Chord Progression System

CHORD PROGRESSION

SYSTEM

Musical Composition Interface

Keyboard Shortcuts

Playback

Play / Stop Space

Volume Control

Volume Up (+5) ↑
Volume Down (-5) ↓

Editing

Undo Ctrl+Z
Redo Ctrl+Y

Progression Sequence

Click chord to cycle substitutions Mouse
Hover chord for preview (when stopped) Mouse
Reorder chords with arrows ← →

Tip: All shortcuts work when not typing in input fields. Press ESC to close this modal.

Chord Progression System — Guide

Quick Start

  1. Choose your key from the dropdown (Module 01)
  2. Click "Random" to generate a progression, or
  3. Add chords manually from the Chord Palette (Module 03)
  4. Press Play to hear your progression loop
  5. Click any chord in the sequence to cycle through substitutions

Core Features

System Parameters (Module 01)

  • Key: Set the tonal center (C, D, E♭, etc.)
  • BPM: Control playback speed (40-240)
  • Volume: Master volume control
  • Reverb/Delay: Add spatial effects to your sound

Piano Interface (Module 02)

  • Visual feedback: Highlights notes when hovering over chords
  • Interactive: Shows chord voicings in real-time

Chord Palette (Module 03)

  • 144 chord types: Organized by category (Major, Minor, 7th, Extended, Sus, Altered)
  • Click to add: Any chord instantly adds to your progression
  • Collapse categories: Click headers to organize your workspace

Progression Sequence (Module 04)

  • A/B/C Sections: Create separate progressions for verse, chorus, bridge
  • Colored dots: Show harmonic function (Green=Tonic, Blue=Subdominant, Red=Dominant)
  • Click chord: Cycle through musical substitutions
  • Arrow buttons: Reorder chords in sequence
  • × button: Remove individual chords

Advanced Features

Tension Analysis

Colored dots on each chord show harmonic function. Check the legend in Module 01 to understand tension and resolution in your progression.

Scale Display

Automatically analyzes your progression and shows which scale it fits (C Major, A Minor, Chromatic, etc.). Updates in real-time.

Nashville Numbers

Toggle checkbox to display chords as roman numerals (I, IV, V, vi) instead of letter names. Great for understanding chord relationships and transposing.

Undo/Redo

Full history tracking with 50 states. Use buttons or keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y).

Best Practices

Building a Song Structure

  1. Section A: Create your verse progression
  2. Section B: Build a contrasting chorus
  3. Section C: Add a bridge or alternative section
  4. Use Save/Load to preserve your work between sessions

Finding Good Chord Progressions

  • Start simple: Try I-IV-V-I or I-vi-IV-V patterns
  • Use Random: Generate progressions and modify to taste
  • Follow tension colors: Green → Blue → Red → Green creates satisfying resolution
  • Cycle substitutions: Click chords to explore variations while keeping the progression's function

Working with Effects

  • Subtle reverb (20-40%): Adds warmth without overwhelming
  • Delay (15-30%): Creates rhythmic interest
  • Experiment with waveforms: Sine for smooth, Square for aggressive, Triangle for balanced

Utility Functions

Random: Generate AI-composed progressions using music theory
Copy: Export progression as text (e.g., "Cm - Fm7 - G7 - Cmaj7")
Tap BPM: Tap button rhythmically to set tempo by feel
Save: Store all progressions (A/B/C) to browser storage
Load: Restore saved progressions
Export: Download as MIDI file for use in DAWs

Pro Tips

  • Hover over chords (when stopped) to preview them instantly
  • Press Space to toggle Play/Stop quickly
  • Use arrow keys (↑↓) to adjust volume on the fly
  • Longer durations (2.0s+) work great for ambient/cinematic progressions
  • Combine loop length (1x/2x/4x) with different BPMs for variety
System Parameters 01
Scale Analysis
Add chords to analyze scale
Harmonic Function
Tonic — Stable, home (I, vi, iii)
Subdominant — Movement (IV, ii)
Dominant — Tension (V, vii°)
Chromatic — Outside scale
Chord Palette 02

Major Triads

Minor Triads

Preset Templates
03
Progression Sequence
04
Interactive Mode: Click chord to cycle substitutions
Visual Reference / Piano Roll 05
System Ready MIDI: Offline