Hacking Ableton’s Fold Function To Compose Chord Progressions

A progression of chords is at the core of most great songs.

So developing chord progressions that tell your story is an essential part of writing and composing music. So if you’re finding it difficult to compose chord progressions in interesting keys rather quickly, then the following information should help you immensely.

The following two one-minute tips by Jonn Connor will show you a clever little trick using Ableton’s Fold function that makes writing chord progressions extremely easy and a lot more fun.

Here’s the basics to get you started:

Phase 1 – Setup your MIDI clip

1. Make a blank midi clip in Ableton
2. Insert a MIDI note on every white key from the high octaves down to the low octaves
3. Select All (CMD + A)
4. Press the left arrow key to move into negative space
5. Click the fold button in upper left of MIDI window

Phase 2 – Create your chord progression

1. Create a triad on your folded MIDI clip
2. Duplicate the triad to create a rhythm over 4 bars
3. Move chunks of chords up or down to tell your story

Now if you want to see this done in under 2 minutes check out the videos below and make sure you share this post with someone who has trouble writing chord progressions.

Phase 1

Phase 2

We know for a fact that these 2-minute tricks will help elevate your production workflow. If you would like to dive in even deeper into writing dynamic chord progressions then we recommend taking a look at one of our most popular full-time course options, the Electronic Music Producer program.

The Electronic Music Producer program is specifically tailored to prepare you for a career in making music. This one-year curriculum focuses on production skills with Ableton Live and Logic Pro, creative workflow, synthesis, theory, and music business. Produce, mix, and master tracks that forge your sonic identity under the guidance of our teaching staff of experienced professionals.

For more information about this program please follow this link HERE. To speak directly with our admissions staff be sure to set up a one-to-one consultation with our admissions staff be sure to schedule one HERE.