Deep house

History and character

A variant of house born in Chicago in the mid-'80s, above all with Larry Heard (Mr. Fingers): "Mystery of Love" (1985) and "Can You Feel It" (1986) combine the drum machine groove with jazz chords, long pads and a nocturnal, introspective atmosphere. In the '90s deep house moved to New York and New Jersey, where it merged with garage and gospel: Kerri Chandler, Blaze, Joe Claussell, Masters at Work, Ron Trent and Chez Damier (Chicago/Detroit), then Moodymann and Theo Parrish in Detroit with a dirtier, sample-based sound. In the 2000s St Germain and the French scene took it toward jazz; in South Africa it became the basis of afro house.

In the 2010s the name "deep house" was also used for a more pop, radio-friendly house born in the United Kingdom and Germany (Duke Dumont, Disclosure, Robin Schulz, Kygo for tropical): organ or "plucked" basslines, pitched vocals, soft atmospheres. For purists this is something else; in production practice the two worlds share BPM, extended chords and a soft mix.

Aesthetics: depth, warmth, elegance, soul melancholy; contained, constant energy, a groove that invites you to dance for a long time rather than to explode.

Scales and keys

Convention: Roman numerals are relative to the major scale of the same tonic (uppercase = major, lowercase = minor, ° diminished, ø half-diminished, + augmented; b/# = degree lowered/raised relative to major: in A minor F = bVI, G = bVII). The notes and chords below are calculated exactly from the formula.

Dorian

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 — steps: W H W W W H W
• On D: D E F G A B C
• Diatonic triads: Dm i · Em ii · F bIII · G IV · Am v · Bdim vi° · C bVII
• Seventh chords: Dm7 i7 · Em7 ii7 · Fmaj7 bIIImaj7 · G7 IV7 · Am7 v7 · Bm7b5 viø7 · Cmaj7 bVIImaj7
• Characteristic note: the major sixth (B in D Dorian), which makes the IV major (G, G9, G13) and the ii minor (Em7).
• Use: the i9–IV13 vamp (Dm9–G13) is the symbol of deep: two chords full of extensions, Rhodes and pads. Vocal melodies that use B as a bright note over the IV.
• Usage example: the aesthetic of Larry Heard and Kerri Chandler is built on minor ninth and eleventh chords in loops.
• Common mistakes: pads with Bb (b6) over the G13: it creates a clashing b9.

Aeolian

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 — steps: W H W W H W W
• On F: F G Ab Bb C Db Eb
• Diatonic triads: Fm i · Gdim ii° · Ab bIII · Bbm iv · Cm v · Db bVI · Eb bVII
• Seventh chords: Fm7 i7 · Gm7b5 iiø7 · Abmaj7 bIIImaj7 · Bbm7 iv7 · Cm7 v7 · Dbmaj7 bVImaj7 · Eb7 bVII7
• Characteristic note: the b6 (Db): a melancholic, nocturnal color.
• Use: i9–bVII6–bVImaj7–v7 descents (Fm9–Eb6–Dbmaj7–Cm7), Larry Heard-style loops, 2010s UK deep.
• Common mistakes: all chords in root position and with the same extensions: vary the inversions for smooth voice leading.

Ionian with extensions (jazzy deep)

• Formula: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 — steps: W W H W W W H
• On F: F G A Bb C D E
• Diatonic triads: F I · Gm ii · Am iii · Bb IV · C V · Dm vi · Edim vii°
• Seventh chords: Fmaj7 Imaj7 · Gm7 ii7 · Am7 iii7 · Bbmaj7 IVmaj7 · C7 V7 · Dm7 vi7 · Em7b5 viiø7
• Characteristic note: the maj7 (E) and the 9 (G): Fmaj9 is the quintessential major "deep" color.
• Use: suspended ii–V–I (Gm9–C9sus4–Fmaj9), iii–vi–ii–V loops, 6/9 chords.
• Common mistakes: using a V7 with a tritone in every loop: deep prefers 9sus4 and 13sus4.

Lydian (dreamy color)

• Formula: 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 — steps: W W W H W W H
• On Db: Db Eb F G Ab Bb C
• Diatonic triads: Db I · Eb II · Fm iii · Gdim #iv° · Ab V · Bbm vi · Cm vii
• Seventh chords: Dbmaj7 Imaj7 · Eb7 II7 · Fm7 iii7 · Gm7b5 #ivø7 · Abmaj7 Vmaj7 · Bbm7 vi7 · Cm7 vii7
• Characteristic note: the #4 (G in Db Lydian), which gives the major chord a suspended, dreamy color (Dbmaj7#11).
• Use: pads and maj7#11 chords in the breakdowns, Imaj7–II alternation (Dbmaj7–Eb/Db) typical of deep and jazz-house.
• Common mistakes: staying in Lydian too long with melodies that insist on the #4: it sounds like film music.

Minor pentatonic

• Formula: 1 b3 4 5 b7 — steps: W+H W W W+H W
• On D: D F G A C
• Characteristic note: no semitones: perfect for vocals and sax over extended chords.
• Use: vocal and sax lines, bass riffs.
• Common mistakes: using it against a major chord with a major third (F against F#) in the high register.

How to choose between the scales

"Classic" soulful deep: Dorian and major with extensions. Nocturnal and UK deep: Aeolian. Suspended, dreamy moments: Lydian in the breaks. Vocals and solo instruments: pentatonic on the mode's tonic. Rule: build the chord in 4–5 voices (1-b3-5-b7-9) and choose the mode based on the sixth you want to hear.

Harmony

Function

Jazz and soul language applied to the loop: ninth, eleventh and thirteenth chords, sus, maj7#11; ii–V movements left suspended; few chords repeated for a long time.

Techniques

• Planing / chord memory: m9 or m11 voicings shifted in parallel (even outside the scale), the signature of Chicago deep.
• Suspended dominants: 9sus4 and 13sus4 in place of V7: a soft resolution.
• Movement by thirds (Dm9 → Fmaj7 → Am7) and by whole tones.
• Pedals: tonic held by the bass under changing chords.
• Inversions and voice leading: the inner voices move by step (the 7 of one chord becomes the 3 of the next).

Harmonic rhythm and density

One chord per bar or every 2; moderate density with open voicings in the mid register (C3–C5) and nothing below C3 except the bass. Often a low-pass filter on the chords that opens slowly.

Examples

• Gm9–C9sus4–Fmaj9–Dm9: suspended New York ii–V–I–vi.
• Fm9–Eb6–Dbmaj7–Cm7: Aeolian nocturnal descent.
• Dm9–G13: two-chord Dorian vamp.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

• Feel: relaxed, pronounced swing on the sixteenths (55–60% MPC; FL Studio 20–40) on hats, shaker and percussion; kick and clap straight.
• Accents: soft clap/rim on 2 and 4; open hat on the offbeat at medium volume; shaker with wave-like accents.
• Microtiming: percussion slightly late (5–15 ms), clap sometimes 5–10 ms late ("laid back").
• Space: fewer hits and fewer highs than classic house; more space between one hit and the next.

Drums

Kick

On quarters, soft and short: 909 with little click, shortened 808 or a sampled acoustic kick; fundamental 50–60 Hz, decay 200–300 ms. Volume slightly lower than in tech house; never distorted.

Clap, snare and rim

Soft clap or brush snare on 2 and 4, sometimes only on the 4; syncopated rims (steps 4, 11, 16) at 40–70% velocity as jazz "conversation". Soft room/plate reverb.

Hi-hat and ride

Open hat on the offbeat at medium volume; swung closed hats with ghost notes; jazz ride or 909 in eighths in the fuller sections.

Percussion

Swung sixteenth-note shaker (the real engine of the groove), light congas and bongos, tambourine, bells; often percussion recorded or sampled from records.

Dynamics and ghost notes

Many ghost notes (velocity 25–55%) on hat, rim and shaker; bar-by-bar velocity variation (humanization 5–10%).

Interaction with bass and vocals

The soft bass interlocks its syncopations with the rim and congas; under the vocal, remove the ride and lower the perc.

Sections

Drum intro; groove with bass and chords; breakdown with Rhodes/pad and vocal, kick out; soft re-entry (often without big risers). Variations are made by subtraction.

Fills and transitions

Few fills; a passing tom or conga, reversed pads, filter.

Choosing sounds

Smoothed 909/808, acoustic drum samples and vinyl percussion, background noise. Dark hats (LP 10–12 kHz).

Typical mistakes

Hats that are too bright; a kick that is too big and modern; no swing; percussion without ghost notes.

Bass

• Sound: warm and round: synth with a triangle or filtered saw wave (Minimoog, Juno, Moog Taurus), electric bass (fretless or fingerstyle), organ bass in 2010s UK deep.
• Range: E1–E3; fundamental 40–100 Hz with soft harmonics up to 500 Hz.
• With the kick: melodic offbeat lines that follow the chord tonics; light sidechain (1–3 dB) or none; tune the kick to the tonic.
• Notes: tonics, fifths, octaves, minor sevenths and chromatic approach notes (e.g. from Dm9 to G13: D–D–F–F#–G); short jazz-style walking lines.
• Rhythm: offbeat syncopations, notes of medium length (legato), few staccatos.
• Examples: jazz electric bass in New York deep tracks; syncopated organ bass in UK deep.

Harmonic instruments

• Rhodes and Wurlitzer: the harmonic heart: m9/maj9/m11 voicings in the mid register, slow stereo tremolo, chorus.
• Warm pads: Juno, Prophet, Jupiter with slow attack and a low-pass filter that opens over 16 bars.
• Organ: soft stabs, held chords with slow Leslie.
• Acoustic piano: jazz chords, phrases answering the vocal.
• Strings: synthetic or sampled in the breakdowns.
• Stabs: sampled and repeated m9 chords (chord memory).

Open voicings; nothing below C3; LP on the pads at 6–8 kHz.

Melody and vocals

• Vocals: soul and jazz, mid register, little virtuosity, a lot of intention; male spoken word; vocal samples from soul records.
• Backing vocals: soft harmonies in thirds, distant backing vocals with long reverb.
• Solo instruments: sax, flute, muted trumpet, jazz guitar, piano.
• Melodies: pentatonic and modal, few notes, space, phrases that end on the 9 or the 11.
• Effects: long hall or plate reverb (2–3 s), 1/4 or dotted 1/8 delay with low feedback, light chorus.

Instruments

Drum machines (TR-909, TR-808), samplers (MPC, SP-1200), Rhodes, Wurlitzer, piano, organ, Juno-106, Korg M1, Prophet, Minimoog, electric bass, sax, flute, percussion (congas, shaker, bells), vocals.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Stage-73 V — Chords: The Rhodes is the heart of deep: m9/maj9 voicings with slow stereo tremolo (1.5–3 Hz), chorus and a touch of preamp drive.
• Jun-6 V — Pad and bass: Warm pads with Chorus I, 400–800 ms attack and long release; in mono it becomes a round bass with a sub-oscillator.
• Wurli V — Alternative chords: A more nasal and slightly dirty Wurlitzer, great for stabs and soul chords with tremolo.
• Solina V — String bed: Vintage string ensemble for the breakdowns, filtered below 6 kHz so it doesn't cover the vocal.
• Mini V — Bass: Triangle oscillator + a low-filtered saw, short glide for passing notes, medium decay: a full, soft bass.
• Jup-8 V — Pad and stab: Wide pads with two detuned oscillators, 24 dB filter closed to 40%, slow attack; stabs with 300 ms filter decay.

Song structure

Slow evolution, 8-bar phrases, 6–8 minutes (extended) or 3:30 (vocal edit).

A new element every 8 bars; no explosive drop, the re-entries are soft.

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Warm, deep and soft: full but not aggressive low end, warm mids, smoothed highs (less energy above 10 kHz than tech house). Dynamics preserved. References: Kerri Chandler, Larry Heard, St Germain — Rose Rouge.

Kick

• EQ: HP 30 Hz; +1/+2 dB at 50–60 Hz; −3 dB at 300 Hz; click almost absent (+0.5 dB at 2 kHz) or LP at 8 kHz.
• Compression: soft opto or VCA 3:1, attack 20–30 ms, GR 1–2 dB.
• Saturation: light tape.
• Stereo: mono.

Clap, snare, rim

• EQ: HP 200 Hz; soft clap (−2 dB at 3–5 kHz if harsh); rim with +1 dB at 1.5 kHz.
• Compression: light (2–3 dB).
• Space: plate 1.2–1.8 s, pre-delay 20 ms, filtered return (HP 400, LP 7 kHz).
• Stereo: clap in the center, rim 20–30%.

Hi-hat and percussion

• EQ: HP 400 Hz; LP 12–14 kHz; dynamic EQ at 7–9 kHz.
• Space: room 0.6 s; shaker and congas slightly "behind".
• Panning: shaker 40% L, high conga 30% R, low conga 30% L, hat 15% R.

Bass

• EQ: HP 30 Hz, fundamental 50–90 Hz, cut 200–300 Hz −2 dB if bloated, +1 dB at 600–800 Hz for legibility, LP 3–4 kHz.
• Compression: opto 3:1, attack 15 ms, release 150 ms, GR 3–4 dB.
• Saturation: light warm tube.
• Stereo: mono below 150 Hz. Sidechain: 1–3 dB.

Rhodes, pad, piano, organ

• EQ: HP 120–180 Hz; Rhodes −2 dB at 250–350 Hz, +1 dB at 2 kHz; pad LP 6–8 kHz.
• Compression: Rhodes with light opto (2 dB); pad none.
• Saturation: tape on the bus.
• Space: Rhodes in a 1.5 s plate; pad in a 3–4 s hall; 1/4 delay with 20% feedback and LP 4 kHz on piano phrases.
• Stereo: Rhodes with stereo tremolo; wide pads; piano 20–30% toward one side if there is also a Rhodes.
• Automation: LP on the pads opening over the first 16 bars; tremolo volume.

Lead vocal

• Chain: HP 80 Hz; −2 dB at 300 Hz; opto compression (LA-2A-style) 3–5 dB GR, then peak limiter 1–2 dB; de-esser at 6–7 kHz; +1.5 dB at 3 kHz and a soft air shelf.
• Saturation: light tape or tube.
• Space: plate 1.8–2.2 s with 30–50 ms pre-delay; 1/4 delay with 25% feedback and LP 5 kHz.
• Stereo: center.

Backing vocals

HP 150 Hz, LP 10 kHz, compression 5 dB, wide (L/R 70%), 2.5 s hall, 6–9 dB below the lead.

Sax, flute, solo instruments

HP 150 Hz, −2 dB at 400 Hz, opto compression 3 dB, 1.5 s plate, panning 20–30%.

FX

Few: reversed pads, vinyl noise (HP 500 Hz, −25 dB), filters.

Buses and groups

Drum bus: 2:1 glue (GR 1–2 dB) + tape. Music bus: tape and group EQ; vocal bus: 1–2 dB of compression.

Sidechain

Light: pads 2–4 dB, bass 1–3 dB, reverbs 2–3 dB. The "pumping" should be barely audible.

Master

Chain: EQ (HP 25 Hz, shelf −0.5 dB at 12 kHz if too bright) → tape → bus compressor 1–2 dB → limiter. Target −10/−8 LUFS integrated (classic deep more dynamic, down to −11); short-term in the groove −8/−7; true peak −1 dBTP; crest factor 9–12 dB.

Common mistakes

Highs that are too bright; a modern, aggressive kick; unfiltered reverbs that muddy 200–500 Hz; Rhodes with too much low-mid; a master that is too loud and kills the groove.

Reference tracks for mixing

• Mr. Fingers — Can You Feel It (1986)
• Kerri Chandler — Bar A Thym (1998)
• St Germain — Rose Rouge (2000)
• Duke Dumont ft. AME — Need U (100%) (2013) for UK deep

Reference listening

• Mr. Fingers — Mystery of Love (1985)
• Mr. Fingers — Can You Feel It (1986)
• Kerri Chandler — Bar A Thym (1998)
• St Germain — Rose Rouge (2000)
• Duke Dumont ft. A*M*E — Need U (100%) (2013)
• Disclosure ft. Sam Smith — Latch (2012)