chord-randomizer

This Chord Randomizer is an idea generator for songwriters, producers, and musicians who want to quickly find fresh progressions without losing musical logic. You select the key and scale (e.g., Major, Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, or modes like Dorian/Mixolydian). Based on these notes, the tool calculates the appropriate scale degree chords: it stacks thirds on each scale degree and automatically recognizes whether a chord is major, minor, diminished, or augmented. The difficulty level controls how complex the chords become: "Easy" stays with diatonic triads, "Medium" uses 7th chords more frequently, and "Advanced" mixes in extensions (add9/9), sus chords, and—if you choose—inversions/slash basses for smooth basslines.

The real value lies in the style presets. Pop, Rock, Jazz, Blues, Folk, and Neo-Soul don't start from scratch; instead, they use typical progression templates (e.g., I–V–vi–IV, vi–IV–I–V, ii–V–I, or Blues turnarounds) and vary them intelligently. This makes the result sound "song-ready" rather than like random chords in a row. If you activate "Borrowed Chords," chords from the parallel key can appear (e.g., bVII, bVI, or iv in Major)—exactly the moves that give many hooks depth, tension, and emotion. "Secondary Dominants" adds transitional dominants (e.g., V/V) so that the next chord "pulls" more strongly. The tool doses these spices deliberately so that it sounds modern but not chaotic.

Practical for writing: You can "lock" individual chords with a click. During the next "Generate" cycle, they remain while the rest are recombined. This allows you to hold onto a good idea and test variants around it without losing your direction. Additionally, there is a "Seed": if you note down or share the seed, you can restore the exact same progression later—ideal for collaboration, tutorials, or if you want to record a demo again.

In the details panel, you can see the chord tones for each chord (perfect for piano, MIDI programming, and building quick voicings). There are also short voicing notes, which are deliberately kept generic so they work for guitar, ukulele, and keys. For practice, a player is built-in: it plays each harmony as a short arpeggio at the set tempo. Note: many browsers block autoplay—audio is only allowed to start after a click on "Play." This is normal and not an error.

How to use the tool in 30 seconds: (1) Select Key & Scale. (2) Select a Style to get a musical "framework." (3) Set Difficulty/Options (7ths, Extensions, Borrowed, Secondary). (4) Click Generate, lock good chords, keep rolling. (5) Use "Copy" to copy the progression (including Roman Numerals) into your project.

1) Why does my progression sometimes sound "weird"?

When Borrowed Chords or Secondary Dominants are active, chords outside the scale appear deliberately. This is a stylistic device. Turn the options off or set Difficulty to "Easy" if you only want diatonic triads.

2) Can I get only four chords?

Yes. Set "Chords" to 4. For Jazz/Blues, 6–8 chords are often more exciting because turnarounds, passing chords, and ii–V chains need space.

3) What do the Roman Numerals mean?

They show the scale degree function in the key (I = Tonic, V = Dominant, etc.). This allows you to transpose the idea immediately: the pattern stays the same in every key, only the chord names change.

4) Why are there sometimes slash chords?

With "Inversions/Slash," the bass occasionally uses a different chord tone than the root note. This ensures smoother basslines and "songwriting glue." Disable it if you want to practice simple shapes.

5) Does this work for Ukulele or Bass?

The chord names work universally. The voicing tips are intentionally instrument-neutral. For bass, use the chord tones in the details panel to build matching root notes, thirds, or walking lines.

6) Why doesn't the player start automatically?

Autoplay is blocked in most browsers. A click on "Play" counts as user interaction and enables audio. After that, Stop/Play work reliably.

7) Can I use the results commercially?

Generally, yes: chord progressions are usually not protected by copyright. Use the progression as a starting point and develop the melody, rhythm, and sound into your own track.