D♭ / C♯ Neo-soul Backing Track

Build your own band: 16 moods and 20 styles in any key and tempo, with drums, percussion, bass, two chord instruments, a pad and lead fills, each with its own sound and volume.

This is a D♭ major neo-soul backing track: laid-back neo-soul: lazy swung drums, warm seventh chords and a melodic bass. It plays the ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – IVmaj7 progression in D♭ major at 84 BPM in 4/4, round and round, so you can practise soloing, rhythm or both.

D♭ and C♯ are the same pitch; the chords are spelled in D♭. The player above is set to this track. Press Play, slow it down or speed it up, mute the guitar to play the chords yourself, or mute the bass to play the bass line. You can also switch key or style without leaving the page.

How the band plays it

A lazy, swung neo-soul beat with warm seventh chords that change every bar and a melodic bass that fills between them.

The chords

ii7 – V7 – Imaj7 – IVmaj7: jazz chords at a soulful tempo, every chord a seventh. In D♭ major that is E♭m7, A♭7, D♭maj7, G♭maj7.

1E♭m7
2A♭7
3D♭maj7
4G♭maj7

In numbers: ii7 = E♭m7 · V7 = A♭7 · Imaj7 = D♭maj7 · IVmaj7 = G♭maj7. The numbers count from the key’s root, so the same progression works in any key.

The shapes the guitar plays

Three- and four-note shapes without open strings, close together so each change is a small move.

E♭m71423A♭7123D♭maj73fr213G♭maj71342

Play the rhythm part yourself

Let the seventh chords ring on beat one and add a soft up-strum just before beat three; small changes of voicing make the progression glide. Mute the guitar in the player and the band leaves the part to you.

What to solo with

Play behind the beat with a light touch. Arpeggiate the seventh chords and connect them with chromatic passing notes.

Notes to aim for

Scales get you through the track; landing on the chord tones makes a solo follow the changes. The strongest notes over each chord are its 3rd and 7th:

ChordRoot3rd5th7th
E♭m7E♭G♭B♭D♭
A♭7A♭CE♭G♭
D♭maj7D♭FA♭C
G♭maj7G♭B♭D♭F

How to practise with it

  1. Listen to one time round the progression and count the bars.
  2. Play the root note of each chord on the beat, then the whole chord with the band.
  3. Solo with D♭ major pentatonic, starting and ending phrases on D♭.
  4. Aim for the 3rd of each chord as it arrives (the table above).
  5. Raise the tempo by 5 BPM when it feels easy, or try the same track in another key.

Common questions

What chords are in this D♭ major neo-soul backing track?

E♭m7, A♭7, D♭maj7, G♭maj7, in the order E♭m7 | A♭7 | D♭maj7 | G♭maj7.

What scale do I use over a D♭ major neo-soul?

D♭ major pentatonic (D♭ E♭ F A♭ B♭) is the first choice; D♭ major and D♭ minor pentatonic also work.

Can I change the tempo or key?

Yes: change the tempo or tap another key in the player and the band follows from the next bar. Every track is made live, so any tempo sounds natural.

Can I download it?

Yes: from the menu, save it as an MP3 or WAV file, as MIDI for your music software, or print the chord chart.

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Neo-soul backing tracks in other keys

More backing tracks in D♭

Practice tools

Backing track player: every style, key and tempo · All free tools