I’m Shook!

I can't believe it.

I just found out that the song "Send It On" by D'Angelo is actually a lift of a Kool and the Gang song called "Sea of Tranquility."

Any other D'Angelo fans here?

Did you know???

Yes, the production between the two tracks is completely different – Kool's version is a lot more washy, and D'Angelo's is super tight. But the music is virtually the same!

Actually, there is one major difference...

D'Angelo's intro is much more intricate and lush. It's actually one of my favorite parts of the entire record, and it's only five seconds long.

Take a listen again and see if you can hear each instrument add to the swell, which peaks right before the beat drops at 0:06.

The chord underneath all that ornamentation is C major.

But what's interesting is that the song is in the key of F major, which means the first chord of the song is a V chord.

But here's the thing...it doesn't sound like a V chord! Especially when compared to the C7sus – just three chords later (0:11), which resolves to I (like a V chord normally does).

I hope I'm not confusing you with all the theory talk over here. It's hard to make sense of it in text, so hopefully you're listening to the recordings, too.

If you'd like to dig more into D'Angelo's music with me, stay tuned for an in-depth analysis of his hit, "Lady," which I'll be posting to YouTube in the next few days.

And if you really want to learn how all this R&B chord theory works in depth, your best option is to check out my course, Chord Theory for R&B Piano:

Once you go through the course, you'll not only understand the theory, but you'll also be able to play, write, and reharmonize like D'Angelo, Robert Glasper, and PJ Morton – just to name a few.

Feel free to reach out with any questions about the course. And stay tuned for that video coming soon!

Jeff