Not all music producers need piano skills or music theory knowledge. It’s okay! Good music can be made without these skills. Chord progression generators are great for jumpstarting creativity and learning in 2023. They can help understand different chord progressions and guide future learning. Let’s start discovering the best chord progression generator to make your music stand out in 2023!
What exactly is a chord progression generator?
Chord progression generators rely on MIDI data to generate chord progressions using different music theory principles.
Chord progression generators are handy for both beginners and advanced producers. They provide inspiration and facilitate experimentation without requiring extensive music theory knowledge or keyboard skills.
Including a chord progression generator in your plugins folder, even a free MIDI chord pack, is an excellent way to stay inspired and delve into different aspects of music theory.
If you’re interested in incorporating chord progression generators into your music-making workflow, here are the top 6 options available.
1. ChordJam Lite
ChordJam Lite is an immensely versatile chord progression generator, providing numerous possibilities for creative expression.
Its intuitive and user-friendly interface allows you to effortlessly manipulate a multitude of settings.
If you’re searching for chord progressions in a particular key, scale, mode, or style, you’ll discover an abundance of ideas and inspiration.
The greatest advantage is its ability to function with single-note input, enabling you to simply tap in a melody with a single note and begin exploring ideas and finding a creative path.
Additionally, it serves as a remarkably potent arpeggiator, offering extensive control over each arpeggio pattern, chord, and even velocity values for individual notes within the arpeggio.
Among all the chord progression generators available, this one unquestionably stands out from the crowd.
2. Ableton Live
Ableton Live, renowned as a digital audio workstation (DAW), stands out for its focus on creation and inspiration.
In addition to its vast array of built-in VST instrument plugins, it boasts remarkable chord and scale features that simplify the process of generating captivating chord progressions.
When used alongside its companion DAW controller, the Ableton Push 2, its potential amplifies significantly.
The Push 2 provides an exceptionally intuitive tactile interface that seamlessly maps to scales and chords automatically.
It transcends the realm of chord generators and can be rightfully regarded as a full-fledged instrument.
Even without the Ableton Push, Ableton’s scale and chord modes provide excellent chord generation capabilities. This is especially true when you take into account the additional extensions offered by Max for Live, such as its chord generator tool.
3. MIDI Chord packs
Are you in need of a readily available and free solution? Give free MIDI chord packs a try.
These packs consist of pre-generated chord progressions that you can effortlessly drag and drop into a MIDI roll and experiment with using any VST instrument.
The internet offers a wide range of these packs, and we have even curated a collection of MIDI chord progression packs ourselves.
So, if you’re working within a limited budget (with free options), grab some MIDI chords and begin exploring chord ideas in your DAW’s MIDI roll!
4. Captain Chords Epic
If you’re seeking a genuinely professional choice, consider exploring Captain Chords Epic.
With its genre-specific chord progressions, user-friendly workflow, rhythm generator, and arpeggiator, you can swiftly generate intriguing ideas.
The plugin provides settings to enhance the complexity and velocity of your progressions. And it even includes its own sound library, offering preset sounds and sound design controls.
Moreover, if you have a MIDI keyboard, you can utilize it to control the output of the chord generator, adding another layer of control and creativity.
5. Xfer Cthulu
Xfer Cthulu is an early and legendary chord progression generator.
It acts as a vast MIDI pack library with simple controls, facilitating the exploration of inspiring content.
The collection of Bach chorale-inspired MIDI packs adds a classic and nostalgic touch. Developed in collaboration with EDM icon Deadmau5, it is a top choice for producers in that genre who prefer old-school interfaces.
6. ChatGPT
When it comes to AI tools, ChatGPT is another noteworthy option that can generate chord progressions based on your input.
Although it currently doesn’t generate downloadable MIDI files, asking ChatGPT for chord progression ideas can yield impressive results, especially with a well-crafted prompt.
Moreover, once you obtain the chord progressions, you can even explore lyric ideas or request ChatGPT to compose lyrics for you.
For a convenient and cost-free source of inspiration, consider generating some chord progression ideas with ChatGPT.
7. Chord Prism
Chord Prism is a chord generator with a user-friendly interface, offering creative chord options that are easy to manipulate.
Its keyboard-centric design displays the generated chord based on parameters like key, chord progressions, voice leading, effects, and velocity.
With a simple interface, it provides sufficient control over the generated chords, making it a great choice for quick and straightforward chord generation.