Blue Notes & Borrowed Chords: Ableton Chord Rack by Loopmasters

Loopmasters says the progressions combine chord choices that are less common in dance production. The set uses blue notes, which are sung or played at a pitch between a quarter tone and a semitone away from the standard note. Because of this, some chords are not exactly in tune. The developer describes this as giving music a classic jazz and blues influence.

The developer notes that early house and hip hop producers sampled chords of this kind. Some sets are marked with an asterisk before the first chord when they use blue notes heavily. Chord lists are provided for each set.

The rack loads directly into an Ableton Live session as a MIDI effect. Its macros are mapped to change chord sets, add random note velocity, change the root note and add arpeggios. The same macro mappings and functionality are included as in the Deep House & Jazz Chords rack.

You can output the MIDI from the rack to see exactly which notes each chord uses. The developer suggests this as a way to build complementary bass lines or melodies. Note timing and velocity can also be adjusted for more expression.