HappyChords




hardware:   Apple MacBook M4 Air, Behringer ARP 2600 clone, Behringer model D synth, D'Angelico 12-string guitar
software:   Apple Logic Pro X, Max/MSP, RTcmix (rtcmix~)

What makes a chord "happy"? I dunno. These are all major chords, simple triads or their primary inversions, a pretty basic -- but hopefully not too uninteresting -- progression, perky synthesizer tones, and (of course!) a 12-string guitar at the end. 12-string guitars are almost always happy! Well, maybe not.

I thought about adding a melody to this, but everything I tried made it all too 'busy'. Plus I just like chords, and the melodies that fall out from hearing them.

Piece website:

Brad Garton
June, 2026