To request a chord progression in Suno, specify the chord names, their order, and how long each chord should last. Then check the recording. A written progression is a creative request, not proof that the generated song uses those chords. When the exact notes are essential, keep a played or MIDI version of the progression as your reference.
You do not need a complicated theory vocabulary to start. A four-bar loop, a clear rhythm, and one section of a song are enough to make a useful comparison. Here is a practical way to turn that small brief into a song you can later build a video around.
Write the progression as something you can play
Start with a key and a short sequence. For this example, use C major and four bars of 4/4, with one chord per bar:
Bar 1: C major
Bar 2: A minor
Bar 3: F major
Bar 4: G major
Repeat the four-bar pattern.
In Roman numerals, that is I–vi–IV–V in C major. Uppercase numerals indicate major chords here; lowercase vi indicates a minor chord. The chord names are the most direct way to communicate this particular example.
If you have a keyboard, the basic chord tones are:
| Bar | Chord | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C major | C, E, G |
| 2 | A minor | A, C, E |
| 3 | F major | F, A, C |
| 4 | G major | G, B, D |
Play each chord for four beats at a comfortable tempo. Listen to the return from G to C when the loop repeats. That return gives you a concrete event to compare with the generated track.
The notes do not have to be stacked in exactly that order. An inversion rearranges the same chord tones, so a different bass note does not automatically mean the harmony is wrong. Likewise, a melody note above a chord may make the combined sound richer than a plain triad.
Turn the loop into a short Suno brief
Put the musical request in the style or description field available in your creation workflow. Keep the lyric field for words intended to be sung. Here is an original starting prompt:
An intimate mid-tempo piano pop song in C major, 4/4, around 92 BPM.
For the verse, request a repeating C major, A minor, F major, G major
progression, one chord per bar. Use a clear piano accompaniment and a
restrained bass part so the harmony is easy to hear. Keep the verse vocal
close and conversational. Let the chorus become fuller through drums and
vocal layering while keeping the same harmonic pattern.
This is a composition brief, not a special command syntax or a tested guarantee. It separates the harmony from the arrangement: the chords can remain the same while the chorus gains energy through instrumentation.
Avoid adding several incompatible instructions in the same attempt. “One chord per bar” and “rapid chord changes throughout” leave different rhythmic targets. A request for an open, spacious verse is also harder to assess if you simultaneously ask for dense orchestral fills, busy bass, and constant vocal runs.
Save the prompt with the result. If you later prefer a different version, you will know whether you changed the harmony, the arrangement, or both.
Compare the output with the request, one section at a time
Choose a short verse passage and listen through several repetitions. Do not decide from the opening piano chord alone; an introduction may differ from the verse.
Use this order:
- Find the downbeat and count four beats per bar. If the performance does not fit your intended meter, note that before judging individual chords.
- Listen for where the harmony changes. Does each chord last a bar, or does the accompaniment change halfway through?
- Play your reference loop alongside the passage, quietly enough to hear both. Compare the chord quality and the points of change.
- Note a specific mismatch, such as “bar three sounds minor” or “the fourth chord lasts two bars.”
If you cannot confidently identify a chord, write “uncertain” rather than treating a chord-detection result or a bass note as conclusive. A musician can help transcribe the passage. The useful distinction is between a track you enjoy and a track you have verified against a specific harmonic requirement.
For example, you might keep an unexpected two-bar hold because it gives the vocal room. That is a creative choice. If the song must fit an existing accompaniment, the same deviation may need correcting.
Refine the part that failed
Change one part of the brief at a time so you can make a meaningful comparison:
| What you hear | Next adjustment |
|---|---|
| Too many chord changes | Simplify the accompaniment request and repeat the one-chord-per-bar instruction |
| Harmony is hard to hear | Request a sparse instrumental sketch before evaluating a full arrangement |
| Correct progression, weak chorus | Change drums, register, or vocal density before changing the chords |
| A good melody over different chords | Decide whether to keep that variation or move to an exact-note workflow |
Here is a narrower prompt for the first two problems:
A sparse instrumental piano sketch in C major and 4/4. Request C major
for one bar, A minor for one bar, F major for one bar, then G major for one
bar, repeating in that order. Sustained block chords, a steady pulse,
minimal ornamentation, and no lead vocal. Make the chord changes easy to
hear.
If repeated generations still do not meet the harmonic requirement, stop adding more adjectives. Switch to a reference you can control directly.
Use audio or MIDI when the notes matter
Suno's official audio-upload guide describes recording or uploading your own audio and using it in workflows such as Extend or Cover. A clean recording of your chord loop gives you an audible starting point. Check the upload limits and available operations in your account before preparing the file.
Record the whole pattern at a steady tempo, with a clear start and ending. Avoid talking over the loop. Keep your original recording: using it as an input does not, by itself, establish that a generated continuation preserves every chord or voicing.
For explicit note editing, Suno's MIDI in Studio documentation describes MIDI tracks and a piano roll where notes can be placed, moved, and resized. If Studio is available in your account, you can build the four-bar pattern as note data instead of asking a text prompt to determine it. That gives you direct control over the notes in that MIDI clip; it does not make every later generative operation deterministic.
A simple approach is to enter the three notes for each chord, stretch them for one bar, and play the loop with a plain keyboard sound. Once it is correct, change the sound or record a performance. Suno also documents recording audio and MIDI in Studio. These feature references were checked on October 3, 2026.
Let the finished recording guide the video
Finalize the audio before assigning exact scene timings. At precisely 92 BPM, four bars of 4/4 last about 10.43 seconds: 16 beats multiplied by 60/92. That calculation is a planning estimate, not a substitute for measuring the recording. A pickup, tempo variation, or extended chord can shift the visual cue.
For a lyric about returning home, an original visual idea could follow a lamp being carried through a quiet house. The first verse might use a restrained wide shot; the chorus could move closer to the person carrying it. You do not need a cut on every chord. A longer shot can preserve the vocal phrase even while the harmony cycles underneath it.
Mark the actual lyric entrances, chorus arrival, and ending on the chosen recording. Then use our Suno-to-music-video workflow for lyrics, scene planning, and export review. If you need help turning those cues into shots, the music video storyboard guide provides a planning process.
LyricVideoMaker starts from your song or audio and supports an editable lyric-video workflow. Bring the recording whose harmony and performance you want to keep; the video stage is much easier when the music is settled.