5 D'Angelo Chord Changes Every Songwriter Should Know

[@ItsNotAXylophone]

‘Gin has a Hard G. It’s short for “again” not “gin” like the liquor. Loved the video!!

[@AmariRebel]

i was wondering if anyone else heard that.

[@davidpalan411]

I love your nicknames. VX, 3 foot sub, waterfall bassline, sticky top. These are things I see while analyzing songs everyday but having a cute nickname really makes it easy to keep them in mind while writing. Thanks! Great video.

[@MattMurilloMusic]

The secondary subdominant Am7(ii7 of IV7) to the GMaj7 (IV7) can also be thought of a plagal cadence which is commonly a IV to a I, but I guess D Angelo and perhaps other soul/gospel musicans apply the same concept to tonicizing scale degrees outside the tonic through secondary dominants, and substituting subdominant functioning chords (ii and IV). The avoidance of the V and its harsh tritone dissonance might possibly be a reason why composers choose plagal cadences over perfect authentic cadences. Additionally, plagal cadences are also called Amen cadences, commonly used in gospel as well, something I'm sure D'Angelo was exposed to growing up with Church music. At least, that is my logic. Great video as always Jeff.

[@thejamnasium6447]

I'd love to hear some analysis off the tracks from Black Messiah. Back to the Future. Till It's Done. Ain't That Easy. just another masterpiece by the genius known as D'Angelo

[@NoneGreater]

+1 - I was dropping in here to say that exact thing.

[@karlostvall2665]

Don’t forget epic tracks “Prayer” and “Suga Daddy”

[@thejamnasium6447]

@@karlostvall2665 not a bad track on there

[@phatboychef]

Dope video! So much knowledge. The song “one mo ‘gin” you pronounce the gin the same way you pronounce the second syllable of the word again if you say that word omitting the a sound. Gin like Gen like gensu knives.

[@jaykoblz1]

Voodoo is also one of my all time favorite albums! I love your content, too, Jeff. This video is super informative, I just have one little nitpick. One Mo 'Gin isn't pronounced like the liquor. It's a hard G, because it's short for one more again.

[@edbuendia419]

This is a a wonderful video, Jeff. Your instruction is solid!

[@MovieAddictMitch]

Dope video man! Voodoo is one of my favorite albums and D'Angelo is one of the all time R&B G.O.A.T's. It's great to see him getting more recognition

[@claytronico]

I love how a half step movement can have so much story associated with it if you want to break it down vis a vis tritone sub. I like the skip the 5 thing. Its funny how a lot of this stuff is just getting things in line up with a stronger rhythmic grounding, in service to the groove, but the rhythmic language of non-drummers leaves us out in the cold. Its like the three guys and an elephant thing.

[@Quintao10033]

Isn’t C7 the substitute of F#7, which is the V of B7? It does not seem like a chromatic passage but rather a Sub-V Of V / V passage…

[@gpwaltz]

Love to see the D'Angelo stuff! Great picks too, I'll be studying these tonight. (also I think that "One Mo 'Gin" is like "Again" - One More Again, one more time)

[@willlicks8584]

you are correct

[@lxxwj]

yeah i was about to say lol, d'angelo is not singing about spirits macerated with botanicals

[@davidlopez-white3185]

Nice work! Will have to watch again.

[@future62]

Great vid as always. Best way to learn theory.... listen, play, compose!

[@fromaugustisland]

Would love a chordal analysis of Africa and the Root next!

[@joshjamesuk]

Every british person including me would pronounce that as Gin as in the liquor. It’s not just Jeff! It’s a British grammar issue! I’ve been calling it that all my life as well as all of my English friends hahaha. Now we know!

[@davidmercer658]

Listen to dear prudence. Beatles did falling bass long ago

[@seanmarshallmusic]

Excellent work as always Jeff! Very thorough and accurate work with great visuals and some corny and fun nick names to help distinguish technique

[@OohWeeShaShaCooCoo]

One mo gin is how we say…”again” lol

[@n.oneimportant5]

Came here to type that. 😂

[@Nghilifa]

@@n.oneimportant5 🤣

[@AfroRedMusic]

Thank you! 😂😂😂

[@dexterremy8258]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 I was about to comment and saw you did 🫡

[@feracedomusica]

Tremendo este video !! Gracias totales desde Argentina!

[@neodym1337]

Thank you

[@abbos_axiy]

Love this content !🙏🏻

[@wm1573]

Listening to voodoo a lot to this day. Love that album

[@Rando_Djinnsen]

Nicely done, thanks, I will subscribe!

[@jeffb587]

I had a full blown "THATS WHAT IVE BEEN SAYIN'!!!" moment on the last segment re: ii to I without the V7

[@newpower319]

Somebody’s been clangin’ and bangin’ 💪

[@louismaiden8360]

this is a killer video, would love to see more like this

[@abbos_axiy]

Jeff, what vst were you using for EP sound ?

[@evandeiparine9609]

At 1:48 you mention that the key to Left and Right is in Fmaj. Can you help me understand how you arrived at major? D'angelo's melody takes from the notes in Fmin pentatonic, and I'm having a hard time feeling it's in F major when the Ab and Eb notes are used pretty liberally.

[@SelfPropelledDestiny]

I took a little issue with that as well...

[@LawrinMaxwellsmpc500]

If you listen to the chord sequence again you might begin to hear the last chord (fmajor) as the home tonic. It sounds at home aka resolved when it lands on the I chord. It's a progression that walks down chromatically and ends in the one chord.

[@LawrinMaxwellsmpc500]

I look at it as model interchange. The parallel minor is f minor.

[@THANKYOUTEZ]

jeff, i almost turned this video off when you mispronounced “One Mo Gin”

[@whogotdubs]

How is it supposed to be pronounced?!

[@THANKYOUTEZ]

@@whogotdubs like “again” not like the liquor. lol

[@Firetracks]

😂😂😂

[@Diispaceyone]

I was like oh hell nah 😂

[@marlablow116]

😂😂😂

[@swimgood.]

man, awesonme video. learnt a bunch of this

[@aurora3655]

Isn’t the key to left and right c major?

[@nicolla7451]

appreciate you ❤❤❤

[@PPullMusic]

Solid content man. Keep it coming!!!!

[@largebottomproductions]

Dude! You are solid. Dig your content and style.

[@ArtNeticField]

you are THE BEST!!!

[@leonl1559]

the "waterfall" chord progression goes way back to the beatles they actually used it a lot

[@tobyzxcd]

Wow, now I think about it I’m sure I’ve heard that sound but do you have any examples to hand?

[@leonl1559]

@@tobyzxcd you mean the descending Baseline Thing? Dear prudence, cry Baby cry, and your bird can sing, free as a bird are some examples i can think of right now

[@BigMan-rg4mu]

The Beatles aren't "way back" when it comes to the origin of this progression. It's called a lament bass line, more specifically a chromatic lament bass line. It goes back hundreds of years and has been used countless times.

[@tobyzxcd]

@@BigMan-rg4mu a lot of music has happened between the Beatles and D’angelo, it’s quite a way back- even if it goes further, nobody said they were its origin - so I don’t like your tone. There’s many different ways of harmonising a lament bass, we were talking about a progression of chords with that motion in the bass. Typically the tradition that defines “lament bass” isnt chordal and thought of as more choral/figured bass in the nature of its harmonisation. It would be interesting if there’s a harmonisation/chord progression for a lament bass or descending bass pattern the Beatles had a preference for in particular. They used similar structures in while my guitar gently weeps, Lucy in the sky with diamonds, Her Majesty even, but they’re all different patterns and harmonisations- allbeit with a descending bass idea. But I wonder which was the most popular for them to use?

[@BigMan-rg4mu]

@tobyzxcd You could have ended your reply after the first drawn out sentence of two commas and two dashes, and I'd understand. I appreciate the half concession of the second paragraph. You seem to almost be at the finish line. Yet, the reality is you can't look up from sniffing the crotch of a bowl cut boy band to realize how defensive you were, on a comment you agreed with. Your bias is made clear when you wrote an additional two paragraphs thinking out loud about the preferred writing conventions of The Beatles. I wonder, how does Ringo like his eggs? This is an example of what you sound like. Also, there is 40 years between The Beatles and Voodoo. It's a generational difference, of western pop music. Sure, " a lot of music" happened, but it's all the same. In 1937, the most popular example of this progression was written, My Funny Valentine. This is a chordal example of a descending bass line from popular western music. A lot of music happened between this and The Beatles, but it's all the same.

[@embodiedconducting]

For Left and Right, you could see the Fm/Ab as Ab6, right?

[@n.oneimportant5]

Yup!

[@ianobrien5432]

Gotta love that good old sticky top lmao

[@Firetracks]

Approved! 🔥

[@harrylittle5412]

To be frank, we give thank for cranking up that stanky bank ❤

[@frenchlouiemusic-ew5dq]

Hey Jeff - Just wondering what electric piano patch you're using on "Feels like making love" here. Sounds great

[@harris0n_t]

great video 🙏

[@jbmedia8882]

Stevie Wonder chords. ❤

[@andrewbray2924]

Damn. All these years and I had no idea that was Kool and the Gang

[@Kevinschart]

I just learned it about a month ago. I spent about 2 weeks listening to old Kool and the gang albums and recognized it

[@Kodakgee]

So is Untitled in the Key of D maj or G maj? You say a D7 would be a V, and the Am7 is a IIm.

[@n.oneimportant5]

The melody seems to be centered around/built on DMaj. That's what I'm hearing anyway.

[@Kevinschart]

My man Jeff. Great breakdowns as always, but I gotta call you out. The song is not "One mo Jin". Its "One Mo Gin"....like "again". One mo gin translates to "one more time " or "lets do it again". Black southern dialect.

[@RD-zj6vc]

You can always go back to the I from any other diatonic chord.

[@shakesrear7850]

got more?

[@muuroonggeooffrey246]

I got that, Fm/Ab G7 Gbmaj7 F, I will transfer to Abmaj7 G7 Gbmaj7 F7. That's more reasonable for guitarists.

[@Bashanvibe]

New sub!!! 👊🏾

[@burtvladyslavov9181]

Ах мой самый любимый альбом на свете ❤‍🔥

[@derekgusoff6768]

For the first one, I don't think it's best to analyze the chords as such. It's very simple once you realize he's just sliding a triad down the fretboard (to use a guitar analogy) until it locks in on the F. Every teenage guitar player does this.

[@moldyjames439]

One of my favorite albums and grooves of all time

[@be9ify]

Am7 is the iiX gas! FWIW classical music has the notion of secondary subdominants...

[@bradwaller6811]

Why isn’t C7 the bvii? What am I missing?

[@bradwaller6811]

OHHH!! It’s the bii *of* the VI???

[@SelfPropelledDestiny]

1:46 I need you to quantify how you can confidently say "the key is F Major". Considering none of the other chords are diatonic to that key, it just seems like a forced assertion. Just because some publisher's sheet music uses that key signature doesn't make it an objective truth. 4:47 I wouldn't necessarily equate "non-functioning secondary dominants" with "functioning secondary dominants". To me, it's just a VI7 (or VIalt) chord, no slash needed since it isn't resolving anywhere.

[@LawrinMaxwellsmpc500]

Use your ear man. The f major tonality clearly sound like "home". The other chords are literally passing chords walking down chromatically to the one chord. F major tonality can borrow chords from f minor that's why it can start on an Ab major chord and end on the fmajor chord. The last chord is the home tonic in that kind of chord progression.

[@SelfPropelledDestiny]

@@LawrinMaxwellsmpc500 Meh...it's four major chromatic descending triads. The tonic is going to sound like wherever it stops. You can do the exact opposite F-Gb-G-Ab, and now Ab "feels like the tonic". I think for these kinds of progression ye ol common-practice Tonal Harmony, functional Shenkerian analysis, just don't make much sense to use. Chord-Scale Theory would be much more helpful than trying to find some over-arching scale. And, of all scales, it seems Fm pentatonic would be most useful as you move through F Minor - F Lydian - F Phrygian - F Major. The F Major scale will pretty much sound trash on most of it.

[@honeybee4316]

Love the sub sandwiches 😂

[@poerava]

1:56 Wayment!! D’Angelo copied cool and the gang. Dang.

[@muuroonggeooffrey246]

how guitar play this stuff

[@youngmonkreturns5973]

Siccckkkkkkkkk 🎉

[@prodclarkcavers]

no way you just said Sticky Top

[@jlonzo8]

4:41 😂

[@benjaminsanon6760]

It’s one more gin (again) . Pronounced like morGan

[@aubreymccrady5336]

You dork!!! One mo Gin? lmfao

[@MaxCadillac115]

Nice video Jeff!❤‍🩹 btw is it just me or are those keys out of tune in Feel Like Makin' Love?😅😅

[@abdelbenarba1419]

thank you