The context
Neo-soul (mid-1990s to today) combines 1970s soul, jazz, R&B and hip hop. Key artists: D'Angelo (Voodoo, 2000), Erykah Badu (Baduizm, 1997), Lauryn Hill, Maxwell, Jill Scott, the Soulquarians collective (with Questlove, James Poyser and J Dilla), then Robert Glasper (Black Radio, 2012), H.E.R., Tom Misch, Jordan Rakei. The harmony is jazzy but cyclical: few chords, very rich, repeated in loops.
Typical chords
| Chord | Notes (on C or A) | Color |
|---|---|---|
| maj9 | Cmaj9: C E G B D | warm, bright |
| maj7#11 | Cmaj7#11: C E G B F# | dreamy |
| m9 | Am9: A C E G B | soft |
| m11 | Am11: A C E G B D (often without E) | open, “suspended” |
| 9sus4 / 13sus4 | G13sus4: G C F A E | dominant without tension |
| 7(#9) and 7(b9 b13) | E7#9: E G# D G | blues, tension |
| 6/9 | C6/9: C E G A D | pentatonic |
Typical 4–5 note voicings with inner seconds (cluster B – C – D) and the seventh or ninth on top.
The “Dilla chords”
“Dilla chords” is not a theoretical term but an expression from the producer community: it indicates the extended and slightly “crooked” chords that J Dilla (James Yancey, 1974–2006) drew from jazz, soul and fusion samples, often chopped and replayed, with extensions (m9, m11, maj9, chords with chromatic notes) and above all with his timing. The journalist Dan Charnas, in the book Dilla Time (2022), describes how his style put swing and straight feels in tension within the same groove (unquantized drums, parts “behind” or “ahead of” the beat). “Dilla-style” harmony is therefore inseparable from rhythm.
Typical progressions (in C / A minor)
| Progression | Chords | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ii9 – V13sus – Imaj9 | Dm9 – G13sus4 – Cmaj9 | soft ii–V |
| IVmaj9 – iii7 – vi9 – ii9 | Fmaj9 – Em7 – Am9 – Dm9 | descent by fifths |
| Imaj9 – IVmaj9 | Cmaj9 – Fmaj9 | “bright” loop |
| i9 – iv9 | Am9 – Dm9 | minor loop (Dorian if Dm9 has the B) |
| bVImaj9 – bVII13 – i9 | Fmaj9 – G13 – Am9 | Aeolian/backdoor |
| Imaj7 – bIIImaj7 | Cmaj7 – Ebmaj7 | chromatic mediant (planing) |
| IVmaj7 – III7 – vi7 – v7 – I7 | Fmaj7 – E7 – Am7 – Gm7 – C7 | “Just the Two of Us” |
Frequent techniques: planing of m9 or maj9 chords (shifted by a whole tone or semitone), chromatic approaches (the chord a half step above before the target), bass that does not always play the root.
Sound
- Fender Rhodes (V Collection equivalent: Stage-73 V) with tremolo and chorus, or Wurlitzer (Wurli V).
- B-3 organ, analog synths (Minimoog → Mini V for basses), felt piano.
- Soft electric bass (often played “behind the beat”), drums with a dry snare and swung hi-hats.
Harmonic rhythm and feel
1 chord per bar or 2 per bar, tempo 70–95 BPM. The chords often anticipate the downbeat by a sixteenth note or arrive slightly late; the swing on sixteenth notes varies between 54% and 62%.
Producer exercise
- Stage-73 V, 84 BPM, 58% swing on sixteenth notes.
- Loop: Fmaj9 (A C E G) – Em7 (G B D) – Am9 (G B C E) – Dm9 (F A C E), voicings in the C3–C5 range.
- Manually shift some chords 10–20 ms before or after the grid; drums with quantized kick and unquantized hi-hats.
- Add a bass that sometimes plays the third (A under Fmaj9) or the fifth.
Related
Extensions and tensions, voicings, planing and constant structures, the “Just the Two of Us” progression, funk and R&B harmony, groove, swing and microtiming.