Use HouseKeys MIDI in FL Studio

1. Export your chord idea

Choose a key, scale, BPM and four- or eight-bar length in HouseKeys. Preview the progression and adjust its groove before downloading. The download is a .mid file with editable notes, not an audio loop or a piano preset. Keep the file somewhere easy to find.

2. Import into a fresh pattern

Save your FL Studio project, then select a fresh pattern and an instrument channel with a piano sound. Open that channel’s Piano roll and import the .mid file through its menu. You can also drag a MIDI file from FL Studio’s Browser onto a Piano roll.

If an import dialog appears, select the track containing the chord notes. Check the available options before accepting; importing into a pattern that already contains notes can overwrite or blend with existing material. Leave “Realign events” off when you want to preserve any intentional space before the first chord. See Image-Line’s MIDI import documentation for the different import routes and options.

3. Check timing and pattern length

Set your intended project tempo and check it after import. Inspect the first note, the last note and the silent space at the end of the idea. A four-bar progression should repeat on a four-bar boundary even when its last chord is short. Place the pattern in the Playlist and listen through the join into a second repeat.

4. Make the piano fit the track

Listen with a simple drum loop before reaching for effects. Adjust a few note lengths to control how much the chords overlap. Lower the velocity of secondary hits to create a repeatable accent pattern. Keep the bass and piano from crowding the same register by trying a higher inversion or removing a doubled low root.

A short piano release can make the rhythm more distinct. A longer release can fill the gaps but may soften the groove. Compare both against the kick, then choose the version that leaves the clearest space for the rest of your track.

5. Add variation without losing the groove

Make a second version of the pattern for a turnaround. Try removing the last hit, shifting one upper note to another chord tone or adding a short pickup. Keep the first version available so you can return to it. Small differences between sections can be more useful than a completely new progression every four bars.

If the imported MIDI is silent

Confirm you imported into an instrument channel that can produce sound. Check mute states, mixer routing and whether the selected pattern contains notes. A MIDI file alone does not include audio. The same notes can sound very different on a bright piano, an electric piano or a synth.

Need a starting harmony? Try these piano-house chord progressions and voicings.