diff --git a/src/chain.c b/src/chain.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4233ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/chain.c
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// Tyler Perkins
+// 9-29-21
+// Markov chain implementation
+//
+
+#include "chain.h"
+
+m_node* m_next(const m_node* rhs){
+    uint16_t total = 0;
+    int i = 0;
+
+    uint16_t v = rand() % (sizeof(uint16_t) * 8);
+
+    while(v > total){
+        total += rhs->_conns[i]._probability;
+        ++i;
+    }
+
+    return rhs->_conns[i]._node;
+}
diff --git a/src/chain.h b/src/chain.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eb2f196
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/chain.h
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// Tyler Perkins
+// 9-29-21
+// Markov chain def
+//
+
+#ifndef _MARKOV_H_
+#define _MARKOV_H_
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <time.h>
+#include <stdint.h>
+
+enum chord {
+    one = 0x01,
+    two = 0x02,
+    three = 0x04,
+    four = 0x08,
+    five = 0x10,
+    six = 0x20,
+    seven = 0x40,
+};
+
+// probability out of the size of a short
+struct m_conn {
+    uint16_t _probability;
+    struct m_conn* _node;
+};
+
+struct m_node {
+    enum chord _chord;
+    struct m_conn* _conns;
+};
+typedef struct m_node m_node;
+
+// get next node, respecting probability
+m_node* m_next(const m_node*);
+
+#endif //!_MARKOV_H_
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 2469c2c..6d23371 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -6,6 +6,18 @@
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 
-int main(int argc, char** argv){
-    printf("Hello World!\n");
+#include "chain.h"
+
+#define NOTE_COUNT 7
+
+// sample version of how to progress
+m_node* init(){
+    m_node* nodes = (m_node*)malloc(sizeof(m_node) * NOTE_COUNT);
+
+
+
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv){
+
 }