🎹Chord Progression Generator

About this tool

Pick a key, major or minor, and a progression: I–V–vi–IV, I–vi–IV–V, ii–V–I, I–IV–V, vi–IV–I–V, Pachelbel's Canon, the 12-bar blues, the Andalusian cadence, an epic minor loop and more. You can also roll a random one. The tool spells each chord with its Roman numeral and notes. Tap a chord to hear it, play the whole progression at your tempo, or copy the chords. Nothing is stored.

How chord progressions work

A chord progression is a sequence of chords, and most popular music builds them from the seven notes of a key's scale. Stacking every other note of the scale on each degree gives seven triads, written as Roman numerals: capitals for major chords and lower case for minor. In a major key, I, IV and V are major, ii, iii and vi are minor and vii° is diminished. So in C major, I–V–vi–IV is C, G, Am, F, and in G it's G, D, Em, C. That's why one progression works in every key and can be moved to suit a singer's range. Minor keys use the natural minor scale (i, iv and v minor; III, VI and VII major), often borrowing a major V chord for a stronger pull home, as in the Andalusian cadence Am, G, F, E. Some progressions have names: the I–IV–V of rock and roll, the ii–V–I at the heart of jazz, and the 12-bar blues. Honest limits: the tool plays simple triads with a basic synthesised sound. Real arrangements add sevenths, inversions, rhythm and melody, and a progression alone isn't a song. Sound may need a tap first on some phones. The chord transposer, the circle of fifths and the metronome are related.

Frequently asked questions