# ChordFlow — Songwriting Sketchpad > Songwriting sketchpad for creating chord progressions, arpeggios, and melodies. (iPhone/iPad app by Dmitrii Klochkov.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chordflow/id1219789464 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Dmitrii Klochkov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1058553902) - Category: Music, Entertainment - Price: $9.99 - Rating: 4.60/5 from 132 App Store ratings · 75 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 9.0 · 73 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2017-04-20 - Data updated: 2026-08-15 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chordflow/id1219789464/reviews.md ## What is ChordFlow? ChordFlow is a songwriting sketchpad that will help you create amazing chord progressions and melodies for your songs fast and easily. HOW TO USE IT? 1. Create a chord progression. 2. Draw an arpeggio – a rythmic pattern for your chords. 3. Compose a melody. 4. Build a complete song adding more sections. 5. Save your song, share or export to your favourite DAW as a MIDI file. CHORD PROGRESSION - Create chord progression of any length using intuitive chord selector. - Select a scale of your chord progression. - The chord selector will show you which chords are matching the selected scale. - Move chords around within chord progression using drag and drop gestures. - Transpose the chord progression by rotating the key wheel (with the lock button unlocked). Or transpose the key of the scale while keeping the existing chords unchanged (with locked mode). - See the notes of the selected chord and how the relate to the notes of the chord before and the one after the selected. ARPEGGIO - When you draw the arpeggio you are not specifying absolute notes but relative steps of the chords. When played, the pattern will be translated to the absolute notes depending on the currently played chord. - Specify the length and rate of the arpeggio grid. Length defines the number of steps in the sequence and rate define the speed at which the sequence is played. - Add up to 4 tracks to your arpeggio grid. Each track has it’s color, octave and number of parallel voices. To edit a track you select it with the track selection button, and then choose the required tool. - Draw complex curves spanning several rows and columns of the arpeggio grid with just one move with Dots tool - Draw long horizontal lines with Line tool - Move entire track along the grid using the Move tool - Clear a region of the selected track with the Eraser tool - Remove the selected track entirely using the Trash button - Set Loop region to repeatedly play only the selected section of your arpeggio. - Adjust notes velocities MELODY - Create up to 4 melody tracks. - Melodies are edited in their own grid, which also has length and rate params as the arpeggio grid. - Select the root note and the scale for the melody grid. You can also show and hide non-scale notes using the “Chromatic” switch. - Melody grid features the same collection of drawing tool as the arpeggio grid does. - While drawing your melody you will see which chords correspond to the specific steps and also which notes of the grid match the notes of the chords. - You can also set a loop region as in the arpeggio grid view. - Undo/Redo aslo works the same way as in arpeggio grid. SONG STRUCTURE - A song can contain unlimited number of sections - Each section has its own chord progression, arpeggio and melody parts - Add, remove, reorder, rename and clone sections - Make quantized or immediate jumps between sections while playing. - Set a song loop mode. Loop one section. Loop entire song. Or play whole song once. CONNECTIVITY - Control any CoreMIDI compatible app - Control desktop synths through USB or Wi-Fi - Control hardware synths - Specify MIDI destination and channel for each track - Use ChordFlow as MIDI or Audio sender in Audiobus (http://audiob.us/) - Play in sync with other apps running on the same device or on other devices in same Wi-Fi network using a new technology, Ableton Link (http://www.ableton.com/link/) SHARE/EXPORT - Share your projects by AirDrop, Mail, Dropbox or any other app supporting sharing . - Export to Standard MIDI file and open it in the DAW of your choice(Ableton Live, Logic, GarageBand, etc. ) ## Key features - Create chord progressions with scale matching - Draw rhythmic arpeggio patterns - Compose melodies with scale and chord context - Build songs with multiple sections - Export to DAW as MIDI - Intuitive drag-and-drop editing ## What do users think of ChordFlow? Overall sentiment: mostly positive **Pros** - 💡 Creative and inspirational tool - 🚀 Fast idea sketching - 👍 Intuitive and easy to use - 🎶 Great for chord progressions - 🔌 Good connectivity (Audiobus, MIDI Out, Ableton Link) - ✨ Simple yet deep functionality - 💰 Good value for price - 👨‍💻 Responsive developer support **Cons** - 🤔 Difficult to understand/learn - 🔊 Sound issues (stops working, staticky, no sound) - 🔄 Not always stable (crashes, falls out of sync) - 🎨 Not colorblind friendly UI - 💰 Overpriced for limitations **Commonly reported bugs** - Sound stops working, gets staticky and fades - General audio delay on iPad - Chords won't sound - Melody thirds and sevenths do not adjust to sharp or flat notes - App falls out of sync with Ableton Link - Ableton Link implementation not good, start phase misses often - App crashes (Audiobus) - No sound output - Unstable in Audiobus - Doesn't work on iPhone 7+ - Occasional tone and volume inconsistencies - Arpeggio mode feels like trial and error, notes not visible - Unexpectedly closes on iPad Pro **Most requested features** - Add small keyboard to chord section to show notes - Show arp triggered notes when playing - Send MIDI data when tapping chords - Alter main chords within arpeggio editor - Get some serious promotion - Introductory material (tutorial, walkthrough) - Freemium model - Add MIDI clock - Ability to enter number of repetitions for each section - Load into AUM - BPM swing - AUV3 support - Swing parameter - Manual or guide - Audio recording - Ableton Link Start/Stop support - Basic drum machine sequencer - Allow melody to reach lower notes (bass line) - A few more sounds - Use voices in amounts similar to chord notes for arpeggiation - Portrait view on phone - Fix Ableton Link sync issues - Fix start phase misses in Ableton Link - Fix 3/4 time signature issues - Improve melody drawing (edge to edge) - Volume sliders should work during playback - Transpose melody to different octaves - Pinch zoom for small screens - More control over chords (inversions, common chords from scale) - Copy/paste function in note editor - Simple mixer for internal sounds - Chord suggestions function - Vertical mode for adding chords with a swipe - Random sequence function - Separate MIDI channels per color/track - Start/stop control for each track - MIDI clock input - MIDI input for modulating chords with a keyboard - Diatonic chords of certain scales - Improve UX for complex sequences (readable separators) - Copy function for melodies - Fix unexpected closing on iPad Pro - Ability to open/import own MIDI files ## Recent user reviews (10 of 75) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chordflow/id1219789464/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Features needed please *2022-09-14* This app is great. Please could you add a small keyboard to the chord section so when I tap on a chord it shows the notes. And when you press play it shows the arp triggered notes so I can see what’s going on. Also, when tapping on chords if that could also send midi data that would be nice. Love the app ### 2/5 — Buggy. Sound stops working. *2022-07-24* The sound consistently stops working...it gets staticky and fades. General audio on my iPad starts becoming delayed in other apps and slowly clears up. Can’t really work with it long enough to be any use. ### 4/5 — I’d love to be able to load it in AUM *2021-06-28* - since all the midi backdoor plugging can get confusing. It’s the makings of a good sequencer core, for certain work, but all the menu work makes it… less fun, and harder to move the things you’ve composed into production. At least for me. ### 5/5 — A real hidden gem of an app *2021-05-15* What’s happened? There’s hardly any mention of this extraordinary piece of software. If you are at all musical but frustratingly lacking the skills of conventional composition you have to try this. It was such fun when I realized what this could do I didn’t stop smiling. It’s not often a piece of coding has me in stitches but there you go. I have many music apps but not many I get as much satisfaction from than ChordFlow. Only Chordbot is in the same league. Full marks for being able to output the channels to different midi instruments and Audiobus connectivity. Note to Dmitry - 1. I think you should be able to alter the main chords within the arpeggio editor 2. Get some serious promotion ### 4/5 — Powerful and arcane *2021-05-08, version 2.5.2* This app could really benefit from some kind of introductory material - a tutorial, an interactive walkthrough or whatever, and a freemium model, in my opinion. This thing is amazingly powerful and criminally obscure, if only users had a chance to better understand it before buying I’m sure much more people would start to use the app. ### 4/5 — Chords won’t sound *2021-03-25, version 2.5.2* Hello, the melody and arpeggios work but the chords are aren’t sounding. Could you help me with this please? ### 4/5 — Please aad midi clock *2020-12-21* Très bonne application , mais il manque le faite de pouvoir entrer le nombre de répétitions de chaque section . J’espère que le développeur M’entendra ### 2/5 — Overpriced at 9.99 *2020-12-21* This is a fun app but I think the limitations of the interface stop it being more than that. Even if the interface allowed more creativity, perhaps the always compatible nature of the chord progression will make the chord options sound rather similar. As a developer myself I think it’s reasonable to charge for software. As a buyer I look at what I get for my hard earned cash. If I had tried this before buying I would have bought something useful instead. ### 5/5 — WOW! *2020-11-05* Needed something to pump chords into my song tracks and this did not disappoint. Nice surprise to be able to make my own arpeggios. Plus it is a heap of fun. Routing directly to other apps‘ instruments also a bonus. Love it! ### 5/5 — Purely AWSOMENESS *2020-08-17, version 2.5.2* One of the best app for musicians ## Frequently asked questions about ChordFlow ### What does ChordFlow do? ChordFlow is a songwriting sketchpad designed to help users create chord progressions, arpeggios, and melodies for their songs. It provides tools for composing musical elements, arranging them into song structures, and exporting the results as MIDI files for use in Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs). ### How can I create chord progressions in ChordFlow? You can create chord progressions of any length using an intuitive chord selector. The app allows you to select a scale, and it will show you which chords match that scale. You can then arrange these chords using drag-and-drop gestures and transpose the progression or scale as needed. ### Is ChordFlow free to use? Yes, based on the provided information, ChordFlow is available for free. There are no mentions of in-app purchases or advertisements, suggesting a completely free experience. ### What are the key features for melody composition? ChordFlow allows you to create up to four melody tracks, each with its own grid and parameters. You can set the root note and scale for your melodies, and the app will show you how your melody notes relate to the current chords. It also includes drawing tools similar to those used for arpeggios. ### Can I use the music created in ChordFlow with other software? Yes, ChordFlow allows you to save your songs and export them to your favorite DAW as MIDI files. This makes it easy to integrate your compositions into professional music production workflows. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.5.2 — 2018-12-05 Fixed the bug when the volume sliders would not work properly after a new song is created ### 2.5.1 — 2018-11-30 v 2.5.0 - Velocity automation tool added. You can now adjust notes velocities in melody and arpeggio. - Track mixer added. You can now adjust volume and pan of each track. - Added an option to export a song as a single MIDI file. - When you export a song as multiple MIDI files, one per section, each file is now prefixed with the song name. - Bug fixes v 2.5.1 - Updated AppStore Screenshots for iPhone ### 2.5.0 — 2018-11-29 - Velocity automation tool added. You can now adjust notes velocities in melody and arpeggio. - Track mixer added. You can now adjust volume and pan of each track. - Added an option to export a song as a single MIDI file. - When you export a song as multiple MIDI files, one per section, each file is now prefixed with the song name. - Bug fixes ### 2.4.0 — 2018-10-31 CHORD SELECTOR INTERFACE COMPLETELY REMADE - Scale support added. You can now select a scale of your chord progression. - The key selector is now represented as a 12th-sector wheel. - Depending of the selected scale, keys that match the scale are highlighted. But you still have the power to select any key, even if it is not in the scale. - To change a key of the selected chord you tap on a wheel sector with the needed key. - To change a key of the scale you rotate the wheel with a dragging gesture. - If you want to lock the already created chords so they won't be affected(transposed) when the key wheel is rotated, the lock control(a little lock button) should be in the locked mode. If it is unlocked, rotation of the wheel will cause the transposition of the selected scale and of all the chords as well. - Chord type selector is now represented as two rows of buttons. First row contains chord families and second row contains chord types from the selected family. - Depending on the selected scale and the key of the selected chord, chord type buttons could be painted in three different colors: green, yellow, red. Green means all the notes of the selected chord match the scale. Yellow - one note of the chord is out of the scale. Red - two or more notes is out of the scale. - As an additional feature, in the inner part of the key wheel you can see the notes of the selected chord and of the chord just before the selected and of the chord just after the selected. BUG FIXES AND OVERALL IMPROVEMENTS - Fixed the bug when the playhead jumps to next section when deleting the last chord of a section. - Fixed the bug when internal synth would not play after a phone call is recieved on the device. - UI and performance improvements. Hope you will like the update. Thank you for your support! Dmitry ### 2.3.0 — 2018-02-06 === New multi-timbral sound engine and new sounds === Previous version of ChordFlow had a very simple, mono-timbral sound engine and only had one internal sound. With this update, ChordFlow gets a new multi-timbral sound engine with 25 build-in sounds. Each of the 8 track can be assigned any of these sounds. List off the available sounds includes: Grand Piano, Electric Piano, Electric Piano FM, Vibraphone, Marimba, Rock Organ, Pipe Organ, Accordion, Acoustic Bass, Slap bass, Synth Bass, Pizzicato String, Harp, Strings, Strings Slow, Choir, Synth Voice, Trumpet, Brass section, Oboe, Flute, Square lead, Saw lead, Solo vox, Polysynth === Ability to pre-hear chords === Now, when you are in the chord sequence editor view while the sequencer is not playing, if you select a chord or change the selected chord, the chord will be played shortly. With this feature you can now quickly examine the chords in your sequence without need to play the full sequence. === Export all sections as a single MIDI file === You can now choose whether to export the entire song into one MIDI file or into multiple MIDI files, one per each song's section. === Support iPhone X === Interface layout is now adjusted propertly for the iPhone X screen. ## More apps by Dmitrii Klochkov - [ChordUp](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chordup/id1058553903) - [BounceMeter](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bouncemeter/id1372655869) - [Tune Maker - Compose Music](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tune-maker-compose-music/id1489705836) - [Absolute－Develop Perfect Pitch](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absolutedevelop-perfect-pitch/id1497780766) All apps by Dmitrii Klochkov: https://appshunter.io/developer/1058553902 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-15.*