: These provide that warm, hazy texture. A common trick is to play a minor triad in your left hand and a major triad built on the 7th in your right (e.g., for Cm11, play C minor in the left and Bb major in the right). 2. Common Neo Soul Progressions
Replace a standard dominant chord with a dominant chord a tritone away.
Neo-soul often uses parallel motion or "borrowed" chords to create its signature vibe:
To solidify these concepts, let us analyze a prototypical Neo-Soul progression in the key of Db Major.
Below are common progressions used in neo-soul, ranging from beginner to advanced. The Beginner Loop
Dark and cinematic. A minor Fmaj9 (F, E, G, A, C) – G13 (G, F, B, E) – Am11 (A, G, C, D, E)
Formula: Root (LH) – b3, 5, b7, 9 (RH)
Root - Minor 3rd - Perfect 5th - Minor 7th - Major 9th Example (Cmin9): C - Eb - G - Bb - D Major 9th Chords ( Maj9cap M a j to the nineth power
Detailed rootless voicing charts across the most popular keys (C, F, Bb, Eb, and G).