Canon: Chord Composer (chord progression creation)

[dps]

Hey KVR,

I built Canon because I kept hitting the same wall: I know theory, but staring at a blank project kills momentum.

The core idea: Instead of generating random chords, Canon suggests the next chord based on a large repository of songs. So when you hit "Reroll," you're getting combinations that have worked in real music, not simply mathematically valid voicings.

Three modes depending on how stuck you are:
1. Reroll - Complete random progression (minor, jazz, sad, whatever mood). For when you need any starting point.
2. Chord Decks - Smart filtering. Pick a vibe, get chords that fit. Bridges theory knowledge and ear intuition.
3. Manual - Build chord-by-chord when you know what you want.

Practical stuff:
• MIDI export (drag into your DAW)
• Transpose to any key
• Share via link (recipient plays in browser—useful for collabs)

A deliberate design choice:
There's no major/minor selector. You can't filter by scale. This was intentional.
Most tools lock you into "pick a key, pick a mode, here are your seven chords." But the most interesting progressions - the ones that actually feel like something - borrow, modulate, and break the rules. Modal interchange, secondary dominants, chromatic mediants... none of that fits neatly into "major or minor."

So Canon just gives you chords that work together, based on what real songs actually do. Your ear is the filter, not the scale.

Curious if others here find scale-locked tools limiting, or if I'm overthinking it.

Free on iOS/macOS, and available on other platforms thru itch.io https://canonchords.com

Happy to talk implementation or music theory rabbit holes.

[anra]

Looks great tool, but with my iPad when pressing share button it quits the app unexpectedly.

[dps]

Looks great tool, but with my iPad when pressing share button it quits the app unexpectedly.

DM'd you for more information! Would love to help get that feature working for you! I hope it's proved fruitful regardless!

[Supersonic20]

I’m going to try it out. I’m still looking for the ultimate chords/harmony app or plug-in, maybe this is it