"Lady" Defined Neo-Soul With 3 Chords | 90's R&B Chords and Theory

Today we’re breaking down “Lady” by D'Angelo from 1995's Brown Sugar - one of the defining records of early Neo-Soul - and looking at the 3 chord progression that make it sound so rich and distinctive. In this video, we'll talk about: The famous minor i - iv - bII progression How the bII6/9(#11) chord works as a substitute dominant Why suspended tonic chords create a smoother, more resonant sound Quartal harmony and stacked fourths in Neo-Soul voicings How “Lady” breaks traditional voice-leading rules to create angular chord melodies Connections between Neo-Soul, 70s soul, and Curtis Mayfield-style harmony If you’re into Neo-Soul chord progressions, 90s R&B music theory, and earning rich keyboard voicings and extensions…this one’s for you. For early release lessons and other content, or if you just want to support me making more videos on the music theory, history, and techniques behind classic pop songs, check out my Patreon at   / howpopmusicworks  . Find my more casual breakdowns at my other channel, How Pop Music Works Live. 0:13 The Opening Riff 0:55 The Main Chord Progression/I Suspended 1:41 The Minor iv7(add11) 2:56 bII6/9#11 - A signature Neo-Soul chord 3:40 Using bII as a substitute dominant 4:24 How bII6/9#11 resolves in minor 5:33 Breaking voice leading to create chord melodies 6:56 Riff and Progression Demo 7:28 What Did We Learn?