How to Make Melody Loops: 10 Chord Progressions
What sets the tone of a beat is, more often than not, the melody loop that plays even before the drums. And yet many people end up thinking "I don't know chords, so I rely on loop packs every time."
The only theory you need is keys and scales. On top of that, here are 10 chord progression templates you can program straight into A minor. Degrees are noted alongside, so once you're comfortable you can transpose them to other keys. The goal is to be able to build an 8-bar melody loop on your own.
1. Choosing a key: when in doubt, A minor
A key defines "which note a song centers on, and which set of notes it's built from." In hip-hop, trap and lo-fi, minor keys are overwhelmingly the majority, and for learning, A minor is ideal. The reason is simple: the notes of A minor (natural minor) are A, B, C, D, E, F and G—in other words, only the white keys of the piano (the same set of notes as C major, but centered on A; this is called the relative minor).
If you have a reference track in mind, load the audio into our BPM/Key detection tool to get a sense of the tempo and key. Even if the detected key isn't A minor, you can build in A minor first and transpose the whole MIDI at the end for the same result, so the templates in this article work as-is.
2. Scale basics: learn just three
When working in A minor, the scales (maps of notes) you need to know effectively come down to three.
- A natural minor scale: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. The basic seven notes. As a rule, build both chords and melody from here.
- A minor pentatonic: A, C, D, E, G. Five notes, with two (B and F) removed from the natural minor. Hard to go wrong in any order—a safe zone for writing melodies.
- A harmonic minor: A, B, C, D, E, F, G#. A scale with the seventh raised a semitone (G→G#). The tension of that G# is used heavily in drill and dark trap.
A scale is not "a rule for which notes you may use"—it's "a map of notes that are hard to go wrong with." The trick that keeps you from giving up is to build within this map first, then insert notes from outside it as passing tones once it feels too plain.
3. How to build chords: stack three notes, skipping one
You can build a chord simply by stacking three notes on the scale, skipping every other one. Building from each note of the A minor scale gives you the following seven chords (diatonic chords).
| Degree | Chord | Notes | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | A, C, E | The lead. The start and the place you return to |
| ii° | Bdim (Bm♭5) | B, D, F | Unstable. An advanced choice, hard to use on its own |
| III | C | C, E, G | Bright. A patch of clear sky within a minor song |
| iv | Dm | D, F, A | Adds a wistful feel |
| v | Em | E, G, B | Creates the flow back to Am |
| VI | F | F, A, C | Emotional. Frequently follows i |
| VII | G | G, B, D | Momentum. Pushes on to the next chord |
The degree (Roman numeral) indicates "which scale degree the chord is built on," where uppercase means major, lowercase means minor, and ° means diminished. Remembering things by degree lets you reuse the same blueprint even when the key changes.
4. 10 chord progression templates [with real notes in A minor]
Here's the main point. The basic form is to hold each chord for 1–2 bars and cycle through four chords per round (4–8 bars). Start by programming ① into the piano roll.
| # | Degrees | Real notes in A minor | Mood / where to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ① | i – VI – III – VII | Am – F – C – G | The most important staple. Versatile from emo trap to pop-leaning tracks |
| ② | i – VII – VI – VII | Am – G – F – G | A go-and-return, repetitive feel. Good for melodic type beats |
| ③ | i – iv – VII – III | Am – Dm – G – C | A classic cycle moving by fourths. A jazzy, soulful flow |
| ④ | i – VI – VII – i | Am – F – G – Am | A stable form that returns home firmly. Loops well |
| ⑤ | i – III – VII – VI | Am – C – G – F | A reorder of ①. A slightly brighter, more open impression |
| ⑥ | i – v – VI – III | Am – Em – F – C | Strongly wistful. Good for lo-fi and chill |
| ⑦ | VI – VII – i – i | F – G – Am – Am | Starts on something other than i and drops to Am later. Dramatic |
| ⑧ | i – VI – iv – V | Am – F – Dm – E | The final E (E, G#, B) is borrowed from the harmonic minor. Strong tension → resolution |
| ⑨ | im7 – iv7 – VII7 – IIImaj7 | Am7 – Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7 | A four-note, jazzy version of ③. A staple of lo-fi and neo-soul |
| ⑩ | iim7♭5 – V7 – im7 | Bm7♭5 – E7 – Am7 | The minor ii–V–i. Three chords that instantly bring a jazz feel |
The notes of the four-note chords used in ⑨ and ⑩ are as follows: Am7 = A, C, E, G / Dm7 = D, F, A, C / G7 = G, B, D, F / Cmaj7 = C, E, G, B / Bm7♭5 = B, D, F, A / E7 = E, G#, B, D. The E (triad) in ⑧ is E, G#, B. G# is not part of the natural minor, but it's a classic borrowing from the harmonic minor, and it makes the sense of resolution far stronger when you return to Am.
5. Laying a melody over the chords
Once the progression is playing, lay a single-note melody over it. There are just two theoretical safety measures.
- Put chord tones on the downbeats: in a bar where Am is playing, use A, C or E. As long as this lines up, the notes connecting them can be fairly free and still work.
- When in doubt, pentatonic: if you build phrases from just the five notes A, C, D, E and G, you're unlikely to have a big accident over any chord.
The knack for structure is "call and response." Play a two-bar phrase (the call), then over the next two bars keep the same rhythm and change only the final note (the response). This alone shapes eight bars into something that "loops but isn't monotonous." To finish, duplicate part of the phrase an octave up, or add space with delay and reverb, and you get a lead that feels like a proper type beat.
The steps to develop your finished loop into a beat—adding drums, building the arrangement—continue in drum layering and swing settings. The approach of building a lead from ready-made sample material is explained in the Splice guide.
6. If you want to strengthen the tone
Even with the exact same notes programmed, the character of the sound source changes a loop's impact dramatically. If you're starting for free, the synth and piano sounds in our free plugins roundup are more than enough to compete. When you want a full-fledged wavetable synth, the classic Serum 2 (see the review) is the top candidate.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How do I decide the key of a beat?
A. Matching the key of a reference track you like is the quickest method. Load the audio into the BPM/Key detection tool to get a good idea of the key. In hip-hop and trap, minor keys are the norm, and for learning, A minor—playable on the white keys alone—is the easiest to handle. Once you're comfortable, transpose at the end so it sits in a register where your 808 and bass sound their best.
Q. Am I not allowed to use notes outside the scale?
A. It's not forbidden. A scale is a map of notes that are hard to go wrong with, not a rule, and using chromatic passing tones or the G# borrowed from the harmonic minor (in A minor) is a common technique. That said, while you're still getting used to it, building mainly around scale notes plus chord tones makes it harder to fall apart.
Q. Is a chord progression itself protected by copyright?
A. A short, common chord progression on its own is generally considered unlikely to qualify for copyright protection as a commonplace element, and in fact many hit songs share the same progression. Copying the melody or recording of a specific song, however, is a separate matter. This answer is general information and not legal advice.
Q. How do I choose between triads and four-note (seventh) chords?
A. In hard-edged genres like trap and drill, the simple sound of triads—or just part of them—is preferred, while in lo-fi and R&B, four-note chords with an added 7th (templates ⑨ and ⑩) are a staple. Build the progression with triads first, then add a 7th only where you want to soften it; that's the easiest way to work.
Summary
- The key for learning is A minor (white keys only). Check a reference track's key with the BPM/Key detection tool, then transpose at the end.
- Three scales—natural minor, pentatonic and harmonic minor—are plenty for now.
- Chords are just three notes stacked on the scale, skipping one. Learn them by degree and you can apply them in every key.
- For the 10 progression templates, start with ① (Am–F–C–G). For melody: "chord tones on the downbeat, and when in doubt, pentatonic."
Theory is a tool for mass-producing loops. Once you've programmed all 10 templates, you should get the feel of making "your own lead" without relying on ready-made loops.