Short answer Rock leans on I, IV and V and adds chords borrowed from the minor mode, especially ♭VII. In A: A–D–E–D, or A–G–D–A with the ♭VII (G), which sounds like a 70s guitar. The generator combines these chords with rules that, in rock, allow stepping back from V to IV, and plays them with drums.
Rules checked on November 10, 2026.
Your progression Mood or genre Sad Happy Epic Nostalgic Tense Pop Ballad Rock Reggaeton Rumba Sertanejo Bossa nova Key C D♭ D E♭ E F G♭ G A♭ A B♭ B Chord names Letters (C, G, Am) Solfège (Do, Sol, Lam)
A I Tonic D IV Subdominant E V Dominant D IV Subdominant A · 124 BPM
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Why it sounds this way ♭VII and ♭VI (G and F in A major) come from the Mixolydian and minor modes and give rock a raw colour pop doesn’t have. In rock, going from V to IV (E → D) is as normal as resolving: the guitar matters more than the classical cadence. Try it with power chords and a hard strum.
Progressions to start with Chords in A Numerals Function Play A – D – E – D I – IV – V – IV Tonic – Subdominant – Dominant – Subdominant Play Use this one A – G – D – A I – ♭VII – IV – I Tonic – Subdominant · borrowed – Subdominant – Tonic Play Use this one A – F – G – A I – ♭VI – ♭VII – I Tonic – Subdominant · borrowed – Subdominant · borrowed – Tonic Play Use this one A – D – G – D I – IV – ♭VII – IV Tonic – Subdominant – Subdominant · borrowed – Subdominant Play Use this one A – E – D – E I – V – IV – V Tonic – Dominant – Subdominant – Dominant Play Use this one
What it does not do It does not use AI or write the song: it suggests chords from harmony rules, and the melody and lyrics are yours. It does not make audio to release: the sound is a simple guide for trying ideas. It does not analyse existing songs or tell you which hit uses a progression: chords have no owner and repeat across thousands of songs. It saves nothing and sends your choices to no server: everything happens in your browser. 