In the articles below you will find a comprehensive exploration of chords and chord-related resources for modern music production.

Several pieces focus on the SHLD Free MIDI Chord Pack, an open-source project offering over 12,700 MIDI files with 176 progressions per key across genres including pop, hip-hop, soul, and jazz. The pack features chords ranging from basic triads to extended harmonies, requires no registration, and welcomes community contributions through GitHub. Matthew Curtis has developed Ripchord presets for this pack, enabling single-note chord triggering in Ableton Live.

The Expressive Chords device for Ableton Live 12.2+ converts single MIDI notes into playable chords with strum, inversion, and articulation controls, with preset packs derived from 176 free MIDI progressions particularly suited for cinematic composition.

Two articles address music theory fundamentals: one explains parallel and relative keys, demonstrating how composers like The Police and The Beatles shift emotional colour while maintaining tonal connections. Another examines Roman numeral notation systems, comparing the traditional major/minor approach with an academic method using flat symbols to represent modal harmony and borrowed chords consistently across all modes.

Expressive Chords Presets - Download them below

Published: Sat 12 July 2025
Updated: Fri 17 October 2025 by Ludo In Music
tags: chords ableton live chord pack chord progressions

What if creating beautiful chord progressions was as simple as pressing a single key? Expressive Chords transforms how you approach harmony by turning individual MIDI notes into rich, nuanced chords that feel natural and inspiring.

This new Ableton Live Device arrived with version 12.2 of Ableton and is available …

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Other articles

  • Mastering Parallel and Relative Scales for Musical Creativity

    Discover the world of parallel and relative keys. While parallel keys share the same tonic with distinct moods, relative keys share notes but differ in starting points. Explore how these concepts allow musicians to create varied emotional landscapes, enhancing your compositions with seamless transitions and rich musical expressions.

    Ah, parallel …

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  • Mastering Chords Roman Numeral Notation

    Struggling with chord progression notation? Whether you're analyzing, composing, or exploring modal harmony, this guide breaks down the two main Roman numeral systems—so you can write progressions with confidence and clarity!

    For readers struggling with how to properly represent chords in different keys and modes, this guide provides a …

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  • SHLD MIDI Chords Pack Ripchord Presets

    A Big Thanks to Matthew Curtis for Expanding SHLD Chord Progressions to Ripchord Users!

    In the ever-evolving world of music production, collaboration and innovation fuel creativity. Today, I want to shine a spotlight on Matthew Curtis, a community organizer, artist, and developer for his great contribution.

    Matthew took it upon …

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  • MIDI Chords Pack Fall 2025 - Always free

    You are frustrated by paid Midi Chord Packs, containing only 1200 Midi files? Yes, other Midi Chord Packs are either paid (like the Midi Chord Pack EssentialMidi or Unison) or very limited with a few dozen chords at most, but now you can download the most comprehensive Midi pack for …

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  • Free Midi Chords and progressions / Fall 2025 edition

    Struggling to find the right chord progressions for your tracks? This free MIDI chord pack contains over 12,000 chords and 176 professionally-crafted MIDI chord progressions in every key. Whether you're producing Trap, Pop, Dubstep, or Dark Ambient, these royalty-free MIDI files work seamlessly with any DAW including Ableton Live …

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Last articles:

• SHLD FREE MIDI Chords pack!

• Expressive Chords Presets - Download them below

• Mastering Parallel and Relative Scales for Musical Creativity

• Mastering Chords Roman Numeral Notation

• SHLD MIDI Chords Pack Ripchord Presets

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