How to use the chord generator
- Pick a genre or mood: trap, drill, R&B, lo-fi, pop, dark, sad or uplifting. It sets a typical scale, tempo and chord type, which you can change.
- Choose a key, or press Random, and pick minor or major, 4 or 8 bars and triads, 7ths or 9ths.
- Press Play to hear it on loop. Press Regenerate for a new progression.
- Like a chord? Lock it and it stays put when you regenerate. Use the shuffle button on a single chord to swap just that one.
- Set the tempo and press Download MIDI. Then add a melody on top with the melody generator.
How to drag the MIDI into FL Studio or Ableton
The download is a standard .mid file with the chords on their own track, the root note in the bass and the tempo you picked. It works in every DAW.
- FL Studio: drag the file onto the Playlist or onto an instrument in the Channel Rack. To load it into a plugin you already have open, use the Piano roll menu, then File, then Import MIDI file.
- Ableton Live: drag the file onto a MIDI track and it becomes a clip. Add an instrument to the track to hear it.
- Logic, Studio One, Cubase and others: drag the file onto a software instrument track, or use File, then Import.
Every chord sits on the beat, so it’s easy to change the rhythm once it’s in your piano roll: chop the long chords into stabs, add an arp or move single notes up an octave.
Chord progressions by genre
Every progression is written in Roman numerals, so it works in any key. Upper case means a major chord and lower case a minor one. In C minor, i, VI, III, VII is Cm, A♭, E♭, B♭. These are some of the progressions the generator uses:
| Genre | Progression | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Trap | i, VI, III, VII | Dark and looping. Often one chord per bar under the 808. |
| Drill | i, VI, V, i | Minor with the major V from harmonic minor for that tense pull back home. |
| R&B | ii9, V9, Imaj9, vi9 or i9, iv9, VII9, IIImaj9 | Ninth chords that move smoothly from one to the next. |
| Lo-fi | ii7, V7, Imaj7 | Jazzy sevenths, the classic two-five-one. |
| Pop | I, V, vi, IV | The most used progression in pop music. |
| Dark | i, ♭II, VI, V | The ♭II from the Phrygian mode sounds sinister and cinematic. |
| Sad | vi, IV, I, V | Starts on the minor chord, so the major key sounds bittersweet. |
| Uplifting | IV, V, iii, vi | The rising IV to V lift used in a lot of anthems. |
How the chords are picked
The generator starts from progressions that are common in the genre you pick, builds each chord from the notes of your key and voices them so the notes move as little as possible from one chord to the next, the way a piano player would. That keeps the chords sounding smooth instead of jumping around the keyboard.
R&B and lo-fi use 7th and 9th chords by default for that soft, jazzy color. Trap, drill and pop use plain triads, which leave room for the 808 and the melody. When a progression uses a borrowed chord, like the major V in drill or the ♭II in dark beats, it’s labelled, so you know the note outside the key is meant to be there.
Free MIDI files, royalty free
Every progression you make here is a free MIDI file you can use in anything you sell or release. There’s no account, no watermark and no credit needed. Make as many as you want.
Working from a sample? Find its tempo with the BPM finder and its key with the key finder, then set the same key and tempo here. When the beat is done, put your name on it with the free producer tag generator.
FAQ
Is the chord progression generator free?
Yes. It’s free with no sign-up and no limit. It runs in your browser, so you can regenerate, play and download as many progressions as you like.
Can I use these chord progressions in my songs?
Yes. Chord progressions can’t be copyrighted, and the MIDI files you download here are yours to use in beats and songs you sell or release, royalty free. No credit needed.
How do I use the MIDI file in FL Studio?
Download the .mid file and drag it from your downloads folder into the Playlist or onto a Channel Rack instrument. FL asks how to import it; keep the tempo if you want the BPM from the file. Then pick any synth or piano to play it.
How do I use the MIDI file in Ableton Live?
Drag the .mid file from your downloads folder or the browser onto an empty MIDI track. Ableton makes a clip with the chords in it. Drop an instrument like Electric or Wavetable on the track to hear it.
Is this an AI chord generator?
No, and that’s on purpose. It uses music theory rules and progressions that are common in each genre, so every chord fits the key and you can see why it works from the Roman numerals. Nothing is sent to a server.
What does it mean when a chord is borrowed?
A borrowed chord takes one note from a different scale, like the major V chord in a minor key, which comes from the harmonic minor scale. It’s a common way to add tension or color. Borrowed chords are labelled so you know a note outside the key is there on purpose.
What key should I make my beat in?
Any key works, so pick one that suits the singer or rapper you’re making it for, or a sample you want to use. If you have a sample already, find its key with the key finder first and set the same key here.