Chord Progression Generator: Build In-Key Progressions in Your Browser

#Stop guessing which chords go together

One of the hardest parts of writing a song is knowing which chords actually belong together. Onomo's Chord Palette removes the guesswork. You pick a key and a mode, and it lays out the chords that fit that scale on a grid. Click to hear them, drag them into an order, and you have a progression. It is a fast, friendly sketchpad that runs entirely in your browser.

It is made for songwriters who want to sketch ideas quickly, beginners learning how chords relate, and lo-fi or jazz producers hunting for a vibe.

#Pick a key and mode

Start by choosing a key from any of the 12, then a mode. You get the familiar Major and Minor, plus the modes that give music its distinct flavors: Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, and Mixolydian, along with harmonic and melodic minor. The moment you choose, the tool generates the diatonic chords for that scale and places them on a 16-pad grid. Every pad is a chord that belongs, so you can explore freely without worrying about hitting a clunker.

A complexity toggle lets you move from simple triads to extended chords like 7ths and 9ths. Start plain when you want a clear, pop-style progression, then add extensions when you want a richer, jazzier color.

#Play, voice, and shape your chords

Click any pad to play the chord through a built-in synth, and choose a timbre that suits the mood: piano, strings, synth, or guitar. It works as an instrument you can audition ideas on, not just a reference.

You also get voicing controls: change the octave, apply inversions, and adjust the spread of the notes. A quick note here, these voicings are basic reorders of the notes rather than smart voice-leading. The Chord Palette is a sketchpad, not an arranger. It is excellent for finding the right chords and the right order; the fine detail of how each voice moves is something you will refine later in a full DAW.

#Escape the key when you want color

Staying in key keeps everything safe, but the best progressions often borrow a chord from outside. The Chord Palette supports borrowed chords and custom overrides per pad, so you can drop in a surprise chord that pulls the listener somewhere unexpected, then return home. This is how you add tension and character without abandoning the structure the tool gives you.

#Arrange and export

When you have chords you like, move to the progression timeline. Drag chords into slots, set how long each one lasts, and play the whole thing back with a metronome and loop so you can feel it repeat. Once it sits right, export the progression as a MIDI (.mid) file or send it straight to Onomo's Studio to keep building. The MIDI export means your idea is portable, drop it into any DAW and finish it with your own sounds.

#Tips to write faster

• Stay in key to never hit a wrong chord. Every pad is diatonic, so you can experiment with total freedom.
• Use borrowed chords for color. Once a progression feels too safe, swap one chord for a borrowed one and listen for the lift it gives.
• Loop and hum. Set the timeline looping and sing over it. The melody often writes itself once the chords are repeating.
• Export MIDI to finish in a DAW. Treat the Chord Palette as the idea stage and your DAW as the production stage.

#FAQ

Is it free? Yes. The Chord Palette is completely free and runs in your browser. No install and no account needed to start.

Does it work on my phone? Yes. It runs in a mobile browser, so you can sketch a progression on your phone whenever inspiration hits.

Do I need to know music theory? No, and that's the idea. The tool picks the in-key chords for you, so you can write good-sounding progressions without knowing a single scale. As you use it, you will start to absorb the theory naturally.

Ready to sketch your next progression? Open the Chord Palette and pick a key.