- What separates R&B, contemporary R&B and soul?
- Soul is the wellspring — church-bred vocal power over a live band. Classic R&B carries that vocal tradition into a more urban setting, while contemporary R&B is production-forward: programmed drums, synth pads, vocal effects, a cooler and more restrained surface. Reach for soul when you want fire, contemporary R&B for the modern urban sheen.
- How do I get real vocal runs in generated R&B?
- Ask for them explicitly: "vocal melisma, breathy verses, falsetto flips, ad-libs after the final chorus." Keep the tempo under 90 BPM and request a "laid-back pocket" so the voice has room to move — runs need space that fast grooves don't leave.
- Why do R&B chords sound so expensive?
- Because the style defaults to extended harmony — sevenths, ninths, suspensions — one color layer beyond the plain triads of most pop. Prompt "rich seventh and ninth chord progressions" or "jazz-inflected harmony," ideally over an electric piano sound, and that finish appears.
