhythm. Or open it in the SoundGen studio, where the AI can write a melody, a bass line and drums over the chords.

Questions

How do I make a chord progression?
Pick a key, a mode (major or minor to start) and a genre, press Generate until you like what you hear, then download the MIDI or copy the chord names. The progression always stays in the key you chose.
What is the most common chord progression?
In pop, I–V–vi–IV (C–G–Am–F in C major) and its rotations such as vi–IV–I–V. In jazz, ii–V–I. In blues, the 12-bar I–IV–V form. Pick the genre here to start from its own.
What do the Roman numerals mean?
Each chord's place in the key: I is the chord on the first note of the scale, V on the fifth. Upper case is a major chord, lower case minor, ° diminished, and a 7 adds the seventh. The numerals stay the same in any key, which is why musicians use them.
Can I use these chords in my songs?
Yes. Chord progressions aren't owned by anyone; the same few progressions run through thousands of hits. The MIDI file is yours to use however you like.
Which DAWs open the MIDI file?
Any that reads standard MIDI files: Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, GarageBand, Cubase, Reaper and others. The chords and bass are on one track at the progression's tempo; pick the sound in your DAW.
Is it free?
Yes, with no sign-up and no limit. It runs in your browser.

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Chords sorted.
Now write the song.

SoundGen turns a progression into a full arrangement: melody, bass and drums written over your chords, in a studio in the browser.

Start freeSee every feature