# Chord Progression Finder from Melodic Sketch

Enter a melodic contour as scale degrees (1-7 or do-re-mi) plus a target key, and get candidate diatonic chord progressions ranked by voice-leading smoothness, with roman-numeral analysis and an audio demo.

> Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/youtube-music-chord-finder

- **Category:** Media

- **Keywords:** chord progression, melody, harmony, roman numerals, voice leading, music theory, composition, songwriting, contour harmonization

## Overview

Given a melodic line expressed as scale degrees and a key, this tool finds which diatonic triads can harmonize each note, then searches candidate chord progressions and ranks them by a combined smoothness score: root-motion strength (4th/5th motion preferred), common-tone retention between successive chords, and functional flow (tonic → pre-dominant → dominant → tonic). Output is ranked progressions with roman numerals plus a browser-side Web Audio audition. Uses strict diatonic major/natural-minor triads; does not detect chords from audio or guess borrowed chords. Pair with the Chord Progression Roman Numeral Visualizer to analyze an existing progression.

## Inputs

- **Melodic contour (scale degrees 1-7)** (text): e.g. 1 3 5 3 1 (or do mi sol mi do)
- **Target key** (select)
- **Mode** (select)
- **Progressions per beat** (number)
- **Playback tempo (BPM)** (number)

## When to use

- You have a melody outline and want possible diatonic chord choices.
- You are writing a song and want progressions ranked by voice-leading smoothness.
- You want to hear and compare major- or natural-minor triad progressions at a chosen tempo.

## How it works

- Enter the melodic contour as scale degrees from 1 to 7 or as do-re-mi syllables.
- Choose the target tonic, major or minor mode, and the number of progressions to show per beat.
- The tool identifies strict diatonic triads that can harmonize each melodic note and searches candidate progressions.
- Results are ranked using root motion, common-tone retention, and functional flow, then displayed with Roman numerals and an audio demo.

## Use cases

- Songwriters can turn a short melodic idea into several harmonization options.
- Music students can compare scale-degree melodies with diatonic chords and Roman-numeral functions.
- Composers can explore smooth major- or natural-minor progressions before developing a full arrangement.

## Frequently asked questions

### What melodic input does the tool accept?

Enter a contour using scale degrees 1-7 or solfège syllables such as do mi sol mi do.

### Which keys and modes are supported?

You can select any listed chromatic tonic from C through B and choose major or minor mode.

### Does the tool detect chords from audio?

No. It uses the melodic contour you enter and does not analyze audio recordings.

### What type of chords are used?

The tool uses strict diatonic triads from major and natural-minor scales.

### Can I listen to the suggested progressions?

Yes. Results include a browser-based Web Audio demo that uses the selected playback tempo.

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## Samples

- [Copyright-Free FLAC Audio Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/flac-samples): Lossless FLAC audio samples for testing and development, mirrored from MP3 set with nature sounds and meditation music
- [Copyright-Free WAV Audio Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/wav-samples): Uncompressed PCM WAV audio samples for testing and development, mirrored from MP3 set with nature sounds and meditation music
- [Copyright-Free MP3 Audio Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/mp3-samples): Collection of royalty-free audio samples for testing and development purposes including nature sounds, meditation music, and ambient audio
- [Web Image Processing Python Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/web-image-processing-python): Web Python image processing examples using PIL/Pillow including reading, saving, resizing, and format conversion

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