Cubase 15: Generating chord progressions with Chord Pads

Cubase 15 Try it →Watch full video →Reid Stefan · Apr 2026

Demo summary

Reid demonstrates using the Chord Pads tool in Cubase to trigger complex chord progressions with single notes and customize them using presets.

Step-by-step

Open the bottom tab in the Cubase interface
Click on Chord Pads along the bottom menu
Trigger chords by playing notes within the blue highlighted range on your keyboard
Open the chord progression presets menu to select a new style
Use the pencil tool to adjust MIDI velocity if notes are hit too hard
Press Command + A and then Q to quantize the MIDI data
Draw a loop region (cycle) and toggle it using the backslash key on the number keypad

Options

Trigger chords using a mouse instead of a MIDI keyboard
Select from a variety of presets such as 'A Smile' or minor chord progressions

Tips

Use the Chord Pads tool if you are not proficient at playing piano keys
Adjust the velocity of MIDI notes if they are played too aggressively

Highlights

“you're guaranteed to find something that you like in here. So, let's check out a smile. And now, you're basically Beethoven.”

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