Help Center/Recording/Reading the chord timeline
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Reading the chord timeline

How to interpret the chord progression detected after recording.

The chord timeline is a visual breakdown of everything Larka heard during your recording — chord by chord, with timestamps.

What you see

Each block in the timeline represents a chord. The width of the block is proportional to how long that chord was held. The chord name is shown inside (e.g. "Am", "G", "F", "C").

Below the timeline you'll see a summary: the most common chords in order, and the overall key/scale.

Tapping a chord

Tap any chord block to hear how it sounds. Larka plays the chord using a built-in instrument so you can immediately verify the detection and use it as a reference.

Editing chords

If a chord was detected incorrectly, tap the Edit Chords button in the recording detail screen. You can tap any chord in the list to correct it. Changes are saved to the recording.

Exporting as MIDI

Tap Export MIDI in the recording detail screen to export your chord progression as a standard MIDI file. The file contains every chord change at the correct timestamp, with the right tempo and time signature — ready to drag into GarageBand, Logic Pro, Ableton, or any other DAW.

You can share the .mid file via AirDrop, save it to Files, or open it directly in another music app.

Exporting the chord chart

Tap Chord Chart to see a formatted visual of your progression. From there, tap Share Chart to export it as an image — useful for sharing with bandmates or pasting into notes.

Tips for accurate detection

  • ·Play each chord cleanly for at least 1–2 seconds.
  • ·Avoid excessive palm muting or heavy distortion — they can mask the harmonic content.
  • ·If a chord is showing incorrectly, it may be a passing chord or quick transition. These are normal — focus on the main chords.

Related articles

How recording works
Everything about the recording screen — what gets captured and how.
Voice memo to songwriter note
How to record your ideas out loud and have Larka transcribe them into a new songwriter note.
Managing and organizing your recordings
How to search, tag, and organize your recording library.
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