ChordDAWChord sketchpad.
Chord names, Roman numerals, or number chords. Spaces, dashes, commas, and bar lines work.
Degrees use the tonic’s major scale. Lowercase Roman numerals or an m suffix mean minor. Named chords stay as written.
One file for the whole progression.
No instrument or tempo overrides.
- C4 beats
- G4 beats
- Am4 beats
- F4 beats
The whole progression in one .mid file. Drag it into your DAW.4 beats per chord · Uses your DAW’s tempo and instrument
Notation reference
Aliases & alterations — DmM7, DmMaj7, Dm(maj7), and DmΔ7 mean minor-major seventh. D-7 means Dm7; CΔ7 and CM7 mean Cmaj7. Also supported: C6/9, C7(b9,#11), Cmaj7(no5), and spaced names such as D minor major seventh. Uppercase M means major; lowercase m means minor. The interpreted chords are shown above so you can check the result.
Number chords — 1 - 6m - 4 - 5 in C becomes C - Am - F - G. Bare numbers mean major; use m for minor. A numeric slash specifies the bass: 1/3 is C/E. Roman slashes still mean secondary chords.
Ambiguous notation — Symbols such as alt do not specify a unique set of notes. Write the alterations explicitly, for example G7(b9,#5). Bar lines separate chords; polychords, staff notation, and arbitrary prose are not interpreted.
Named chords — C, Cm, Cmaj7, F#m9, Bb7, Csus4, Cadd9. Write a bass note with a slash: C/E or G7/B. Named C6 means an added-sixth chord.
Roman numerals — I, ii, bVII, #ivdim. Key C maps I to C, ii to Dm, and bVII to Bb. Degrees always reference the major scale: for an A minor progression, choose A and write i - bVI - bIII - bVII.
Inversions — I6 = first inversion (C/E in C), I64 = second inversion (C/G). Seventh chords use 65, 43, and 42: V65 = G7/B, V43 = G7/D, V42 = G7/F. Stacked digits and slash figures work too: I⁶₄, I6/4, V6/5. To add a sixth in Roman notation, write Iadd6.
Sevenths — Unaltered I7 and IV7 use major sevenths; V7 uses a dominant seventh and ii7 a minor seventh. Explicit maj7, dom7, dim7, and ø7 specify the quality. Examples: Imaj65, Idom7, viiø65. For other uppercase degrees, plain 7 uses a dominant seventh.
Secondary chords — V7/vi is E7 in C; V65/vi is E7/G#. ii/vi is Bm; ii°/vi is Bdim. The written quality is respected.
Piano samples — Salamander Grand Piano (Yamaha C5) by Alexander Holm, CC BY 3.0. MP3 source. Samples are transposed to neighboring notes with a short release envelope. Preview runs at 140 BPM; MIDI contains no tempo or instrument overrides.
Playback — Block plays all notes together. Broken plays each chord once, from its lowest note to its highest, with equal-length notes filling the chord’s duration. Written inversions and slash bass notes are preserved. Preview and MIDI use the same notes and timing.
Defaults — Chords last 4 beats, with roots in octave 3 before inversions. Adjust length, register, and tempo in your DAW. Previously supported :beats annotations still work if pasted in. Up to 64 chords per file.