Afrobeats Chord Progressions: 7 Warm Loops (With Free MIDI)

Your percussion is bouncing, the shakers are rolling, but the beat still doesn't feel like afrobeats? Most of the time it's the chords. Afrobeats harmony is not about complicated theory. It's short loops, warm chord colors and a groove that does most of the work.

Below are 7 afrobeats chord progressions you can play right away. They're written in C major or A minor (mostly white keys), with Roman numerals so you can move them to any key. You also get the notes in every chord, tips to make them groove, and a free way to get chords as MIDI.

What makes chords sound like afrobeats?

There is no single "afrobeats chord". But a few habits come back again and again:

• Short loops. Soundtrap's afrobeats guide recommends a simple progression of 4 or 8 bars. Two to four chords is plenty, because the percussion carries the movement.
• Color instead of plain triads. The same guide suggests suspended chords and chords with sevenths and ninths. They sound softer and warmer than a basic three note chord.
• Natural, warm sounds. Think Rhodes, guitar, marimba or a soft pad, not a hard grand piano.
• Rhythm in the chords. Instead of holding a chord for a full bar, afrobeats chords often move with the groove: short stabs, guitar plucks or a pattern that lands next to the beat.

How to read the numbers: uppercase (I, IV, V) means major, lowercase (ii, vi) means minor. "maj7" is a major seventh, a plain "7" after a lowercase numeral is a minor seventh. "sus2", "sus4" and "add9" are explained in the cheat sheet below.

7 afrobeats chord progressions to try

1. IVmaj7, V, vi7 (Fmaj7, G, Am7)

The rising loop. The bass walks up F, G, A, which gives a hopeful, lifting feel without sounding cheesy. Play it on a clean guitar with short strums and let it loop every two bars. Great for a love song or a sunny hook.

2. vi7, ii7 (Am7, Dm7)

A two chord minor vamp. Simple and smooth, with a little bit of night time in it. Because both chords are minor sevenths, they blend into each other. Put it on a Rhodes, keep the velocity low and let the drums and bass do the talking.

3. Isus2, IVadd9 (Csus2, Fadd9)

The open, floating loop. Csus2 has no third, so it sounds neither happy nor sad. Fadd9 adds a G on top, which links the two chords together. This one leaves a ton of space for a melodic vocal and works well on marimba or bell sounds.

4. ii7, IVmaj7, Vsus4, V (Dm7, Fmaj7, Gsus4, G)

The loop with a little tension at the end. The Gsus4 holds back for a moment, then resolves to G and throws you straight back to Dm7. Nice under a chorus, because the release keeps pulling the listener into the next round.

5. i7, VImaj7, VII (Am7, Fmaj7, G)

The same chords as number 1, but starting on the minor chord. That small change makes it feel more emotional and reflective. Works for afro love songs and slower, melodic flows.

6. vi7, IVmaj7, I, V (Am7, Fmaj7, C, G)

The well known pop loop, starting on the minor chord, warmed up with sevenths. Easy to sing over and instantly familiar. If you want the beat to feel radio friendly, start here and let the percussion make it yours.

7. Imaj7, ii7 (Cmaj7, Dm7)

The sway. Two chords that rock back and forth, both soft and jazzy. Play them as short guitar or Rhodes stabs on the offbeats and you already have a groove before the drums come in.

Cheat sheet: notes in every chord

• C: C, E, G
• Cmaj7: C, E, G, B
• Csus2: C, D, G (the third is replaced by the second)
• Dm7: D, F, A, C
• Fmaj7: F, A, C, E
• Fadd9: F, A, C, G (a major chord plus the ninth)
• G: G, B, D
• Gsus4: G, C, D (the third is replaced by the fourth)
• Am7: A, C, E, G

Want these in another key? Use the Roman numerals, or look up every chord per key on our chords by key page. In G major, progression 1 becomes Cmaj7, D, Em7.

How to make these chords actually groove

1. Pick a warm sound. Rhodes, clean guitar, marimba or a soft pad. A bright, hard piano makes the same chords sound like a ballad.
2. Give the chords a rhythm. Chop each chord into short hits and place some of them just before or after the beat. Try a pattern on its own first, then fit it around your percussion.
3. Let the bass sing. Soundtrap suggests starting the bass with the root of each chord, plus its octave and its fifth. Use those notes to build a short pattern that moves with the kick.
4. Keep the loop short. Change the sound, the rhythm or the arrangement before you add more chords. A four bar loop can carry a whole song.
5. Humanize it. Vary the velocity and nudge some notes slightly off the grid. 100 percent quantized chords sound stiff next to live-feeling percussion.
6. Leave room for the voice. Seventh and ninth chords have a lot of notes. If the singer gets buried, drop a note or play the chords quieter.

Afrobeats usually sits somewhere between 95 and 115 BPM. More on that on our what BPM is afrobeats page.

Get chords as free MIDI

Don't feel like clicking every note into the piano roll? Open our free Chord Progression Generator. Pick the Chill or R&B mood (both use seventh chords for a warmer sound), choose your key and tempo, and listen right in your browser. Then download the MIDI: you get a chords track plus a bass line on the root notes. Drag it into FL Studio, Logic Pro, Ableton or any other DAW, put it on a Rhodes or guitar and add a sus or add9 note where you want more color. The MIDI is free to use in your own tracks, also commercially.

Building chords on top of a sample or a loop you already have? Find the key and BPM first with Beat Lab, so your progression really fits.

Next step: the drums

Chords set the mood, but afrobeats lives on percussion. Follow our step by step guide on how to make an afrobeats beat in FL Studio. Need sounds made for it? NAME The Afro Oneshot Pack Vol. 1 has 18 kicks, 26 snares, 20 percussion sounds and 14 shakers, among others, all royalty-free.

Want more seventh and ninth chords? Check out these R&B chord progressions. Into the South African sound? Read how to make an amapiano beat.

FAQ

Are afrobeats songs usually in a major or minor key?

Both happen. Major key loops with sevenths sound warm and sunny, minor key loops sound more emotional. Pick what fits the mood of the song and the range of the singer.

How many chords does an afrobeats beat need?

Often just two to four. Soundtrap recommends a simple progression of 4 or 8 bars. The groove comes from the percussion and the bass, so the chords don't need to do much.

What's the difference between afrobeats and afrobeat?

Afrobeats (with an s) is the modern pop sound that grew out of Nigeria and Ghana in the 2000s. Afrobeat (without an s) is the older genre pioneered by Fela Kuti in the 1960s and 70s. This article is about afrobeats.

Can I use these chord progressions in a song I release?

Yes. Chord progressions are common building blocks in music, and the MIDI from our generator is free to use in your own tracks, also commercially. Just don't copy someone else's recording or melody.

Want more free help for your beats, like a BPM finder, master checker and audio converter? Check out all our free music tools.

Source: Soundtrap's beatmaking guide on how to make afrobeats.