Producers who don’t play keys — how are you handling chord progressions?
I’m curious how beatmakers here approach chord progressions if you don’t play piano.
Do you:
• Use MIDI packs?
• Draw chords in manually?
• Use a generator?
• Just stick to simple triads?
I’ve noticed a lot of chord tools technically “work,” but they don’t always feel musical or emotionally cohesive.
I’ve been building something for myself to experiment with more tension/release and alternate chord suggestions inside a progression, and I’m trying to make sure it’s actually useful and not just another generic generator.
Before I go deeper with it:
What makes a chord progression tool actually helpful to you?
And what makes you avoid them?
Would love to hear how you all approach it.
Posted Feb 19, 2026, 3:12 PM UTC
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