Pick a key
Turn the KEY knob on the screen. The seven blue pads become the seven chords of that key, so any order sounds good. The small numbers at the bottom of each pad (I, IV, V…) show where the chord sits in the key.
Loop your chords
Press keys ▶. Every chord you tap joins the loop, and your last four play round and round. CHORDS gives each chord one bar, ½ time gives each chord two bars.
Random chords
Press Random chords and DrHits loads the chords of a famous song in its own key, at your tempo. Press it again for another one.
Change the sound
Tap the keyboard button left of CRD to step through the sounds, or pick one in the Keyboard section further down. The bank button there switches to bank 2 (Pro).
Change how chords play
Tap CRD to switch between CHORD, STRUM (like a guitar), ARP and ARP16 (fast patterns). Tap 8± to move the keys up or down an octave.
Add colour
The round buttons under the pads add colour to every chord: 7th (smooth, jazzy), add9 (bright, dreamy), sus (waiting to move on), 9th (rich, neo-soul) and swap (major becomes minor and back). Tap one to switch it on, tap again to switch it off.
Play a lead on top
While the loop plays, flip the switch in the Keyboard section from chords to lead. The pads now play single notes, so you can play a melody over your chords.
LIVE: your own rhythm (Pro)
Tap ★ live and press keys ▶. After four clicks you have eight bars to play chords in your own rhythm, and DrHits loops them exactly as you played. Not happy? Tap the red bin for a fresh take.
How to use the chord maker and keys
Pick a key, play chords that always fit, loop them, change the sound and add colour with 7th, add9 and sus.