New jack swing

History and character

Origins

New jack swing was born in the United States between 1985 and 1987 thanks to producer and multi-instrumentalist Teddy Riley (Harlem); the name comes from a 1987 Village Voice article by Barry Michael Cooper. It dominated R&B between 1988 and 1993. It combines R&B and gospel vocals and harmonies, hip hop rhythms and samples, and dance-pop production: drum machines (Roland TR-808, LinnDrum), samplers (E-mu SP-1200), digital synths (Yamaha DX7) and the typical swingbeat of swung, accented sixteenth notes.

Key artists

Keith Sweat ("I Want Her", 1987), Guy (Riley's group with Aaron Hall; "Groove Me", 1988), Bobby Brown ("Don't Be Cruel", 1988, with Teddy Riley and the L.A. Reid & Babyface team), Bell Biv DeVoe ("Poison", 1990), Johnny Kemp, Al B. Sure!, Heavy D, early Jodeci, Boyz II Men ("Motownphilly", 1991), SWV, Wreckx-N-Effect ("Rump Shaker", 1992), Hi-Five, Tony! Toni! Toné!. Janet Jackson with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis ("Control", 1986; "Rhythm Nation 1814", 1989) is a close relative and often included. Michael Jackson chose Teddy Riley for "Dangerous" (1991: "Remember the Time", "Jam").

Evolution

After 1993 it turned into hip hop soul (Mary J. Blige) and 90s R&B; Teddy Riley formed Blackstreet ("No Diggity", 1996). In the United Kingdom the genre is also known as "swingbeat". Periodic revivals (Bruno Mars "24K Magic", 2016, and "Finesse").

Aesthetic

Danceable energy, "hard", swung drums, synth and sample stabs, powerful R&B vocals with gospel harmonies, rap sections, choreography.

Scales and keys

Major and Mixolydian

• Major in C: C D E F G A B; chords Cmaj7 Dm7 Em7 Fmaj7 G7 Am7 Bm7b5.
• Mixolydian in C: C D E F G A Bb (b7 → bVII chord and I7 dominant).
• Use: major and dominant stabs (I7–IV7), funk-dance grooves, bright choruses.

Dorian

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7. In D: D E F G A B C.
• Use: funky minor vamps (i7–IV7), synth bass lines.

Natural minor

• In A: A B C D E F G; i–VI–VII progressions in the darker tracks (Bell Biv DeVoe's "Poison" has a tense, minor feel).

Pentatonic and blues (voice)

• Minor pentatonic in C: C Eb F G Bb; blues: C Eb F Gb G Bb; major blues: C D Eb E G A.
• Use: Aaron Hall's gospel melismas, R&B runs, synth riffs.

Gospel

Many vocal harmonies and chords derive from gospel (Riley, Guy, Jodeci): IV/V, passing diminished chords, alternating 1–4.

How to choose

Harmony

Vamps and stabs

Vamps of 1–2 chords (I7–IV7, i7–IV7) with syncopated synth stabs; choruses with R&B progressions (IV–V–iii–vi, ii–V–I).

Gospel and passing chords

Gospel vocal harmonies in the choruses; passing chords between scale degrees; modulations in the last chorus.

Harmonic rhythm

One chord per bar or per two bars in the vamps; faster in the choruses.

Voicing

Synth stabs in triads or sevenths in the mid-high register (DX7, Juno, Jupiter), FM electric piano, voices in tight 3–4 part harmony.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

Swingbeat

Heavily swung sixteenth notes (MPC/SP-1200 between 60 and 66%) with strong accents on the last sixteenth of each quarter note: the feeling is of sixteenth-note triplets. Snare on 2 and 4 very loud and dry, often with an extra hit on the offbeat.

Tempo

100–118 BPM: faster and more danceable than classic R&B; built for choreography.

Voice

Rhythmic and incisive in the verses, powerful and melismatic in the choruses; often a rap in the middle of the track.

Drums

Kick

TR-808 or sampled, syncopated with the swing: steps 1, 4 (swung), 11, 15 or similar; often a double hit on the offbeat.

Snare / clap

On 2 and 4, loud, dry, with gated reverb or a short room; layered with a clap; sometimes a hit on the offbeat (step 8 or 16).

Hi-hat

Swung sixteenth notes with marked accents (velocity 120/70), open hats on the offbeat.

Percussion

Hip hop break samples underneath, whistles, choral "hey"s, tambourines.

Interaction

The synth bass and kick play coinciding syncopations; the synth stabs answer the snare.

Sections

Electronic tom or snare fills at the end of 4/8 bars; breakdown with just drums and voice (for the choreography); rap section with sparser drums.

Sounds

"Snappy", short snare (SP-1200), 808 kick, dry clap, 80s gated reverb on the snare.

Typical mistakes

Swing too light (it becomes straight R&B); snare too soft; modern sounds without grit.

Bass

• Synth bass (Minimoog, DX7, Juno): short, syncopated notes, occasional slides, funk lines.
• 808 in some tracks.
• Notes: root, octave, b7, chromatic passages.
• Relationship with the kick: coincidences on the syncopations; the bass carries the swing.
• Register: 40–150 Hz, with a percussive attack.

Harmonic instruments

• Digital synths (DX7, Korg M1, Roland D-50) for stabs, FM electric piano and pads.
• Analog synths (Juno, Jupiter) for brass and stabs.
• Horn and orchestra samples (orchestra hit).
• Gospel piano and organ in the ballads.
• Mid-high register, rhythmic stabs.

Melody and vocals

• Voice: powerful R&B and gospel (Aaron Hall, Keith Sweat with his "plaintive" style, Bobby Brown more rhythmic).
• Backing vocals: 3–4 part tight harmonies (vocal groups: Guy, Jodeci, Boyz II Men, SWV), call and response.
• Rap: rap sections in the middle of the track (Heavy D, Bobby Brown).
• Effects: plate reverb, gated reverb on effects, doubles.

Instruments

TR-808, LinnDrum, SP-1200, digital synths (DX7, M1, D-50), analog synths, synth bass, horn samples and orchestra hit, piano, organ, solo voice, backing vocals, rap.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• DX7 V — Stabs, E.Piano and FM bass: The era's signature synth: metallic stabs, E.PIANO 1 and short, percussive FM basses.
• Jup-8 V — Analog brass and stabs: Two-saw synthetic brass with short attack for offbeat stabs.
• Mini V — Synth bass: Syncopated funk bass with fast envelope filter.
• Emulator II V — Orchestra hit and samples: Orchestral stabs and 8-bit samples of the 80s.
• Jun-6 V — Pads and chords: Pads and chords with chorus for the choruses.
• B-3 V — Gospel organ: For ballads and gospel parts.

Song structure

Length 4:00–5:30 (album versions and longer extended mixes).

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Bright, punchy, 80s–90s: loud, dry snare with gated reverb, synth stabs up front, powerful voice with plate, round synthetic basses. References: Bobby Brown "Don't Be Cruel" (1988), Guy "Guy" (1988), Michael Jackson "Dangerous" (1991), Bruno Mars "24K Magic" (2016) for the modern take. Balance: vocal 0, snare −2/−3 (very loud), kick −4, synth bass −4, stabs −6, backing vocals −4.

Kick

HP 30 Hz; body 60–80 Hz; click 3–4 kHz; compression 4:1 3 dB; mono.

Snare / clap

• EQ: HP 120 Hz; body 200 Hz; snap 3–5 kHz (+3 dB); air 10 kHz.
• Compression: 4:1 4–6 dB.
• Space: gated reverb (plate or room, decay 1.5 s with the gate at 250–350 ms) at −10/−14 dB.

Hi-hat

HP 400 Hz; bright but not shrill (cut 7 kHz −2 dB); pan ±15.

Synth bass

HP 30 Hz; body 80–100 Hz; attack 800 Hz–1.2 kHz; compression 4:1 3 dB; mono.

Stabs, FM piano, pads

HP 150–250 Hz; presence 2–3 kHz; chorus; plate 1 s; wide stereo; dynamic EQ from the vocal.

Vocal

EQ: HP 90 Hz, −2 dB at 300 Hz, +3 dB at 3–5 kHz, air +2 dB at 12 kHz; compression 1176 5–7 dB + LA-2A 3 dB; de-esser; plate 1.8–2.2 s at −14 dB; 1/8 delay.

Backing vocals

HP 150 Hz; compression 6 dB; pan ±40–90; shared long plate.

Bus, sidechain, master

Drum bus SSL 4:1 3 dB; music bus tape. Master −10/−9 LUFS integrated (modern revival −8/−7), true peak −1 dBTP.

Common mistakes

Badly quantized swing; snare without punch; stabs covering the voice.

Reference tracks for the mix

• Bobby Brown — My Prerogative (1988)
• Bell Biv DeVoe — Poison (1990)
• Michael Jackson — Remember the Time (1991)
• Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B — Finesse (Remix) (2018)

Reference listening

• Keith Sweat — I Want Her (1987)
• Guy — Groove Me (1988)
• Bobby Brown — My Prerogative (1988)
• Janet Jackson — Rhythm Nation (1989)
• Bell Biv DeVoe — Poison (1990)
• Michael Jackson — Remember the Time (1991)
• Wreckx-N-Effect — Rump Shaker (1992)
• Blackstreet ft. Dr. Dre — No Diggity (1996)