Five [5] Midi Chord Techniques To Quickly Create Tracks [Updated 2024]

Here's 5 tips to take a simple midi chord and generate a ton of different sounds and feelings.

If you need a framework to generate ideas these midi chord tricks will help you out.

And if you need great sounding chords to start with, we suggest starting with Modern HipHop  & R&B Chord Progressions

MIDI Chords That Stand Out - The Tips

There's 5 Simple Tips to help take a boring chord into something special:

• Tip #1 Break
• Tip #2 Transpose
• Tip #3 Strum
• Tip #4 Bassline
• Tip #5 Arpeggiate

Let's jump into it.

For the purposes of this post we'll start with a simple A minor chord. All images will use MIDI notes.

So let's take a look and listen to our simple boring A Minor chord:

 

 

#1 Break Your Midi Chords Up

The first tip is to add breaks to the midi chord. Simply remove part of it almost like you slice it up. Simply take that midi chord and add some breaks. This will instantly add rhythm, feel, and movement to your chords.

You can add one break or multiple breaks. So you can have a hit/stab then a chord.

 

Play around with the amount and  the length of the breaks. You can create some really interesting patterns by just adding breaks.

 

 

If you add enough breaks and space them out right you get these hits/stabs. This was all generated from that one chord.

 

So Tip #1 was too add breaks. It already makes it interesting but we can do a lot more to add some interest.

 

#2 Transpose One Note In Your Midi Chord Up or Down An Octave

Tip #2 is to transpose one of your notes up or down an octave. In this post we'll move the bottom note of the midi chord up one octave.

Start with your midi chord and take the bottom note and move it up an octave. You now have a new sound.

This is pretty simple but it gets interesting when you combine the original chord with the new chord you just created. This is an easy way to make chord progressions.

 

 

Combine Tip #2 (move the bottom note up an octave) with Tip #1 (Break up the chord) and things get real interesting.

 

So far so good. We're generating some interesting sounds.

But, there's more we can do, let's take a look at strumming.

MIDI Chord Tip #3:  Strumming

I love strumming as it adds a nice feel to chord.

Simply offset your chord a bit and you get a nice feel. You can do this in MIDI, or you can do it with a chord generator like Ripchord.

 

Like before we'll combine Tip #3 (Strum) with Tips #1 (Breaks) and Tip #2 (Transpose) and you got magic:

 

Sounding real good...let's add a bit more to our chord now.

#4 Make The Bottom Notes Of Your MIDI Chords Your Bassline

Take the bottom notes of the midi chord and drop it an octave to give a deeper bassline feel. In fact you can take that bottom note and move it to the bass track and drop it an octave.

So the top two notes can be on the piano track and the bottom note is on the bassline track.

Doing this ties the sounds together and grounds the track in a cohesive bassline.

 

 

And now when we start to combine Tip# 1 (Breaks) with Tip #2 (Transpose) with Tip#3 (Strum) and Tip #4 (Bassline) we get something interesting.

And again this was all created from a simple A minor chord.

 

 

#5 Add an Arpeggiator Midi FX To Your Midi Chords

This is an easy go to especially when you are stuck on creating melodies. Simply assign an arpeggiator to the track and slide and move the knobs till you get something you like.

Add the original chord without the arpeggiator to tie it all together.

 

A simepl but effective tip:

• Start with a set of chords
• Duplicate them
• Move the duplicate set up an octave
• Use the arpeggiator on the chords that are up an octave

The combination of the first set of chords and the arpreggiated chords can create some unique sounds.

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Fuel For Your MIDI Chords

To get a great sounding track, to be able to produce fire - it all takes a lot of experimenting and trying different ideas out.

The goal of this post was to show you how you can take a simple midi chord and apply simple techniques to generate a lot of interesting sounds.

Follow the 5 Tips:

Tip #1 Break

Tip #2 Transpose

Tip #3 Strum

Tip #4 Bassline

Tip #4 Arpeggiate

 

This makes it simple, easy, and fast to generate a lot of ideas and fuel your creative output. The more you produce the higher likelihood of making that next hit.

 

If you enjoyed this post, you'll enjoy the Modern HipHop and R&B Midi Chord Presets pack. It includes 50 Midi chord progressions and Riphord Presets in the modern hiphop/r&b style. Influenced by Drake, Sza, Meek Mill, Rick Ross, Snoh Alegra, Kehlani, Kendrick, Takeoff and many many more.

Thousands of producers love our MIDI products and so will you.

Cole