From time to time everyone struggles to come up with powerful chord progressions. There are many ways we can drive inspiration, get ideas and pull ourselves out of a creative slump.

One of the ways I like to get inspired is to study chord progressions from my favourite songs.

While copying a melody from a song is a big no-no, taking a chord progression is more of a grey area.

In fact, there are thousands of songs written off the same chord progressions.

Get the FREE MIDI chord pack below!

By entering your email you agree to receive awesome tips, articles, and marketing emails from Basic Wavez.

Enter your email below to get access to this awesome MIDI pack! Your Name: Email:

There are many ways you can make the progressions form this MIDI chord pack your own. You can change the voicings, add notes, change the rhythmic pattern, use different instruments and more.

I have made a list of 50 of my favourite popular EDM songs and transcribed them into a MIDI chord pack which can be downloaded for free. All you need to do is drag and drop them into your DAW and get creative!

Two To One by Adam Szabo and Johan Vilborg

While not one of the biggest tunes ever, this chord progression is one of my favourites of all time, so I had to include it on the list.

Key: F#Dorian

Progression: i-VII-III(add9)-IV-i

Heroes by Alesso

Written in Major with an ascending bassline and topline, this progression gives off a nostalgic, uplifting vibe.

Key: Fmaj

Progression: I-iii7-vi-IV

Faded by Alan Walker

This chord progression isn’t particularly interesting. It’s the melody that gets layered over it that makes it so catchy and memorable. I do feel that the use of mainly major chords gives it a lot of drive and euphoria. While returning back to the minor ‘one’ keeps it from feeling too happy and introduces a sense of melancholy.

Key: D#minor

Progression: i-VI-III-VII

Levels by Avicii

Arguably Avicii’s biggest song ever. Again, not a very interesting progression. Its the melody that harmonizes so well with these chords.

Key: C#min

Progression: i-III-VII-VI

I Could Be The One by Avicii vs Nicky Romero

This was an interesting chord progression for me. I’m not used to moving from the III to the VI, I have a habit of going from III to v which gets a bit boring. I find this movement creates a bit of tension and the payoff comes when we resolve to the VII.

The movement from VII back to the iv instead of the expected i also sounds really good to my ear. It tells us that we aren’t ready to go home yet, and allows us to extend the chordal journey another bar before we finally resolve back to the i.

Key: F#min

Progression: i-III-VI-VII-iv-v-VI-VII

Wake Me Up by Avicii

Quite a boring progression when played on piano. The acoustic guitar definitely brings life to it.

Key: Bmin

Progression: i-VI-III-III6/4-i-VI-III-V/i(maj)

I’m Not Alone by Calvin Harris

Not overly complex as far as chord progressions go, again we are seeing that III, VI relationship we saw in I Could Be the One – Avicii, Nicky Romero. The variation of the first two chords also helps to keep this progression more interesting.

Key: Emin

Progression: iv-v-VI-i-III-VI

Feel So Close by Calvin Harris

A very basic chord progression, the III resolves back into the i7 and they share 3 common notes the G-C-E it’s only the bass note that changes from the C to the A. I think the power comes from how it’s played, the most prominent notes in the original song are the bass notes. They are played on a very low octave and can be heard clearly.

Key: A Minor

Progression: i7-v-VII-III

Under Control by Calvin Harris, Alesso

I really like the sound of this progression. I love when progressions don’t start or finish on the i. The fact that it starts and ends on a major chord makes it feel like a compliment sandwich, or maybe a story with a happy beginning and ending like Lord Of The Rings or something.

Key: Fmin

Progression: VI-iv7-i-VII

Slide ft Frank Ocean and Migos by Calvin Harris

A progression based purely off sevenths. This feels quite jazzy/funky. We also hear the G# played in every chord as well as being the high note in the melody, I feel like this gives it a lot of drive with the G# being the perfect fifth/dominant note.

Key: C#min

Progression: VI7-v7-i7-iv7sus2-v7-VI7

Strobe by deadmau5

This is an incredibly long chord progression in comparison to the previous ones we’ve analysed. One of the ways deadmau5 manages maintain interest throughout his long tracks is by making small harmonic variations each time the chord progression repeats. We can see that the first 8 bars have been duplicated and slight variations have been made to the last 2 chords. The high G# has been moved down to the F# to make it a G#min7. And in the last chord, the F# has been moved up to the G# to make it a G#min(add9). These small variations are what keeps the song evolving and gives a sense of progression instead of it feeling repetitive.

Key: G#min

Progression: i-iv-VI_iv7sus4-VII-i-i7_i-iv-VI-iv7sus4-VII-i7-iadd9

Get Lucky by Daft Punk

I’m not the biggest fan of this song but I can appreciate how catchy and groovy it is. What surprised me is how good this progression sounds just played on a piano alone. This progression actually turned out to be one of my favourites in this MIDI chord pack. I love the movement from F# to A to G#. The resolution is strong and super satisfying. I also really like the movement from minor7 to major which happens twice in this progression.

Key: B Dorian

Progression: i7-III-v7-IV

Around the World by Daft Punk

What gives this progression it’s uniqueness is the use of a borrowed chord from the dorian scale. The IV6(Dor). The IV in Emin would usually get played C-E-G but here they have moved up to a C# and moved the G up to an A. This creates a bit of tension and also keeps the bassline walking down.

Key: Emin

Progression: i-VII-IV6(Dor)-VI

She Wolf Falling To Pieces by David Guetta ft Sia

A really beautiful chord progression. While in major it manages to maintain a certain melancholy through the use of a borrowed dominant chord from its parallel minor scale (the minor v).

Key: Dmaj

Progression: v(min)-iisus4-v(min)-ii-iisus4-ii-IV-IV-IV

Cinema Remix by Skrillex

I’ve always loved the arp in this song. It’s nice to see something so simple can be so effective.

Key: F#min

Progression: VI-i-III-VII

Ghosts N Stuff by Deadmau5

Deadmau5 tends to use a lot of borrowed chords in his progressions. Here we can see he uses the major IV from the parallel scale. He also adds some simple variation by having a quick VII chord at the end of the second repetition of the progression.

Key: Bbmin

Progression: i-VIIadd9-VI-IV(maj)-i-VIIadd9-VI-IV(maj)-VII

Sexy Bitch by David Guetta ft Akon

A very basic poppy progression. Nothing interesting about it but it does the job of providing a simple harmony to build a melody on top of.

Key: Bmin

Progression: i-III-VI-III

When Love Takes Over ft Kelly Rowland by David Guetta

A surprisingly complex progression. I really love the movement from the ii6 to the Isus4 to the I.

Key: F#mix

Progression: i-v64-ii6-Isus4-I

Love is Gone by David Guetta

This progression reminds me of Still Dre by Dr. Dre. Probably because both progressions start with the i-vsus4-v chords. I really love this movement and the vibe it gives off.

Key: Emin

Progression: i-vsus4-v-iv-VI-VII

Titanium feat Sia by David Guetta

Not a very compelling chord progression but layered with the palm muted guitar plucks it really comes to life.

Key: Cmin

Progression: VI-VII-v-i-VII

Lunar by Virtual Riot

Possibly one of my favourite songs of all time. The chord progression does nothing for me on it’s own but given that the lead plays the exact same sequence, we can safely say that the lead is part of each chord. One thing to note is how the bassline walks up the scale which really adds to the uplifting feel of this drop.

Key: Amin

Progression: VI7-V65-i7-v7-VI7-V65-i7-III(add9)

Ghost Voices by Virtual Self

A nice melancholic chord progression with only one major chord.

Key: Bmin

Progression: iv-i-v-VI-v

Call On Me by Eric Prydz

What a classic. Such a short and catchy progression.

Key: Gmin

Progression: i-III-VII-VI

Holdin’ On by Flume

Such a powerful progression, I love the iv-VI7-i movement and the emotion it brings. The original patch he uses to play this progression is also really cool, the way the pitch drifts up and down really gives it the edge.

Key: Cmin

Progression: iv-VI7-i-v-i6

Right Here Right Now by Fatboy Slim

A real classic. I love the subtle tension the 6th chords add to this progression. Also, notice how the last chord has an F# in it. This is both a slash chord (cause it’s actually a Dmajor chord with F# as the root note) and a borrowed chord because the Dmajor chord comes from the A Major scale.

Key: Amin

Progression: i_ii6-VII-IV64

Pjanoo by Eric Prydz

I used to think this song was just 3 chords repeating over and over again. Turns out its actually 12 chords repeating. Its the motif playing over them that gets repeated every 4 bars. The reason it can be repeated so many times and stay interesting because the harmony is constantly evolving beneath it over a stretch of 16 bars.

Key: Gmin

Progression: i-VII-VI-VI-VII-iv-iv-v-VI-VI-VII-i

Never Be Like You feat Kai by Flume

These are the chords from the intro. The movement from I-ii (major to minor) definitely helps keep the tone of this song more melancholic.

Key: Cmaj

Progression: I-ii-IV-IV

Where are U now by Jack U

Quite a poppy-sounding chord progression. The movement from the IV-vi manages to keep the emotion of this progression almost sad or longing.

Key: Gmaj

Progression: IV-vi-V-I-IV

Take U There feat Kiesza by Jack U

Such a feel good progression. Starting off with the major III gives it an uplifting feel which then moves to a really tense iv6 chord and resolves to the tonic.

Key: C#min

Progression: III_iv6-i

To U feat AlunaGeorge by Jack U

I love the emphasis of the dominant seventh (v7) chord here. The interplay between the i-v7 and the iv7-VI-VIIsus2 has a real call and response feel to it.

Key: Bb minor

Progression: i-v7-iv7-VI-VIIsus2

Feel Good Inc by Gorillaz

I love the weight of the iv7 chord coming in after the i-VII, it feels really powerful which is strange to me as I usually would expect the I or the v chord to feel most powerful.

Key: D#min

Progression: i-VII-iv7-v7-v

Stereo Love by Edward Maya

Another very basic poppy chord progression. I find these are great for creating short, catchy melodies over.

Key: C#min

Progression: i-VI-III-VII

Hideaway by Kiesza

Not a super interesting chord progression, but I love the way it’s voiced in this song. We have the top note in the first 2 chords sticking to the G and when it moves up to the A in the third chord along with the bass note playing that low F, it creates a really emotional transition and ends off on a calm resolution with the iv chord.

Key: Gmin

Progression: i-VI-VII-iv

Seek Bromance by Tim Berg

Such a beautiful chord progression. I love the use of 6ths at the end of each bar that then lead into the next chord.

Key: C#min

Progression: III-IIIsus2-VII-V6-V-i-VII6-III

Sorry by Justin Bieber

The movement from IV to i7 feels really emotional. This is probably compounded by the use of the seventh and the half step relationship between the G# and the G. The end of the progression finishes with an entirely different set of chords, played in a different rhythm, which adds some nice variation.

Key: Cmin

Progression: (IV-i7-VII)x3-iv-VI-VII

Divinity by Porter Robinson

A really interesting chord progression. We have the F# in every chord acting like a drone note. The only real melody I’m paying attention to when I hear this progression is the movement from the B to A and then E to C#.

Key: Dmaj

Progression: IV7-IV7sus2-I(add9)-I7-IV7-vi7-I(add9)-I7

Take Over Control by Afrojack

Definitely one of my favourite songs of all time. The chord progression doesn’t sound great without the topline/melody over it in my opinion. Still a very interesting and long progression.

Key: Cmin

Progression: i-VII-III64-V64-VII-i-i-VII-III-V-VII-i

Home by Madeon

Quite an uplifting feel to this progression, probably due to the use of mostly major chords.

Key: F#min

Progression: VI-i-VII-VI-VII-i-VII

All My Love ft Ariana Grande by Major Lazer

In this progression, we see the use of a borrowed chord. The V(maj) is borrowed from the parallel major. This makes for a very satisfying resolution in my opinion.

Key: Dmin

Progression: i-VII-III-VI-V(maj)-i-VII-III-VI-VII

Toulouse by Nicky Romero

I love this progression, it has a powerful call and response where it rises in the first 4 bars and falls in the last 4.

Key: Fmin

Progression: i-VII-VI-iv7-VI-VI-VII-i-VII-i

The Sky by Mat Zo feat Linnea Schossow

This is the first time we have seen a phrygian mode being used in this article. The use of this mode gives this progression a bit of an ethnic flavour. I also love the little bass walk-ups at the end of each 4 bars.

Key: D Phrygian

Progression: VI-iv-Imix-i-III-III6-III64-VI-III-Imix-i-III-III6-III64

Language by Porter Robinson

An interesting progression. Porter sticks to these big major chords and only briefly returns to the minor i to give it a sort of sad resolution.

Key: F#min

Progression: VIadd9-i7-VII-V-VIadd9-i7

Million Voices by Otto Knows

Here we see the use of a slash chord which has been more common than I expected. If you look at the second chord it’s actually a Gmin but the root note is a D – the D has been moved down an octave and the G moved up an octave. My guess is he did this so he could have that high G constantly playing through the progression like a drone note (up until the last chord).

Key: Eb major

Progression: I-iii64-vi-IV

Witchcraft by Pendulum

Such a simple progression. The melody that plays over it and the sound choices is what makes it stand out.

Key: Fmin

Progression: i-VI-VII-iv

Sweet Nothing by Calvin Harris

Simple pop progression. I love the movement of the F#-G#-A# in the last three chords.

Key: Bmaj

Progression: IV-I-vi-V

Say My Name ft Zyra by Odesza

Such a beautiful chord progression. Just opening on that iv7 chord sounds so good to me. The VI-i7 movement is also so beautiful.

Key: F#min

Progression: iv7-VI-i7-VII

Shelter by Porter Robinson and Madeon

This is my favourite part of the song, this verse that goes “when I’m older I’ll be silent beside you…”. The chords harmonize so nicely with the vocal melody. Theres some beautiful suspended and seventh chords that make up this progression.

Key: Cmaj

Progression: vi7-V-IVsus2-I6-ii7-V7sus4

Summit by Skrillex

The chords alone don’t really interest me, its the melody that harmonizes so well with them. Definitely one of my favourite Skrillex tunes.

Key: F#maj

Progression: vi-IV-ii-IV-V-vi

Nobody To Love by Sigma

What a solid progression. It feels like it tells a story and has a strong call and response theme. The use of the I6 chords creates nice tension and lets you know that a resolving chord will follow.

Key: Eb Major

Progression: IV-V-I-I6-IV-I6-V11

This Is What You Came For By Calvin Harris

Another really basic pop progression. That doesn’t take away from the fact that it works really well with the vocal.

Key: Amin

Progression: i_VI-VII-III

Incase you missed it…

By entering your email you agree to receive awesome tips, articles, and marketing emails from Basic Wavez.

Enter your email below to get access to this awesome MIDI pack! Your Name: Email:

Conclusion

Going in to this exercise I thought I would notice some pretty obvious patterns.

I expected to see a lot of the same 4 chord progressions but was pleasantly surprised to see a very wide range of unique chords. This just proves that learning and understanding music theory is instrumental to creating impactful and unique chords and melodies.

You can start by grabbing the free midi files and chopping them up, inverting chords, swapping them around and making your own progressions. Or you can analyze your favourite progressions and try to figure out what it is you like – Is it the movement from a minor to a major chord? Perhaps it’s the tension created by a suspended chord, or the richness of a seventh chord?

Know someone else who would love some free MIDI files?

Make sure to share our article using the buttons below. Anyone can download this MIDI chord pack for free!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I open a MIDI file?

You can simply drag and drop the MIDI file into your Digital Audio Workstation, common DAWs include FL Studio, Ableton Live, Cubase, Logic Pro X, Reason, Studio One and Bitwig. They can also be opened and played in Piano Training Software like Synthesia.

How do I add MIDI files to FL Studio?

There are a few options to open MIDI files in FL Studio but the easiest and quickest way would be to drag and drop the MIDI file onto the Piano Roll. You can then add any virtual instrument to the channel and play the MIDI file.

Are MIDI files royalty free?

It depends entirely on the contents of the MIDI file. If you are using a MIDI file that has a copyrighted melody for example, then it wouldn’t be royalty free. Using a MIDI file from a royalty free MIDI pack, however, would be royalty free.

What are MIDI files used for?

MIDI is a communication protocol used to connect computers and most commonly digital musical instruments. MIDI files are used to store MIDI data like note information. Most commonly MIDI files contain chord progressions and melodies that can be loaded into virtual instruments and played.

Other Resources

Cymatics has an awesome page of free MIDI packs for download.

WA Production has a massive MIDI pack on their site.

https://bitmidi.com/ is a site of free curated midi files which range from video game music, to popular songs and even theme songs from TV shows.







