Unlocking the Secrets of D'Angelo's "Lady" Chords

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Hey, guys! I'm back with another music theory video, and this time we're diving into D'Angelo's hit song "Lady" from his album Brown Sugar. At first glance, this song might seem simple with only three chords, but trust me, there's a lot more going on than meets the eye. I'll show you how the Eb minor pentatonic scale, the non-diatonic chords, and the gospel walkup in the bridge all come together to make this song so special. I'll also highlight the sick vocal run around the two-minute mark and point out some hidden gems in the chord progression that you might have missed. So come along with me as we unlock the secrets of "Lady" and level up your music theory game. Don't forget to like and subscribe for more breakdowns of your favorite songs.
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00:00 Intro
00:36 Opening Riff
00:52 Chorus (main progression)
01:34 EMaj13#11
02:28 Sick Vocal Run
02:41 The Bridge
03:50 The Walkup
04:36 The V7b9b13 Chord
04:52 Spicy Bonus Chord
05:21 Watch this if you're struggling

[@carythesnail]

I HAVE WANTED THIS VIDEO FOR YEARS. I performed “Lady” for my junior recital in college, and the guitar chords are some of my favorite of all time.

[@omg123ham]

Bro same.

[@jaymueller2418]

That’s so awesome. Brown Sugar is such a gorgeous album.

[@frankharley5387]

I wish I couldve heard you!!!

[@ianahumuza7198]

Do you have the guitar chords

[@benjaminkenobi21]

There will never be R&B this good again, ever. Glad I was there and young and able to experience it.

[@stevenplace3108]

We can all agree D'Angelo is a genius

[@demejiuk5660]

Jeff props to you for doing your D'Angelo videos. There's a lot of great theory here.

[@thejamnasium6447]

always love a Bruce Hornsby sighting

[@jaymueller2418]

This is such an outrageously good explanation of such an incredible song. Thanks so much for doing this, it’s joyous.

[@prodbyselase]

@ 3:24 - Just heard Changes by 2Pac! Never knew it sampled Bruce Hornsby. Amazing video as always. I'd love to see you breakdown some Hiatus Kaiyote songs. Maybe Red Room? It's a gorgeous song

[@jeffcruzmusic]

Great things as always, Jeff! Such a great tune. It was nice to see that vocal run get a little bit of love, too!

[@edwardvivenzio5843]

Good to see you back,hope all is well,and thanks for the knowledge!

[@Ilya-hl8jx]

bIImaj is modal interchange from prygian scale

[@jonzampese]

dude, flawless. this is my all time fav song and i can't overstate how incredible the tutorial is. just so well done

[@AustinAto]

As always, great video so full of deep knowledge but communicated easily. Also, really good animations.

[@veter6074]

_SMOOTH_ " D' ANGELO " 🎼 _🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹_ 🎼 Gracias👍

[@lovehalfblack9420]

This has to be one of the best piano lessons I’ve ever seen on KZbin.

[@sergshef]

Thanks Jeff! More D’Angelo please, especially “Tell me if you still care” with Questlove (S.O.S cover)

[@dfuhrman]

Nice and concise! Thanks!

[@PatrickBreenMusic]

Yes Jeff! Thank you for this 🙌

[@JeffSchneiderMusic]

YOO! Thanks, Patrick. Hope you're good!

[@composer7325]

Excellent video, thank you.

[@marqosmarqos1201]

This is so dope. Thanks.

[@jasondawson92]

You are a master by ear 👂 D’Angelo was supposed to be on Tupac’s album but died in 1996 back in 1995 Brown Sugar 😎 came out it blew me away because D’Angelo mixed neosoul, jazz, hip-hop and r&b one of my favorite track is smooth

[@EdTalenti]

Loved this one!

[@Zarach_JI12]

I'm diggin this video!

[@tcjonesedits9074]

Genius breakdown.

[@anilaj9868]

Awesome ❤

[@Caribbean_King]

Impressive!! 🔥

[@veter6074]

Excelente💯

[@tontonder8271]

Wow merci beaucoup ❤

[@Obscurity202]

Thanks dood

[@lepuitsauxsouhaits]

Lovin' your vids Jeff ! Can you make please a tutorial on how to find chords from neosoul melody for beginners? Thanks in advance. 🙏

[@omg123ham]

Fire

[@colinmignot6309]

Great content do more of these, please add a map of the song so that we get a feel of the bars/different ection

[@colinmignot6309]

like what we see at 5:35

[@---xz3sx]

Impressive! I think that the song uses another chord as well. At the 3:17 mark (in the song) there is some sort of E dominant chord which is only used once or twice. It’s different to the Emaj13#11 chord

[@saxyrep1]

Fun fact: If you don't play the 7th, 9th and 11th on Lady, half the progression sounds like Baby if you give it to me by Busta Rhymes. Well for those 2 chords, Ebm and Bbm. The whole track is only 4 chords.

[@LuisGaraySessionPiano]

Good job.

[@JeffSchneiderMusic]

Thanks!

[@RD-zj6vc]

That Emaj13#11 is the IV of B major. I think this song is actually in G#minor, in which case all the chords are diatonic. Or else it's in B major and we never land on the I.

[@Johnwilkinsonofficial]

yeah bruh breakdown more rnb harmony this is a great lane for you 💯

[@Lopfff]

The maj13#11 chord, with the one outside note (E), and the rest of the notes inside, is very similar to the standard blues convention I, bII-diminished

[@silencemonkk]

More D Plzzzzz!😭

[@sbirn14]

PLEASE DO AFRICA!!!! These are great!

[@kelvinwong3779]

I need a button to like this to the max

[@abzee733]

I really wonder how long you are sitting there, editing these videos! 😅 Nice one!

[@bx3054]

too good. too good...

[@domecesarano]

🔥

[@djdevenear216]

Now I really like the song since it's been analyzed. All those chord voicings are so good, and D'Angelo is so good at what he does as a singer. Now, here's a request, unless it's already been done. Can you analyze how does it feel by D'Angelo? That's a good one to analyze, as there is a lot going there. And I actually really do want to learn the song. Even though, I do play a lot of stuff by ear, but it feels better analyzing it, so that I can learn it better.

[@JeffSchneiderMusic]

I actually run through that one in my chord theory course!

[@djdevenear216]

@@JeffSchneiderMusic wow! If I had the money, I actually would have ran that course. Or, actually would have described to that course, and I would have loved to appeared how it was done. But, currently my keyboard isn't working at the moment, and I hope to get it working soon. So that I can at least follow along. Plus, D'Angelo's lady, was a good one to learn to, after hearing it so many times as a kid, and then on our radio station, our r&b radio station, here in Cleveland a lot.

[@nickhatcher4519]

Got some nice glow in this video. lil hazy halation n what not. Nice.

[@BigDaddyWes]

It's literally making my eyes hurt.

[@dfuhrman]

@@BigDaddyWes Pro mist filter at point-blank range.

[@Pglarsen]

Wish you did How Does it Feel

[@JayJayGrady4U]

3:53

[@stuarticusrobinson9319]

Soft focus Jeff

[@blaze8511]

Hey Jeff, any intention of bringing this course back on the site?

[@JeffSchneiderMusic]

Sorry had the wrong link up. Here you go: go.jeffschneidermusic.com/chord-theory

[@alamolalamol9426]

Great stuff Jeff. I have a question as I am just now getting modal theory - I think! Presumably those first two chords are from the Eb and Ab Dorian scales, even though it’s all based around the Ebm Pentatonic scale as you said earlier?

[@JeffSchneiderMusic]

Thanks! Not really a dorian sound on the one. You’re better off thinking Eb natural minor (aeolian). Eb F Gb Ab Bb Cb Db. Make sure to download the chord scale charts linked in the description. They’ll be a big help!

[@alamolalamol9426]

@@JeffSchneiderMusic Okay. Thank you!

[@joaquin7909]

Pf wtf 🔥

[@beatlabpro1]

2:13 well, to me when you went to CMaj9, it still sounds awesome. Even that "unexpectedness" makes it more exciting. Do I have "wrong ears" or what?

[@JeffSchneiderMusic]

I like it, too! Sometimes an unexpected chord is just what the Dr ordered.

[@nomannic1]

It's exciting to hear that you like the CMaj9, that means your ears are harmonically open to unexpected, different things. Music is all about colors and emotions, and the CMaj9 is from a whole different color pallet. When you write a song, you could try to use this in a part where you want to catch people off guard or emphasize a lyric! 😁

[@jahbrae]

What happened to the course?

[@blaze8511]

Same thing I’m wondering

[@jahbrae]

@@blaze8511 its on his site you just have to find it

[@JeffSchneiderMusic]

go.jeffschneidermusic.com/chord-theory

[@spifflord308]

Baby making chords

[@JeffSchneiderMusic]

Indeed!

[@djdevenear216]

@@JeffSchneiderMusic it certainly is in the baby-making chords. In 1995, this type of chord progression was a really nice. And even though I was eight years old, I have heard the song on our radio station here in back then, I was into music, but wasn't really analyzing it.

[@msnbmnt]

Oof. That natural 13 is so flavorfully spicy.

[@JeffSchneiderMusic]

Yup!

[@RememberGodHolyBible]

It's not an E chord, it's an Fb chord. Fb is diatonic to Eb, being the b2 in the Eb Phrygian scale. E is not diatonic, Fb is. This is why equal temperament and it's misspellings must go, it makes understanding music way more complicated and opaque, because people like to pretend that notes, chords, and keys, like Fb do not exist, when they most certainly do. Seek and play in true intonation, that is, what the world calls Pythagorean tuning. In Pythagorean tuning notes like Fb and E are not equivalent and they have their own distinct frequencies. Misspellings are not an option in true intonation, because you will hear the misspelling. And do not let people lie to you and tell you that Pythagorean tuning has out of tune major thirds, it is a lie that people keep repeating but is demonstrably untrue. See the videos on my channel for more info and examples.

[@Ilya-hl8jx]

Totally agree with you

[@PPullMusic]

Why don't people write like this anymore? Asking for a friend.

[@jasondawson92]

Because of technology no one any more reads nature and adapt to nature and the environment of bliss of reality and emotions to write ✍️ like they use too plus a lot of ideas been used up

[@BigDaddyWes]

Clean your lens Jeff! lmao. Is that some sort of effect? Looks whack to me.

[@Obscurity202]

WOW SELLING

[@tvariuness]

STOLEN!! haha