Use chord progressions in Logic Pro for Mac

Logic Pro includes a set of chord progressions that you can use on the Chord track and on Session Player regions. Chord progressions appear in the Chord Progressions submenu with roman numerals (I, ii, IV, V, and so on) for chords indicating their relation to the key signature, rather than as key-specific chord symbols. When you add a chord progression, it adapts to the key signature at the position where it is added.

Figure. A chord group selected on the Chord track with the Chord Progressions submenu open, showing the selected chord progression.

Note: In a chord progression, a roman numeral defines a chord by the note of the scale on which it is based. Uppercase numerals represent major chords, and lowercase numerals represent minor chords. For example, in the key of D major, a “vi” represents a B minor chord (the chord based on the sixth note of the scale).

When you add a chord progression to a project, it functions as a chord group and can be moved, copied, or looped. You can ungroup the chords in a chord progression to use or to edit them individually.

Figure. A chord progression as a chord group on the Chord track, with chords adapted to the project key.

When you add a Session Player to a project, if no chords exist on the Chord track, an eight-bar default chord progression is added to the Chord track rather than a single chord. Each Session Player style has a default chord progression.

Choose a chord progression

In Logic Pro, do one of the following:

Control-click an empty part of the Chord track, choose Chord Progressions, then choose a chord progression from the submenu.
Control-click a chord or chord group on the Chord track, choose Chord Progressions, then choose a chord progression from the submenu.
Note: You may need to lengthen the chord or chord group for several bars for the chord progression to be visible and audible.
Select a Session Player region in the Tracks area, open the Session Player Editor (if it is not already open), choose Chords > Chord Progressions in the Session Player Editor menu bar, then choose a chord progression from the submenu.
Control-click a Session Player region in the Tracks area, then choose a chord from the Chords > Chord Progressions submenu.

When you add a chord progression, any existing chords on the region are replaced by the chord progression.

If the region is shorter than the chord progression, it plays the part of the progression that fits its length. You can lengthen the region to play more of the chord progression.

If the region is longer than the chord progression, the chord progression repeats to fill the remaining length of the region.

Turn off adding a default chord progression

In Logic Pro, select a Session Player region.
In the Session Player Editor menu bar, choose Chords > Default Chord Progression for New Regions to turn it off.
If you decide later that you want Logic Pro to add a default progression for new Session Player regions, choose Chords > Default Chord Progression for New Regions again to turn it on.

Download the guides:

Logic Pro User Guide: PDF

Logic Pro Instruments: PDF

Logic Pro Effects: PDF

Control Surfaces Support Guide: PDF

Helpful?

Logic Pro User Guide for Mac

Use chord progressions in Logic Pro for Mac

Choose a chord progression

Turn off adding a default chord progression