MIDI Chord Generator
Create editable chord MIDI with control over key, voicing, timing, velocity, and note spread.
Tip: lock any chord you want to keep, then generate a variation around it.
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Generate a progression to begin.
If playback is silent, interact with the page once and try again—some browsers require a user gesture before audio can start. MIDI export does not contain audio; your DAW or instrument provides the sound.
A MIDI Chord Generator helps you create editable chord progressions and export them as a Standard MIDI .mid file for use in music-production software. Instead of drawing every chord note manually inside a piano roll, you can choose the musical key, mode, progression style, chord complexity, voicing, timing, and velocity, then generate a complete MIDI-ready progression in your browser.
The tool is useful for producers, songwriters, beat makers, keyboard players, and anyone who wants a fast way to create chord MIDI while keeping full control over the notes. If you want a more piano-focused workflow with keyboard voicings and accompaniment patterns, try the Piano Chord Progression Generator.
How to Use the MIDI Chord Generator
Start by selecting the key and mode for your progression. You can then choose how long the progression should be, the harmonic style, chord complexity, voicing type, tempo, velocity, and note spread.
A typical workflow is:
- Choose a key such as C, D, E♭, F#, or A.
- Select Major, Minor, Dorian, or Mixolydian.
- Choose the number of chords.
- Select triads, seventh chords, or a mixed chord set.
- Choose a voicing style.
- Set BPM and chord duration.
- Adjust MIDI velocity and note spread if needed.
- Generate the progression.
- Preview the chords and piano-roll representation.
- Export the result as a
.midfile.
If you are still exploring harmonic ideas before creating the MIDI, the Chord Progression Calculator can help you work with progression structures first.
How MIDI Chord Generation Works
The tool generates chords from the selected key or mode, then converts the chosen voicings into MIDI note data.
For example, a C major chord contains:
C – E – G
In MIDI note numbers around middle C, that can be represented as:
60 – 64 – 67
A progression such as:
C – G – Am – F
may therefore be exported as several groups of note-on and note-off events positioned on a MIDI timeline.
The generated file does not contain recorded piano audio. MIDI stores musical instructions such as pitch, timing, note duration, and velocity. Your DAW or virtual instrument determines how those notes actually sound.
Choosing Key, Mode, and Progression
The selected key establishes the tonal center, while the mode determines the collection of notes and chords available to the progression.
For example, C major uses the notes:
C – D – E – F – G – A – B
A typical progression could be:
C – Am – F – G
or in Roman numerals:
I – vi – IV – V
Roman numerals make it easier to understand the structure independently of the actual key. You can convert between chord names and harmonic functions with the Roman Numeral Converter.
Modes such as Dorian and Mixolydian provide alternatives to conventional major and minor harmony. They are useful when you want a progression that feels less traditionally tonal while still following a consistent scale structure.
Triads vs Seventh Chords
Chord complexity determines how many notes are typically included in each harmony.
A triad usually contains three notes:
C – E – G
A seventh chord adds another chord tone:
C – E – G – B
which forms Cmaj7.
Triads tend to create a simpler and more open harmonic foundation. Seventh chords can add more color and are common in jazz, R&B, soul, house, neo-soul, and many other production styles.
The mixed setting is useful when you want some chords to remain simple while others contain added harmonic color.
Chord Voicing and Voice Leading
A chord does not have to be played in root position.
C major can appear as:
Root position:C – E – G
First inversion:E – G – C
Second inversion:G – C – E
The notes belong to the same chord, but their arrangement changes the register and movement between chords.
Smooth voice leading attempts to keep neighboring notes close together when the progression moves from one chord to the next. This can create more connected MIDI and reduce large jumps in the piano roll.
If you want to understand the harmonic role of an existing progression before changing its voicings, use the Chord Progression Analyzer.
MIDI Velocity, Timing, and Duration
MIDI velocity is normally represented using values from 1 to 127 and is commonly used by instruments to influence note intensity.
A higher velocity may trigger a louder or more aggressive sound, while a lower value may produce a softer result, depending on the virtual instrument.
The tool also lets you control how long each chord lasts. For example, at the same BPM, a one-beat chord creates faster harmonic movement than a four-beat chord.
These settings matter because the exact same chord progression can feel completely different when its timing changes.
For example:
C | G | Am | F
played with one chord per bar feels different from the same sequence played with one chord every beat.
Strummed vs Simultaneous MIDI Chords
By default, chord notes can begin at the same time.
A spread or strum setting offsets the note start times slightly.
For example:
C → E → G
may be triggered within a short time window rather than on exactly the same MIDI tick.
This can make chords feel more like arpeggiated or manually played harmony, especially with piano, guitar-like instruments, plucks, and pads.
The spread control should be treated as a timing effect rather than a simulation of a specific human performance.
Preview the Piano Roll Before Exporting
The piano-roll preview shows how the generated MIDI is structured before downloading it.
You can inspect:
- Chord positions
- Note pitches
- Register
- Chord duration
- Voicing differences
- Timing
- Note spread
This is useful because MIDI export should not be a black box. You should be able to understand what note data will be written into the final file before importing it into another application.
Generate Variations and Lock Chords
Sometimes a generated progression is almost right except for one or two chord positions.
Instead of starting again, lock the chords you want to keep and regenerate the others.
For example:
C – Am – F – G
could become:
C – Em – F – G
while C, F, and G remain fixed.
This makes the generator useful for songwriting exploration because you can gradually refine an idea rather than repeatedly creating completely unrelated progressions.
If you want completely fresh harmonic ideas, the Random Chord Progression tool is another useful starting point.
Exporting MIDI to Your DAW
After generating a progression, export it as a Standard MIDI .mid file.
You can then import the file into compatible music software and assign your own:
- Piano
- Synth
- Pad
- Guitar-style instrument
- Strings
- Organ
- Pluck
- Other virtual instrument
Because MIDI contains note and timing information rather than audio, the exported progression remains editable.
You can change:
- Notes
- Chord lengths
- Velocity
- Octaves
- Quantization
- Instrument
- Tempo
- Arrangement
This makes MIDI especially useful when the generated progression is only the starting point for a larger production.
Transposing MIDI Chord Progressions
Transposition moves every note by the same number of semitones while preserving the harmonic shape.
For example:
C – G – Am – F
transposed up two semitones becomes:
D – A – Bm – G
The chord names change, but the progression remains:
I – V – vi – IV
If your main goal is changing chords between keys rather than generating a MIDI file, the dedicated Chord Transposer provides a simpler workflow.
Practical Uses for Producers and Songwriters
A MIDI chord generator can speed up the early stages of production.
You can use generated MIDI to:
- Create a harmonic foundation for a beat
- Test a melody against several progressions
- Build piano or synth layers
- Experiment with chord extensions
- Create pad arrangements
- Compare different voicings
- Try alternate bass notes
- Explore genre-specific harmony
For more ideas on deliberately building your own harmonic sequences, see How to Write Chord Progressions.
Accuracy and Limitations
The MIDI Chord Generator creates theory-based chord progressions and converts them into structured note data, but there is no single correct progression for a song.
Mood and genre settings should be treated as creative starting points rather than strict musical rules.
Smooth voicing algorithms can reduce unnecessary note movement, but they do not replace detailed arrangement decisions made in the context of melody, bass, instrumentation, and register.
MIDI playback can also sound different after export because each virtual instrument responds differently to velocity, range, articulation, and note duration.
The generated file is intended to provide editable harmonic material rather than a finished production.
MIDI vs Audio
MIDI and audio are not the same thing.
MIDI describes musical events such as which note is played, when it starts, when it stops, and its velocity.
Audio contains the actual recorded or synthesized sound waveform.
This means a MIDI chord progression can be played by many different instruments without changing the underlying note data.
Privacy and Browser Processing
Core generation, preview, and MIDI creation are designed to run directly in your browser. You do not need to upload an audio file to generate chords.
Session history can be used to compare recent progression ideas and can be cleared when you no longer need them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a MIDI chord generator?
A MIDI chord generator creates chord progressions and converts the notes, timing, duration, and velocity into MIDI data that can be exported as a .mid file.
Does MIDI contain audio?
No. MIDI stores musical performance information rather than recorded sound. The final sound depends on the instrument or plugin used to play the MIDI notes.
Can I edit the generated MIDI after downloading it?
Yes. After importing the file into compatible music software, you can edit individual notes, timing, velocity, chord duration, register, and other MIDI information.
What are MIDI note numbers?
MIDI represents pitches using numerical values. For example, middle C is commonly MIDI note 60, E above it is 64, and G is 67.
What does MIDI velocity mean?
Velocity is a value commonly used to represent how strongly a note is triggered. Different instruments may interpret it as loudness, tone, attack intensity, or a combination of these.
What is smooth voice leading?
Smooth voice leading arranges chord notes so that individual voices generally move shorter distances between neighboring chords instead of placing every chord in root position.
Can I transpose the generated progression?
Yes. Transposition shifts all notes by the same interval while preserving the harmonic relationships between the chords.
Can I use generated MIDI in a DAW?
Standard MIDI files are designed for MIDI-compatible music software. After import, you can assign your own virtual instrument and continue editing the progression.
What is the difference between triads and seventh chords?
Triads usually contain three chord tones, while seventh chords add an additional note above the basic triad. Seventh chords generally create richer harmony.
Does the MIDI Chord Generator use AI?
The tool does not need an AI model to generate useful chord MIDI. It can create progressions using music-theory relationships, selected keys and modes, voicing rules, and user-defined MIDI settings.