A Chord Composing Tool

[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://dpshade.itch.io/canon

Happy to talk implementation or music theory rabbit holes.

[thecontrolcentre]

Looks pretty cool (and PWYW for Windows)

[dps]

Looks pretty cool (and PWYW for Windows)

Thank you!

You can also share progressions directly from the app to anyone with a browser. Here's one that I made https://play.canonchords.com/?p=eyJrIjo ... IsIkdiIl19

[NWSM]

Multi-platform?

[Michael L]

The App Store says it runs on MacOS 10.14 but the itch.io download version says it does not.
Are they the same version?

[dps]

The App Store says it runs on MacOS 10.14 but the itch.io download version says it does not.
Are they the same?

Hey Michael, my ability to test with various OS versions was limited, I suspect 10.14 should work, but if not please let me know and I will see what I can do to support it!

[dps]

Multi-platform?

macOS and iOS are the most tested, but I have run it on Linux as well. I have builds for Windows and Android on itch.io, let me know if your installing for your platform gives you trouble!

[Michael L]

The App Store says it runs on MacOS 10.14 but the itch.io download version says it does not.
Are they the same?

Hey Michael, my ability to test with various OS versions was limited, I suspect 10.14 should work, but if not please let me know and I will see what I can do to support it!

Great. PM me with your support email and I will send you a screenshot of the error message, and a full crash report. I am happy to test it. Its an elegant idea.

[bw9477]

Really cool app, thanks for sharing!

[solar28]

Picked up for windows. Love the idea. However I can't figure out how to:

a) Drag and Drop midi into ableton. I was expecting a '+' icon - while dragging the progression into ableton.
b) I know you can "replace" a chord with another. What about the removing the chord?

Any thoughts? PM me if you'd like help testing anything.
Best