Chord Progression Generator
Generate a chord progression in any major or minor key, hear it play, swap any chord, and download the MIDI — free, no account needed.
What is a chord progression?
A chord progression is a sequence of chords played in order — the harmonic backbone under a melody. Most popular music is built from a small set of progressions reused across genres and decades, because certain chord movements simply sound satisfying to the ear.
This tool generates a progression in the key and mode you pick, using real diatonic music theory (the chords that naturally belong to a key), so every result is musically correct — not a random set of notes. Swap any chord for another diatonic option, add a seventh, change the tempo or instrument sound, then download it as a MIDI file to build on in your own software.
Popular chord progressions
A few of the most common progressions in Western pop, rock, and jazz — every one of them is a preset in the generator above.
| Name | Roman numerals | Example in C |
|---|---|---|
| Pop / Axis (I–V–vi–IV) | I – V – vi – IV | C – G – Am – F |
| 50s / Doo-wop (I–vi–IV–V) | I – vi – IV – V | C – Am – F – G |
| Sad Pop (vi–IV–I–V) | vi – IV – I – V | Am – F – C – G |
| Three-Chord (I–IV–V) | I – IV – V | C – F – G |
| Jazz ii–V–I | ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 | Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7 |
| Canon / Pachelbel | I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V | C–G–Am–Em–F–C–F–G |
| 12-Bar Blues | I7–I7–I7–I7–IV7–IV7–I7–I7–V7–IV7 | C7…F7…G7… |
How to use the MIDI
Click Download MIDI to save the progression as a standard .mid file, then drag it straight into your DAW's arrangement or piano-roll view — Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, GarageBand, and most other DAWs all accept a dropped MIDI file. From there you can change the instrument, add a melody or bassline over it, adjust velocities, or use it as a quick harmonic sketch.
FAQ
- Is the chord progression generator free?
- Yes. Generating, hearing, and downloading progressions is completely free — no account or sign-up required.
- Do I own the MIDI I download?
- Yes. Every progression is generated from music theory, not sampled from a recording, so the MIDI file is yours to use however you like, including commercially.
- Which keys are supported?
- Any of the 12 major keys and any of the 12 minor keys — pick a root note and a Major/Minor mode, and every preset and chord option re-keys instantly.
- How do I import the MIDI into my DAW?
- Download the .mid file, then drag it straight into your DAW's arrangement or piano-roll view (Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, GarageBand, and most others all accept a dropped MIDI file).
- Does it support minor keys and jazz chords?
- Yes — minor-key presets (Andalusian, Minor Epic, Minor Pop), a jazz ii–V–I with proper 7th chords, and a 12-bar blues with dominant 7ths on every chord are all built in, plus a Sevenths toggle that adds correct diatonic 7th chords to any major or minor progression.
Explore more
- Free Play — play any General MIDI instrument live in your browser.
- EP-133 Key Helper — map keys and scales for the Teenage Engineering EP-133.
- Songs — browse real songs to play, practice, and download.