Chord Track Guide: Harmonic Editing in Studio One

What Is the Chord Track?

The Chord Track is a dedicated lane in Studio One's Arrange view that defines the harmonic structure of your song. It sits at the top of the track list and displays chord symbols across the timeline. When instrument tracks are set to Follow the Chord Track, their MIDI notes automatically transpose to fit the current chord at any point in the song.

This is a fundamentally different approach to harmony than manually programming chord changes note by note. With the Chord Track, you define the chord progression once, and every Following instrument conforms to it. Change a chord on the Chord Track and every Following track updates instantly. This makes harmonic experimentation fast and non-destructive.

For beat producers, the Chord Track accelerates workflows that would otherwise require music theory knowledge. You can program a bass line that automatically adjusts its notes when you change the chord progression. You can experiment with different progressions without reprogramming every instrument. You can even detect the chords from an audio sample and build your entire arrangement around that harmonic structure.

Adding Chords to the Chord Track

There are several ways to add chords to the Chord Track.

1. Show the Chord Track. Go to Track > Add Tracks > Chord Track, or use the keyboard shortcut. The Chord Track appears at the top of the Arrange view with a piano icon and chord symbol area.
2. Add chords manually. Click the + button on the Chord Track or double-click at the position where you want to add a chord. A chord selector appears where you choose the root note, chord quality (major, minor, dominant 7th, diminished, etc.), and optional extensions (9th, 11th, 13th).
3. Draw chords with the Paint tool. Select the Paint tool (P) and click on the Chord Track at the timeline position where you want the chord. The chord selector dialog opens for you to define the chord.
4. Type chord names. Double-click a chord event on the Chord Track to edit it. You can type chord names directly using standard notation: Cmaj7, Dm, G7, F#m7b5. Studio One parses common chord symbols and sets the chord accordingly.

Chords on the Chord Track are displayed as blocks spanning from their start position to the next chord. The block shows the chord symbol (such as Am7 or D major) and lasts until the next chord event begins.

Chord Detection from Audio and MIDI

Instead of building your chord progression from scratch, you can extract it from existing audio or MIDI material. This is especially powerful when working with samples.

Detecting Chords from Audio

1. Select the audio event. Click the audio event containing the harmonic material, such as a sampled piano loop or guitar recording.
2. Extract chords. Right-click the audio event and select Detect Chords from the context menu. Studio One analyzes the frequency content and identifies chord changes throughout the event.
3. Review results. The detected chords appear on the Chord Track. Play back and listen to verify the detection is accurate. Adjust any incorrect chords by double-clicking them and selecting the correct chord from the selector.

Detecting Chords from MIDI

1. Select the MIDI clip. Click the Music Part (MIDI clip) containing chord voicings.
2. Extract chords. Right-click the clip and select Extract Chords to Chord Track. Studio One reads the note combinations and places the corresponding chord symbols on the Chord Track.
3. Verify. MIDI chord detection is typically more accurate than audio detection because the note data is explicit. Still verify that inversions and extensions are identified correctly.

Follow Mode: Making Tracks Follow the Chord Track

Follow mode is the core function that connects instrument tracks to the Chord Track. When enabled, a track's MIDI notes are transposed in real time to fit the current chord.

1. Enable Follow on a track. Select the instrument track you want to follow the Chord Track. In the track header or Inspector, click the Follow dropdown and select a follow mode.
2. Choose a follow mode. Studio One offers several follow behaviors:
   • Narrow: Notes move the minimum distance to fit the chord. Best for smooth voice leading in pads and sustained parts.
   • Bass: The lowest note snaps to the chord root. Best for bass lines.
   • Parallel: All notes transpose uniformly by the same interval. Preserves the exact voicing shape while moving it to the new chord.
   • Full: All notes snap to the nearest chord tone. Best for arpeggiated patterns.
3. Test the result. Play back the song and listen to how the track's notes adapt to each chord change. If the voice leading sounds awkward, try a different follow mode or adjust the track's MIDI content.

Different follow modes are appropriate for different instruments. Use Bass mode on your bass track so the root note always aligns with the chord. Use Narrow mode on pad tracks for smooth transitions. Use Parallel mode on melodic riffs where you want the interval structure preserved.

Chord Audition and Editing

The Chord Track includes tools for auditioning and editing chords without playing any instrument tracks.

1. Audition chords. Click a chord event on the Chord Track to hear it. Studio One plays the chord using a default piano sound so you can evaluate the harmonic content.
2. Change chord quality. Double-click a chord event to open the chord selector. Change the root, quality, or extensions. The selector shows common chords organized by type and lets you preview each one before committing.
3. Move chords in time. Drag a chord event left or right on the Chord Track to change when the chord begins. This adjusts when all Following tracks change to the new chord.
4. Copy chord progressions. Select multiple chord events, copy with Ctrl+C (Windows) or Cmd+C (Mac), and paste with Ctrl+V (Windows) or Cmd+V (Mac) at a new timeline position. This duplicates your progression for repeating sections.

Key and Scale Settings

The Chord Track works with Studio One's global key and scale settings. These settings define the tonal center of your song and can affect how Following tracks transpose.

1. Set the song key. In the Chord Track header, set the root key and scale type (major, minor, harmonic minor, etc.). This does not restrict you to diatonic chords, but it provides a reference for chord suggestions and note quantization.
2. Use key changes. Add key change events at specific points in the timeline to modulate to a different key mid-song. Following tracks respond to key changes by adjusting their transposition reference.
3. Scale quantize. When Follow mode is active with a defined key and scale, notes that fall outside the scale can be forced to the nearest scale tone. This prevents dissonant clashes that occur when MIDI content was written in a different key.

Advanced Harmonic Editing

The Chord Track enables harmonic transformations that would be tedious to do manually.

• Transpose entire progressions. Select all chords on the Chord Track and use the transpose function to shift the entire progression to a different key. Every Following track transposes accordingly.
• Substitute chords. Double-click any chord and select a substitution. Studio One suggests common substitutions based on music theory: relative minor/major, tritone substitution, and secondary dominants. Preview each substitution before committing.
• Drag MIDI to the Chord Track. Drag a MIDI clip directly onto the Chord Track. Studio One analyzes the note content and creates chord events based on the voicings in the clip. This is the fastest way to build a Chord Track from an existing MIDI arrangement.
• Use the Chord Track with Scratch Pad. Studio One's Scratch Pad feature lets you audition arrangement ideas in isolation. Create chord progressions in the Scratch Pad and drag them to the main Chord Track when you are satisfied. This keeps your main arrangement clean while you experiment.

Chord Track with Audio Events

The Chord Track can also affect audio events, not just MIDI. When an audio track is set to Follow the Chord Track, Studio One transposes the audio in real time using pitch-shifting algorithms.

1. Enable Follow on an audio track. Select the audio track and enable Follow mode in the track header.
2. Set the original key. Studio One needs to know the original key of the audio to transpose it correctly. Set this in the audio event's properties or let Studio One detect it.
3. Play back. The audio transposes in real time to match the Chord Track chords. Pitch-shifting preserves the original timing and character of the audio.

Audio following works best on monophonic material like bass lines or vocal melodies. Polyphonic audio (full chords, mixed tracks) can produce artifacts when pitch-shifted because the algorithm has to shift multiple frequencies simultaneously.

Battle Harmony Workflow

Here is a workflow for using the Chord Track to build a harmonically rich beat quickly in a battle.

1. Define your progression. Add a Chord Track and place four chords: Am - F - C - G (or any progression you like). This takes 15 seconds with the chord selector. (15 seconds)
2. Program a bass pattern. Create a bass track with Mai Tai or Presence XT. Draw a simple rhythmic pattern in the Piano Roll on a single root note. Set the track to Follow (Bass mode). The bass now plays the correct root for every chord automatically. (20 seconds)
3. Add a pad. Create a pad track and draw sustained notes forming a simple triad. Set it to Follow (Narrow mode). The pad voicing adjusts smoothly for each chord change. (15 seconds)
4. Layer a melody. Program a melody over the chords. This track can optionally Follow the Chord Track or be free (no Follow) for more melodic freedom. (30 seconds)
5. Experiment. Change chords on the Chord Track and hear your entire arrangement update instantly. Try substitutions. Move chord positions. All Following tracks adapt without any reprogramming. (Ongoing)

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