ChordProgressions.org vs HarmonyBuilder

ChordProgressions.org is a free browser studio for creating, hearing, analyzing, customizing, and exporting chord progressions for guitar and piano. Its tools include generators, builders, finders, identifiers, analyzers, and transposers. Guitar shapes and piano voicings can be adjusted for tuning, capo position, difficulty, inversions, and fingering. Theory views show Roman numerals, Nashville numbers, chord functions, cadence points, borrowed chords, and an estimated key with confidence. The studio accepts MIDI input and imports MusicXML, project files, and plain-text chord sheets. Browser audio analysis creates an editable chord timeline with a confidence score. Exports include MIDI, WAV, chord-chart PDF, PNG and SVG diagrams, plain text, CSV, JSON, MusicXML, and share links. Projects autosave on the device, and imported files are read locally. Practice tools loop progressions with metronome and count-in, plus ear and playing exercises in every key.

HarmonyBuilder is music notation and composition software for writing and hearing four-part harmony. Its editions range from score creation and MIDI export to harmony instruction, composition tools, and teacher-student collaboration. Basic supports moving notes and experimenting with harmony and rhythm. Educational checks voice-leading errors, color-codes chord notes, and identifies and names chords. Professional adds a Chord Selector wheel, a Voicing Generator, and tools for harmonizing melodies or bass lines. Institutional provides a dedicated database for sharing assignments, homework, and compositions; its score accounts are password-protected. Compositions can be saved to a computer or public web archive, or in MIDI format, and a private link can open a score in a browser. HarmonyBuilder runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and requires Java 6 or higher. The trial lasts up to 28 days and includes Basic, Educational, and Professional functionality. Basic costs $14 a month; Educational costs $49 a month.