Stuck in a creative rut? Finding the perfect chord progression can sometimes feel like a major hurdle in the music production process. But what if we told you there’s a powerful, and often overlooked, tool baked right into FL Studio that can generate endless harmonic ideas for you?
For reasons we can’t quite fathom, this feature isn’t as hyped up as it should be. Let’s dive into the “Generate chord progression” tool and see how it can revolutionize your workflow.
Finding the Chord Generator
Accessing this powerful feature is incredibly straightforward. Within your FL Studio project, follow these simple steps:
- Open the Piano Roll for your chosen instrument.
- Navigate to the Tools menu in the upper-left corner of the Piano Roll window.
- Select “Generate chord progression…” from the dropdown list. You can also use the shortcut Opt+P (on macOS) or Alt+P (on Windows).
This will open a new window where the magic happens, instantly populating your piano roll with a new four-chord progression.
An Advanced Tool for Instant Inspiration
The “Generate chord progression” tool is far more than a simple chord randomizer; it’s an incredibly advanced and flexible feature for creating harmonic foundations for your tracks.
Here’s a glimpse of what you can do:
- Instant Generation: Don’t like the first progression it gives you? Simply hit the “Generate” button again for a fresh set of chords.
- Full or Partial Control: You have the ability to generate an entire chord progression at once or focus on a single chord within the sequence, giving you precise control over your composition.
- Conventional to Adventurous: A handy slider allows you to choose between more common, conventional progressions and more “adventurous” or complex ones, perfect for exploring different moods and genres.
- Deep Customization: You can easily change individual chords, adjust their voicings and inversions, and even reorder them within the sequence. The tool also allows you to specify the number of chords and their length.
This tool is a fantastic starting point, whether you have a melody that needs chords or you’re starting a track from scratch. It helps you overcome creative blocks by providing musically correct and inspiring options in seconds.
To see this incredible FL Studio feature in action, be sure to watch the full video:
