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New Released in April 2026
Chord Progressions for Video Game Music
Chord progressions for video game music use the same chords as any other music, but they lean on a few strong colours: borrowed major chords for victory, minor loops for danger, and unusual moves for mystery. Here are six game moods and the progression behind each.
No account, no download. The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
Six moods
- Victory: Ab Bb C (bVI bVII I). Two borrowed major chords rising to home: the classic level-clear sound.
- Adventure: C Bb F C (I bVII IV I). Open, bright, a little heroic.
- Mystery: C and Abm alternating, or a floating Cmaj7#11. Unexpected but soft.
- Boss battle: Am Bb Am G#dim (i bII i vii°). Half steps and diminished tension.
- Calm village: C Am F G at slow tempo with sus2 and add9 colours.
- Sad scene: Am F C E (i bVI bIII V). The major V at the end adds drama.
The tricks behind the sounds
Borrowing chords from the parallel minor (Ab and Bb in C) makes a major key sound larger. Half steps in the bass (A to Bb) create danger. Chords a major 3rd apart, like C to E or C to Ab, sound magical because they share only one note.
Chord Progressions for Video Game Music
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps.
Play the demoLoop it like a soundtrack
Game music loops. Write four bars, repeat them and change one chord on the second pass. That is how simple material stays interesting for minutes of play.
Play your own soundtrack
ChordRunner is a game you play with real chords. Type a progression like Ab Bb C, and it loops while you play it on a MIDI keyboard or a piano or guitar through the microphone (advanced feature in ChordRunner Premium). Your hands learn the colours that game composers use.
The levels in ChordRunner
- Beginner: major, minor, augmented and diminished chords.
- Intermediate: adds sus2 and sus4.
- Advanced: adds 6th, 7th and 9th chords.
- Pro: adds 11th, 13th and altered chords; an adaptive mode adds the next family when you are ready.
Common questions
What chord progression sounds like video game victory?
bVI bVII I, for example Ab Bb C in C major. Two borrowed major chords rising to the tonic give the triumphant feeling.
What chords sound epic?
Minor progressions with borrowed major chords, like Am F G Am (i bVI bVII i), especially with a rising bass and slow, full voicings.
How do I write video game music chords?
Pick a mood, choose a short loop, then add one surprise: a borrowed chord, a half step in the bass or a chord a major 3rd away.
Which instruments work?
A USB MIDI keyboard, detected automatically, or a piano or guitar through the microphone. Everything runs in Chrome or Edge on a computer, tablet or phone.
How is this different from apps where you tap the screen?
Tapping trains your eyes and fingers on glass. Here you press real keys or fret real strings, and the game hears the actual notes, so what you practise is exactly what you will play on your instrument.
Is everything in the demo?
The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
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