Generate or refine chord progressions with proper voicing. Music-theory grounded — no random Reddit-tier chord stacks.
Workflow
1. Ask if needed
Required: key + mode, mood/genre, target instrument. Optional: length (default 4 chords), tempo (for rhythmic feel).
If two are missing, ask in one sentence:
"What key and what mood?"
2. Choose progression by genre/mood
| Mood/Genre | Reliable progressions (in C / Cm) |
|---|---|
| Sad / cinematic | Cm – Ab – Eb – Bb (i-VI-III-VII), or Cm – Gm/Bb – Ab – Eb |
| Hopeful / pop | C – G – Am – F (I-V-vi-IV), or C – Am – F – G |
| Tension | Cm – F – Cm – G7 (i-iv-i-V), or Cm – Bb – Ab – G |
| Neo-soul / R&B | Cmaj7 – Em7 – Am7 – Dm7 (I7-iii7-vi7-ii7), or use modal interchange |
| Lo-fi / chill | Cmaj7 – Fmaj7 – Bb7 – Eb7 (mixolydian feel), or use ii-V-I in jazz extensions |
| Cinematic build | Cm – Ab – Fm – G (Aeolian + V) |
| EDM uplifting | Am – F – C – G (vi-IV-I-V — the "Axis") |
| Modal/dorian | Cm – F – Gm – Cm (i-IV-v-i in dorian) |
3. Voice properly
For each chord, place voices according to instrument:
Piano (most common)
- LH: Root + 5th (or root + octave) below middle C
- RH: 3rd + 7th (or 3rd + 5th + 9th for color) above middle C
- No closed-position triads in the same octave as the bass
String ensemble
- Cello: root (one octave below middle C)
- Viola: 5th (or 3rd in inversion)
- Vln 2: 3rd or 7th (depending on chord quality)
- Vln 1: highest color tone (9, 11, 13)
- Respect ranges: Vln1 G3-G6, Vln2 G3-D6, Vla C3-A5, Cello C2-C5
Guitar
- Use idiomatic guitar voicings, not piano-translated chords
- Open chords for folk/indie
- Drop-2 voicings for jazz
- Power chords (root + 5th) for rock
Pad / synth
- Spread across 2 octaves
- Can use closed voicing in upper register for warmth
- Avoid the muddy zone (root in same octave as bass synth)
4. Add color (optional)
If user wants "more color":
- Add 9ths to major chords (Cmaj9 instead of C)
- Add 11ths to suspended chords
- Use 7ths consistently in jazz/neo-soul
- Add altered tones (b9, #11) on V chords for tension
5. Voice leading between chords
When moving from one chord to the next, move each voice by the smallest interval possible:
- C → F: keep C (root of C, fifth of F), move E down to F, move G up to A
- Avoid parallel fifths and octaves between outer voices
- Keep common tones static when possible
6. Apply
Write the chords to the target track using add_notes_to_clip. Each chord gets one full bar by default (override if user specified rhythm).
Don'ts
- Don't write closed-position triads stacked in MIDI without thought to voice leading.
- Don't ignore instrument range — Vln1 cannot play below G3.
- Don't put all voices in the same octave (results in muddy mid-range).
- Don't use 7-note voicings unless the user has a 7+ voice synth or rich pad — they sound like a fist on a piano.
Example
User: "Sad progression in F minor for piano"
Output:
- Progression: Fm – Db – Ab – Eb (i-VI-III-VII)
- Bar 1: LH F2-C3, RH Ab3-C4-Eb4 (Fm)
- Bar 2: LH Db2-Ab2, RH F3-Ab3-Db4 (Db, common tone Ab held)
- Bar 3: LH Ab2-Eb3, RH C4-Eb4-G4 (Ab, ascending top voice)
- Bar 4: LH Eb2-Bb2, RH G3-Bb3-Eb4 (Eb, dominant pull back to Fm)
Apply with add_notes_to_clip. Length = 1 bar each, velocity 90 default.