Using ChatGPT to Write a Chord Progression

Have you ever wanted to try your hand at composing music, but weren't sure where to start? ChatGPT, a variant of the GPT-3 language model which was built by OpenAI and is now all the rage, may be able to help. In this blog post, we'll explore how ChatGPT can be used to generate a NeoSoul chord progression and learn a little of how the AI works in the process.

NeoSoul, a subgenre of soul music that emerged in the 1990s, is known for its smooth, jazzy sound and emotive lyrics. Creating the perfect chord progression is crucial for capturing this vibe, but it can be a daunting task for the novice musician since it can use complicated chords. That's where ChatGPT comes in. Trained on a dataset of human conversation, ChatGPT can generate human-like text, making it a useful tool for music composition.

In the following sections, we'll walk through the process of setting up and using ChatGPT to generate a NeoSoul chord progression. We'll also provide an example progression and offer some tips and tricks for getting the best results. So if you're ready to try your hand at composing NeoSoul music, let's get started!

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a variant of the GPT-3 language model, which was developed by OpenAI. It is trained on a large dataset of human conversation and can generate human-like text when given a prompt. This makes it a useful tool for a variety of applications, including music composition.

To use ChatGPT, you will need to create an account with OpenAI and subscribe to one of their plans. Once you have done this, you will have access to the ChatGPT API, which allows you to send prompts and receive responses from the model.

Setting up ChatGPT

To set up ChatGPT, follow these steps:

1. Go to the ChatGPT Blog Post at OpenAI: https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/
2. Click on try ChatGPT (or just go directly to https://chat.openai.com/ )
3. Create an account and verify your account
4. Test out ChatGPT by sending it a prompt and seeing how it responds.

Once you have ChatGPT set up, you're ready to start using it for music composition!

Using ChatGPT for Music Composition

Using ChatGPT to generate a NeoSoul chord progression is relatively simple. First, decide on the type of music and key of your progression. You can do this by providing ChatGPT with a prompt such as "Generate a chord progression in Dm in NeoSoul style."

Here is what ChatGPT Generated for me with this prompt:

Here is a chord progression in D minor that has a neo-soul style

Dm7  Gm7  Cmaj7  Fmaj7

You can play these chords in any order and repeat them to create a 
full chord progression. You can also add in additional chords, such as 
Am7 or Em7, to give the progression more complexity and depth. 
Experiment with different chord voicings and inversions to create a 
unique sound.

Here is an example of how the progression could be played:?

Dm7 | Gm7 | Cmaj7 | Fmaj7 | Dm7 | Gm7 | Cmaj7 | Fmaj7 |:        

I decided to play a slightly different progression and asked ChatGPT what it thought, so I typed: “OK, I played Dm7?Gm7 | Am7 | Cmaj7 Em7 | Fmaj7, do you like that?”, and here is the result I got:

It's difficult for me to say whether or not I like a particular chord
progression as I am an artificial intelligence and do not have 
personal preferences. However, I can tell you that the chord 
progression you have provided is a common one in neo-soul music and is 
likely to sound good when played with the right voicings and 
accompaniment.

The addition of the Am7 and Em7 chords adds some variety to the 
progression and can create a more complex and interesting sound. These 
chords will add some tension and dissonance, which can add depth and 
emotion to the music.

In general, the key to creating a successful chord progression is to 
experiment with different chord combinations and voicings, and to find 
a balance between stability and tension. By adding in a variety of 
chords and playing with the order in which they are played, you can 
create a progression that is unique and expressive.?        

This is some generic text you get when you get to subjective in a lot of prompts like music generation (I tried some poetry and got some similar answers). You can also see some redundancy in how it talks about Am7 and Em7.

One great part is that you can refer to past requests/answers to shape future output, so I asked for a melody like this “Can you write a melody over the cord progression I gave?” and got the following:

Sure! Here is a simple melody that you could play over the chord 
progression you provided:

Dm7 Gm7 | Am7 | Cmaj7 Em7 | Fmaj7

| D4 F4 | A4 C5 | E5 G5 | A5 F5 |

This melody uses the notes of the D minor scale, which works well with 
the Dm7, Gm7, and Am7 chords in the progression. The C major 7 chord 
is a bit of a departure from the minor key, but the E and G notes in 
the melody still work well with it. The F major 7 chord brings the 
melody back into the minor key and the final A5 gives a sense of 
resolution.

Of course, this is just one possible melody and there are many other 
options you could explore. You could try improvising over the chord 
progression to come up with your own melody, or you could try writing 
a melody using different notes or phrasing. The most important thing 
is to find a melody that sounds good to you and works well with the 
chord progression.?        

It also may be a good idea to give ChatGPT some context for the chord progression you are trying to create. In hindsight, this would have been better. For example, you could provide it with information about the feel of the song, or give it examples of other NeoSoul chord progressions to draw inspiration from. You can tell it how long you want the chord progression to be, chords to avoid or to use.

Here are a few tips for getting the best results from ChatGPT:

• Keep your prompts clear and concise. The more specific you are, the more targeted the response will be.
• Experiment with different chord combinations and styles. ChatGPT is capable of generating a wide range of chord progressions, so don't be afraid to try out different approaches.
• Use ChatGPT as a starting point, rather than relying on it completely. While it can generate some great ideas, it's always a good idea to fine-tune and tweak the progression to suit your needs.

As you can see, ChatGPT was able to generate a smooth, jazzy progression that fits well with the NeoSoul genre. I was also able to use ChatGPT to generate a melody for this progression. While the generated melody provided some good starting points, I found that I needed to improvise around them to get the desired result.

Conclusions and Thoughts?

In conclusion, ChatGPT can be a useful tool for music composition, especially for generating chord progressions and song ideas. While it is able to provide some creative ideas and spark inspiration, it's always a good idea to fine-tune and tweak the progression to suit your needs.

As I mentioned in my example, I found that the generated chord progression and melody provided some good starting points, but I needed to improvise around them to get the desired result. This highlights the importance of a human touch in music composition, as it is ultimately the creativity and artistic vision of the composer that shapes the final product.

ChatGPT can still be a lot of fun to use for music composition. I enjoyed generating a second part for my chord progression myself and asking ChatGPT what it thought of my choices. This was a great way to see how the AI might approach the composition process and get some feedback on my own ideas.

Here is a link to a recording of the chords with some drum and bass added (note that the second idea I wrote shows up first, and the chords from earlier come in bar 9 which was the “chorus”. Total is only 16 bars):

https://soundcloud.com/brad-bush-3/chatgpt-chords-example

In short, ChatGPT can be a useful tool for music composition, but it is important to remember that it is just one tool in a composer's toolkit. There is still a lot of value in the human touch, and it's up to the composer to decide how to best integrate AI into their creative process.