Choose a key, a mode and a mood, and get a chord progression that works: proven loops for pop, jazz, blues, rock and film music, or freshly generated ones. Every chord shows its roman numeral, name and notes, plays on piano, guitar or pad, and exports to MIDI for your DAW.
Last updated:
C major
Click a chord to hear it. ↻ swaps it for another chord with the same job (tonic, subdominant or dominant).
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How to use the Chord Progression Generator
Pick a key and mode, for example C major or A minor.
Choose a genre or mood such as Pop, Sad, Epic, Jazz or Blues, and 4 or 8 chords.
Press Generate progression. Click any chord to hear it, or press ↻ to swap it.
Press Play progression and set the sound, rhythm and tempo.
Download MIDI to drag the chords into your DAW, or Copy chords to paste them into a chart.
How chords are built in a key
Stacking every other note of a scale on each degree gives the seven chords of the key. In a major key the pattern of chord qualities is always the same, which is why roman numerals let you move a progression to any key without rethinking it:
Degree
Major key
Natural minor key
C major
A minor
Function
1
I
i
C
Am
Tonic (home)
2
ii
ii°
Dm
Bdim
Subdominant (moves away)
3
iii
III
Em
C
Tonic substitute
4
IV
iv
F
Dm
Subdominant
5
V
v (V in harmonic minor)
G
Em (E)
Dominant (pulls home)
6
vi
VI
Am
F
Tonic substitute
7
vii°
VII
Bdim
G
Dominant
Adding a fourth note gives 7th chords: in a major key they are Imaj7, ii7, iii7, IVmaj7, V7, vi7 and viiø7. Progressions sound natural when they move tonic → subdominant → dominant → tonic, and the ↻ button swaps a chord only for others with the same function, so the progression keeps its direction.
Famous progressions by mood
Progression
In C major / A minor
Character
I-V-vi-IV
C G Am F
The modern pop loop
I-vi-IV-V
C Am F G
1950s doo-wop
vi-IV-I-V
Am F C G
Emotional, minor-feeling pop
I-IV-iv-I
C F Fm C
Bittersweet: the borrowed minor iv
IV-V-iii-vi
F G Em Am
The "royal road", a J-pop and anime staple
ii7-V7-Imaj7
Dm7 G7 Cmaj7
The jazz cadence
I-♭VII-IV
C B♭ F
Mixolydian rock vamp
I-♭VI-♭VII-I
C A♭ B♭ C
Heroic, cinematic cadence
i-VI-III-VII
Am F C G
Epic minor loop
i-VII-VI-V
Am G F E
Andalusian cadence (flamenco)
Modes give a progression its color
Dorian is minor with a raised 6th, which turns the iv chord major: the i-IV vamp gives funk and soul grooves their bright-but-minor feel.
Mixolydian is major with a lowered 7th, so the ♭VII chord is in the key: classic rock and folk riffs live here.
Lydian is major with a raised 4th, which makes the II chord major. I-II sounds floating and dreamy, a favorite in film scores.
Phrygian is minor with a lowered 2nd. The i-♭II move sounds dark and Spanish, and is common in metal.
Harmonic minor raises the 7th of natural minor, giving a major V (or V7) that pulls strongly back to i.
Tip: once you like a progression, try the same chords with different rhythms and tempos before changing chords. A slow arpeggio and a fast strum of I-V-vi-IV sound like completely different songs. To find a progression's key from chords you already have, use the Chord Finder or move it to a comfortable key for your voice with the Chord Transposer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common chord progression?
In pop music the I-V-vi-IV progression (C-G-Am-F in C major) and its rotations such as vi-IV-I-V are among the most used. Other staples are I-IV-V, the 1950s I-vi-IV-V and, in jazz, the ii-V-I.
What do the roman numerals mean?
Roman numerals name a chord by its position in the scale, so the same progression works in any key. Uppercase numerals are major chords, lowercase are minor, ° is diminished, + is augmented and ø7 is half-diminished. A ♭ in front means the chord is built a half step lower than the scale degree, for example ♭VII in a major key.
What chords make a progression sound sad or epic?
Sad progressions lean on minor chords, such as starting on vi in a major key, or borrowing the minor iv (I-IV-iv-I). Epic, cinematic progressions often use the major VI and VII chords of a minor key (i-VI-III-VII) or the ♭VI-♭VII-I move in a major key.
What is a ii-V-I progression?
It is the chord movement from the second scale degree to the fifth and then to the tonic, for example Dm7-G7-Cmaj7 in C major. It is the most important cadence in jazz. In a minor key it becomes iiø7-V7-i, for example Dm7♭5-G7-Cm7.
How does a 12-bar blues go?
The standard 12-bar blues uses three dominant 7th chords: four bars of I7, two bars of IV7, two bars of I7, then V7, IV7, I7 and V7 for the turnaround. In A that is A7 A7 A7 A7 D7 D7 A7 A7 E7 D7 A7 E7.
Can I use the generated chords in my songs?
Yes. Chord progressions are not protected by copyright, which is why so many hit songs share the same chords. Use the progressions freely, and download the MIDI to start a track in any DAW.
What does the MIDI file contain?
One track with the chords as held notes plus a bass note on the root, the tempo you set, a 4/4 time signature, the key signature and an instrument (piano, guitar or pad). Each chord lasts the number of beats you chose.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.