# Your favorite modulation tricks and tips?



## tokatila

Who doesn't love a good modulation?

My current favorite is the "Bonnie Tyler" modulation (read it from some article a while ago).

It basically goes: I --> IVmaj7 --> half-step down to a new key. Easy peasy. 

So for example let's say in C major we have C, Fmaj7 and then bam! E major! The trick is to have the melody on E, so the 7th of F major 7th chord becomes the new tonic. From zero to 4 sharps at the same time. 8) 

It's used in Total Eclipse of the Heart when we enter the chorus (modulation happens around 1:28 )

It's like a reverse trucker's modulation, but very smoo-o-oth. How about yours, remember; sharing is caring!


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## Kralc

I don't think there's a better way to kick things off than with Bonnie Tyler. :D That video is so beautifully 80's. Wonder how long it took to get that dove shot??

Here are some I had written down from transcribing. I have more, but I've gone old school with a little notepad to write things down in now. Sorry if any are confusing, kinda just jumbled them out, and have never fixed them up.

Down a major 2nd
Changing Key and Feeling from minor to major - Can be from any diatonic chord, using melody to lead into any of the three chords tones of the tritone chord (the b6 of the new key)
e.g. C minor (1st of current key), F minor (4th of current key), F#major (b6th of new key) Bb minor (1st of new key.)

Down a major 2nd
When ending a phrase on the b7th major chord (the dominant of a possible new key, a minor 3rd above the original) take a couple of bars to establish a new dominant, the major chord a b5th above, whilst pedalling the b7th.
e.g. F minor (1st of current key), Eb major (b7th of current key), A major (while pedalling the Eb), D major or minor.

Up a minor 6th / Down a minor 3rd
Set up a chord - move instead to the chord a minor 3rd below the chord it was moving to.
e.g. C major (5th of F) resolves to D minor (new key).

Down a 4th
For a change in sound/scenery (but with the same melody material), once finished with the melody and are back on the tonic, begin the new section down a fourth.

Up a 4th
Can be from any diatonic chord, using melody to lead into any of the three chords tones of the major tritone chord. Then move to the major 5th (of the tritone chord), this being the minor 6th of the new key.
eg: C min (starting key), F# maj, C#maj, Fmin (new key)

Down a 5th
For a majestic change (ie. a return to a triumphant theme) move down a fifth (In addition you can play the theme in major if it was minor before)

Down a Minor 2nd
Move down a semitone (from a major) by playing the 6th chord of the current key. e.g. Fmaj - Dmin - Emaj.

Up a 7th/Down a b2nd
From major tonic, to the 6th minor, to the 3rd minor all using voice leading, then continue up (skipping the 1 and instead playing the b2nd) leading up into the 5th of your new key. Bbmaj - Gmin - Dmin - Amin.

Down a 2nd
maj3rd (minor chord) to the 4th (major chord) into the b7th (minor) - New key.


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## Rob

nice ideas for modulations there Kralc...


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## Ned Bouhalassa

Quick! Someone make this a stickie! Great tips.


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## Kralc

This cue right here though, this has my favorite modulations.

Mainly the main theme being played in A, then again up the octave in G. Gets me every time.


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## Patrick de Caumette

This is now a sticky: let's see how many modulation ideas we can come up with!


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## JohnG

tokatila @ 14th April 2015 said:


> My current favorite is the "Bonnie Tyler" modulation (read it from some article a while ago).



Here's my favourite version of that tune.

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/f03d46 ... n-original


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## JohnG

On a more modulation-oriented note, one could do worse than study the old favourite, "Peter and the Wolf," which rolls through keys like a bag of -- something.

Prokofiev shoots all over in that piece, modulating sometimes in just a bar or two to remote keys.


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## Saxer

jazzy 'go everywhere' modulation: make a target melody note to the 11 of a Min7/b5 chord. 
example: melody ends on the note 'e'. harmonize with Bm7/b5 - E7/b9 - Amin or Amaj7


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## mverta

In this review video, I do my favorite modulations through all 12 keys if you want to check those out:

https://youtu.be/75rkrApiKw4?t=11m8s


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## ed buller

My Fav's

e


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## Living Fossil

While I'm sure that some of the suggestions made here might contain some useful information, i'd like to mention the reason why i basically rather do not like that kind of "tips & tricks":

First, better than learning some specific modulations, learns what's the underlying logic.
One can generalize some types of modulations, e.g. those with common chords, those with chromatic lines, those with enharmonic changes etc etc

Second: The big problem is the thinking that derives from "learning modulations":
It's basically an approach that says: i have music A and music B (or A') and i need some "material" that's inbetween.
Why is this wrong? It's wrong because the modulation itself is a part of the composition.
It's not some additional plaster, it's a part in the same way as all the other elements.

Third: That's a consequence of Second: Your modulation is an active part of your composition and so the way you modulated has consequences. Therefore the task is not: how can i get from X to Y. But: which way is the right one in this situation.

4th: Instead of learning such tricks, look into scores of composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, etc.
You will see that they used very different approaches in different situations. Try to find out why they used a specific one in that situation and try to find the consequences. That's an amazing topic.

5th, and this is rather a PS:
If your aim is just to get from one key to another one, don't worry about modulations. We are not living in the 16th century (and even then it was no problem).
Finish your phrase in key X, and start your new phrase in key Y.
It's no big deal for the listeners brain. 
If it would be, there would be no such thing as a Disco, where DJs just play one song after the other. And there would be no such thing as a Tarantino film, were the score is compiled of different tracks without taking into account the exact tonality of each of them.
You have one theme in C major and a phrase in f#-minor.
Just play them one after the other.
But be sensible for the consequences.
maybe after making this jump it will be necessary to write some music which unites the two.

And finally one last thing:
There is no need to stay in a key, nor to stick to tonality or a scale.
Music is about doing the right thing in a specific situation, it's not doing homework for the sake of practising.


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## Rob

I don't think the word "modulation" is to be intended literally here... it's more a chord progression, a harmonic path on which one can build a musical idea, and in that sense I think it's useful and interesting.


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## Kralc

Rob @ Wed Apr 15 said:


> I don't think the word "modulation" is to be intended literally here... it's more a chord progression, a harmonic path on which one can build a musical idea, and in that sense I think it's useful and interesting.



Exactly. When I found the ones I posted above, I didn't sit down to look for modulations. I didn't really think about them till I realized they were there. I just liked the cues, and eventually saw that what was triggering some kind of mood/emotional drive was this change, this modulation, and wanted to bring that feeling into my own work.


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## Living Fossil

@Rob, Kralc:

i see your point, maybe you should try to understand what's mine. 

Posting tons of modulations is as informative as posting solved Sudokus.
They have almost no meaning, since the value of a modulation (and any other kind of harmonic progression) lies in the context.
With a little bit of training, it's no big deal to improvise a 20 hour long youtube video with thousands of interesting modulations. But it has no value to someone who doesn't understand the logic behind.
So better teach him the latter.


As written, i think there are some funny examples, but compiling modulations that use properly resolved dominant chords etc. is somehow a sad thing. It was basic stuff 300 years ago. 
And as written: take a look at Schubert's music.


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## Kralc

As of writing this there are 541 views on this thread. If one of those viewers played around with Mike's, Ed's or tokatila's modulations, they might've wanted to explore them more, heard something they liked, made them listen out for future modulations to steal - then awesome. 
I liked one voicing in Ed's and played around with it for a bit. That's musicians helping musicians. Sharing stuff. Meaning, value - they're certainly there.

I understand your thoughts completely. You're right, you can't internalize this stuff just by scanning a bunch of scribbles written by someone else. You've gotta do that yourself. These are just catalysts, and goddam it - _somehow a fun thing._

And hell, Mike Verta's posted inspiring ones. If there's something wrong "music-education-wise", the man will let you know.


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## reddognoyz

A trick I use a lot is to modulate by thirds to the diatonically "wrongest third", with strong voice leading. So if you're in C Minor, the "wrongest" modulation would be to E minor. I guess by "wrong third" I mean the least common tones.


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## wst3

I don't want to diminish your point Living Fossil - but could it be that you are just a wee bit further along the curve?

Most of what I've learned has been through doing. Not all, and I remain forever in debt to the piano teacher who thought it would be a good idea for me to go through a harmony textbook!

But mostly I'll hear (or even read) something, and then I'll sit at the piano or guitar, or these days DAW, and play with it. Figure out why it works, how it works, and how it makes me feel.

I can't think of a better jumping off point than a thread like this... but that's me, and others may well learn differently.


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## Living Fossil

@wst3: 
Basically, i wanted to raise some awareness for the fact that when you "import" a modulation pattern, often you also import some other aspects you weren't aware of.
(That's a point i think is specially of interest for those, who haven't that much experience)

It's somehow the same problem as with genetically modified organisms: you see the feature set of a piece of DNA, but in the same time, you import not only other informations, but also a network of interactions.
and this may also be the case, when you use "prefabricated" sets of modulations.

The problem with most modulations (as posted above) is the fact that they mostly are totally outworn/outdated in more contemporary approaches of tonality.
I'm not only speaking of the fact that some of them would be antiquated even in a Schubert piece (once more: analyze Schubert's modulations...!!!) and i'm also not speaking of the fact that in music of the last 200 years modulations are usually structurally-constructive parts (and not building blocks).
No, I also think that it's important to know that the popular music of each era has its preferred modulations and those that just don't work in that style.

Very often "modulations" are used in a way as if the composer wanted to suggest: "look, i'm educated, i can write correct modulations!" But they don't work, because of different reasons. 

So, to sum it up is: always let your ear be a critical instance, full of sensibility.
There is no such thing as a perfect recipe for a chord progression or a modulation.
There is only something like the perfect solution in a specific situation.

- But of course, sharing ideas is always a good thing.

Therefore i repeat one of the most basic ways of modulation:
- finish 1st phrase in key X
- immediately start 2nd phrase in key Y
-> be sensible for consequences that may result.


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## tack

ed buller @ Tue Apr 14 said:


> My Fav's



Thanks for sharing these, Ed. I was interested to compare them to mverta's whose modulations I spent a bit of time with a couple weeks back. Many of them are similar in approach but generally yours are much more direct. Mike's are quite a bit more elaborate but the result is that once the modulation is finished, the new key feels quite natural, at least to my ears.

The only one of Mike's that felt a little forced to me was C to G. But both yours and his ultimately transition via D7. I think maybe the difference was that Mike might have clammed a bit during this part.


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## ed buller

oh your welcome

They came from a book ( i can't remember what ) .They where labeled as the most direct. Max Reger's book is a good resource too. But i do agree with Mr Fossil , context is everything .

e


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## tack

ed buller @ Sun Apr 26 said:


> They came from a book ( i can't remember what ) .They where labeled as the most direct. Max Reger's book is a good resource too. But i do agree with Mr Fossil , context is everything .



I agree too in principle. But I also agree with wst3. I am too lame musically to be where Mr. Fossil recommends. Right now I'll learn my multiplication tables, and eventually, when I can do basic math, I will learn how to do derivatives from first principles.


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## germancomponist

mverta @ Tue Apr 14 said:


> In this review video, I do my favorite modulations through all 12 keys if you want to check those out:
> 
> https://youtu.be/75rkrApiKw4?t=11m8s



Very cool, Mike!


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## iaink

I tend to use modulation quite carefully and deliberately in my writing.

If you have a captive audience in a film, TV, or game – or song, even – I believe ample time exists to establish tonality and use modulation as another dramatic tool. It opens a whole dimension of possibilities. I don't think listeners are desensitized to it at all.

Here are a couple of my favourite examples of using modulation within a melody to make things more exciting. These are simple transcriptions with chords marked at the top (with key signatures and double bars to emphasize the modulation).

In Goldsmith's STAR TREK TMP, at the end of the "A" section (bars 16 & 17 of this transcription), we modulate from Bb Mixolydian to D Mixolydian with the chords F (V of Bb) to D. The melody bridges across with the common tone of the two chords, A. The bass also descends to D with an Eb passing tone.

Then, for the second variation of the "B" theme (bars 24 & 25), he modulates from D Mixolydian to Eb Lydian with the chords C (VII) to Eb. Again, the melody carries the common tone, G, across this modulation.

These are sudden, exciting modulations that use chromatic mediant relationships:





In James Horner's KRULL, something very similar happens. Again, the common tone carries across a sudden, chromatic mediant modulation in bars 6 & 7. In this case, the common tone E, carries across the chords E (I) & C, where C is now V of the new key (F major). Then, in bars 8 & 9, we modulate from F to D using the chords F & A (where A is again V of the new key):


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## ed buller

Ha

great examples. Love Krull. Are you sure about the F#7 spellings in the violins ?

e


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## iaink

ed buller @ Mon May 04 said:


> Ha
> 
> great examples. Love Krull. Are you sure about the F#7 spellings in the violins ?
> 
> e



Good eye. . Yes, pretty sure.


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## mpalenik

Living Fossil @ Wed Apr 15 said:


> While I'm sure that some of the suggestions made here might contain some useful information, i'd like to mention the reason why i basically rather do not like that kind of "tips & tricks":
> 
> First, better than learning some specific modulations, learns what's the underlying logic.
> One can generalize some types of modulations, e.g. those with common chords, those with chromatic lines, those with enharmonic changes etc etc



I was all set to disagree with you and then I looked more closely at some of the tips and read more closely what you said. Everything I saw (I'm not saying its necessarily everything that's posted here, just the handful that I actually bothered to look at) was "start in key A, go to the V dominant 7th of key B, go to key B". So, that's basically one technique, I think.


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## impressions

If i'd wear the musicologist hat, I'd say that besides that^(V7 to the next key), the anticipation created through the modulating harmony with its rhythm, and melody following, and all of that going to the next key, is one of the major factors here, to go more smoothly, if that is the case.


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## ed buller

it's the brevity that's useful. And yes using V7 of the new key is hardly a trick but it's sort of difficult to establish that you HAVE changed key without it. JW moves between keys all the time without establishing a new key...as does BACH. But if your after a MODULATION...then you'll need something to indicate that has happened......

e


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## Smikes77

Simply up a minor 3rd, but with a bar of 3/4. Cracking stuff.


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## bcarwell

Where is the sticky for modulations ? I cannot seem to find the stickies anywhere. And will this be added to it ?

Tnx, Bob


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## wpc982

Seems that many people like mixolydian, for some reason, but it's hard to avoid the dominant (mixolydian scale, with flat 7, will not have a leading tone). Here's a modulation from I in A mixolydian to IV, D mixolydian, where as soon as the modulation is complete the new tonality is D mixolydian and the original leading tone G# is now available but the new key has to keep the lowered seventh (C natural). A: I | I7 | Vb543/vi | IV 64 I || D: I 

The "Vb543/vi" is a 9th chord in second inversion -- in root position it would be C# E# G# B D; "IV 64" D in second inversion, A D F#. 

The modulation begins about 1:30 in this:  ; like many other musical twists, it's fun to keep within certain parameters and still make music that satisfies.


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## Stepan

I study composition in Vienna, a part of our first diplom exam is to modulate "live" from one key to another (Bmin to EbMaj, for example).
For those who are interested, here are some sequences that can be used for modulation:


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## mikehamm123

As I develop my own style, I find that certain notes can be introduced that 'tug" the music towards a new tonal center or modal excursion. Not that I have any formula or rules, it has to be organic to the music flow, but I like it when something unpredictable happens that adds color or mood.

That being said, if I *have* learned a rule, its that voice leading will help you get away with almost anything. I wrote something recently that jumbled chords together from the keys of C and E, and it all worked because the voice leading created a sort of gravitational pull that made it all sound natural and flowing. (Example attached)

[AUDIOPLUS=http://vi-control.net/community/attachments/horn-voicing-mp3.5748/][/AUDIOPLUS]


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## BigImpactSound

*@Stepan*: Intresting to see in your example 4.1 is that the fourth of the second inversion ('d' above 'a' does not resolve to 'cis' as one would expect in an academic context, but to 'e'). Can you tell me from which book these examples come?


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## Jonas Hallstrom

At the start of Dvorak's 9th symphony, second movement there's this classic modulation from E major to Db major.
The chord projection is: E Bb/D E Db A F#m6 Db

One of the reasons why this sound so good is beacause of the top notes of the chord. It moves in very small intevals. Only minor and major seconds. That's why we'll accept the drastic chord changes.
Note that when we come to Db the first time we're still actually still in E, it's just a hint of what's still to come.
Also note that there's no V leading to the I (no Ab before Db). Instead Dvorak moves from the minor IV to the I.


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## Jonas Hallstrom

Fun modulation from D to Db

I found this wonderful music by Max Steiner the other day (It was used as intro music in a film podcast)

Listen to the harmony from 48 seconds to 1.02. A modulation from D to Db
The last four chords are something along the lines of D, F#/D, C7, Db
Could have been Richard Strauss


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## mikeh-375

Enharmonic modulation can be fun. Turn any notes function into another one by re-spelling it and resolving accordingly. A quick and easy way to get anywhere within a move or two.


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## tokatila




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## composerguy78

I like this video on some different ways to get to the one key.


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## Cathbad

Jonas Hallstrom said:


> Fun modulation from D to Db
> 
> I found this wonderful music by Max Steiner the other day (It was used as intro music in a film podcast)
> 
> Listen to the harmony from 48 seconds to 1.02. A modulation from D to Db
> The last four chords are something along the lines of D, F#/D, C7, Db
> Could have been Richard Strauss



Strauss was Steiner's godfather.


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## ProfoundSilence

Cathbad said:


> Strauss was Steiner's godfather.


havent heard the piece, but thats an interesting path to take - based on what you've written at first I thought a Cm7 would make more sense, but it really depends on which voice the B natural is in - because if it resolves down to the Ab it would be a melodic leap down a 3rd - which in a way kind of outlines the Dbm7 - i'd think it would sound good as the top voice, for exaggeration.


feels a little weird calling it Db major - feel like C# major would be more common - but regardless, if they used a Bb over the C major, it would be more diatonically inline with F# major or C# major - both contain A#(Bb) and would probably give more freedom for voicing. 


I feel like there are a number of ways to go with it, I think it would be fun to play around with voicings on the piano first and then seen what steiner came up with.


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## Cathbad

ProfoundSilence said:


> havent heard the piece, but thats an interesting path to take - based on what you've written at first I thought a Cm7 would make more sense, but it really depends on which voice the B natural is in - because if it resolves down to the Ab it would be a melodic leap down a 3rd - which in a way kind of outlines the Dbm7 - i'd think it would sound good as the top voice, for exaggeration.
> 
> 
> feels a little weird calling it Db major - feel like C# major would be more common - but regardless, if they used a Bb over the C major, it would be more diatonically inline with F# major or C# major - both contain A#(Bb) and would probably give more freedom for voicing.
> 
> 
> I feel like there are a number of ways to go with it, I think it would be fun to play around with voicings on the piano first and then seen what steiner came up with.



I meant Strauss was literally Max Steiner's godfather: a friend of the family. One assumes he also had a strong influence on Max's musical development, so could be a godfather figuratively too.


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## Tritonus

*Modulation*​
A *Key* is said to be established when its dominant or dominant seventh chord is followed by the tonic chord. Modulation is the art of passing from one key into another. The crux of modulation is not the sound of the dominant followed by the new key. We can most certainly hear the sudden transition, but a modulation might not have happened. Modulation implies a connection link, a pivot on which the mind readjusts itself to the new key.

‘Pass from X to Y by means of 4 chords’. X -> Pivoting Chord -> Dominant -> Y.

The Pivoting chord has some similarities between the X Key and the Y Key. Keep in mind, Key X must be grounded first. You can’t just use a progression I – Pivot Chord – Dominant Y – Y. The reason being, X Key has not be defined in our minds. One must establish the Key in some fashion.

Major Key: Most usual, most natural modulation is to the dominant. The first part may conclude either with perfect or with an imperfect cadence in the dominant.

It may look something like this:

*I – V – V7/V – V* :||


Modulation is effected by the leading note of the new key. *C# in the 8th bar makes the V7/V to resolve to the D*. Making the Dominant Modulation.


Second usual modulation is to a relative minor key: C major to A minor or E minor: consequently, either into the *submediant (vi)* or the median (iii).


Sometimes when modulating to the Submediant, instead of ending in minor key, take the dominant major chord instead. *I – V7/vi - vi – V/vi*


Extraordinary Key change. Major Submediant. Notice the pp pianissimo, it reduces the harshness.
When completing the 1st repeat, the composer makes sure it is a smooth transition to the original Key.



And lastly we may modulate by the way of exception. Major key of a Major second below. D Minor to C major. V7/V. The Modulation happens on *A7* to D.


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## Dewdman42

This is an interesting old thread that has been brought back. Some good and interesting comments...

Various chromatic techniques have been discussed, all useful...

My view about the term "modulation" is that this is really referring to when we make a change from a strong and well perceived tonal key center, to a different one. The ironic thing is that if you start introducing a lot of chromaticism, the tonal key center starts to shift around so much that its not even perceived anymore. 

Here's the irony: If you don't have a well perceived tonal key center...with a listener expectation to resolve to some tonic...then how can you "modulate" from it to a different one?

See my point? In my view the term "modulation" should be reserved for specifically when you transition the work of music from a very strong tonal key center, one that has inherent listener expectations to resolve to some tonic chord; to a different and well perceived tonal key center with listener expectations about resolving to that new tonic.

Some techniques for doing that, which were well established in the classical era and sometimes used in pop music, have been mentioned here! They do tend to sound a little dated, because they are so blatantly obvious when they are happening, but that is the whole point...modulation specifically manipulates the listener into expecting a new tonic end chord. And later on, highly chromatic music became more and more interesting where the tonal key center was intentionally blurred to make things more interesting and less predictable perhaps. But chromaticism can be applied with or without changing the listener's expectation to resolve to some tonic chord. When it does change the listener's perception of home, then its a "modulation"

In my opinion, traditional university theory courses are sometimes unable to describe how and why certain borrowed chords might be used and resort to analyzing these changes as "modulation" but I feel that is erroneous analysis in many cases. Many kinds of borrowed chords can be used, which introduce chromaticism and do blur the line of tonic expectation, but still if you were to play the tonic chord, the listener would think "ah yes, that does still sound like home". The strong cadential resolve to it was blurred for a bit...but it really wasn't changed to a new one..it was just blurred. That is NOT modulation!

Conversely, modulation ELIMINATES the pull towards the original tonic..it's gone.... with a new strong pull towards a new tonic key center. That is modulation.

Chromatic techniques should be distinguished from "modulation". I feel that the more highly chromatic music is, the less likely it will have any modulation in it. That's the irony. Modulation as a technique actually infers highly tonicized music with very strong sense of pull towards home tonic chords...and every once in a while a modulation to a new tonal key center where it continues to sound with a very strong cadential pull towards the new tonic home. Highly chromatic music, on the other hand, tends to flow all over the place with a blurred or eliminated sense of home key..in which case any talk about "modulation" is moot.


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## ttw

Two comments. First, the word "modulation" is unfortunate though it has been used for 1000 or so years to mean "change of tonal center." I think it first meant using a Bb rather than a B somewhere. Schoenberg does make the point that to establish a key change, one needs to use notes that are diatonic in the new key but not in the old. Easily seen in modulating from C to G; one needs to express the F# diatonically rather than just as a chromatic passing note. Just using a secondary dominant doesn't necessarily establish a key.

Second, in broadcasting, modulation means making "small" changes to a carrier wave to carry the information. A musical analogy would be making a few chromatic excursions followed by a return to the main key so as to say, "See, we are still here." "Tonicization" is sometimes used in stuff I've read but that seems to imply really short excursions (though, maybe I read things wrongly.) It's a bit tricky as various structural features of a piece of music may develop over different time periods. A quick half-cadence on V using II7 (or V7/5) followed by the original key doesn't do much. A shift to the secondary theme in a sonata (I to V or i to III or I to III or I to bII or whatever one can get away with) is big. Even lazy listeners can probably hear this. Intermediate cases are intermediate.

The possibility of long-distance tonal relations is one difference between the "classical" and "popular" styles (though there are short "classical" songs.) There isn't the time (nor stylistic necessity) to have such large structures in a song designed to fit on a 78.


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## Steve S

ttw said:


> First, the word "modulation" is unfortunate though it has been used for 1000 or so years to mean "change of tonal center."



I've always understood "modulation" to refer to the process of moving from one tonal centre to another, rather than the fact that there has been a change of key. In other words, how you achieve the transition from the first key to the second key.

Steve S


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## ttw

Steve S said:


> I've always understood "modulation" to refer to the process of moving from one tonal centre to another, rather than the fact that there has been a change of key. In other words, how you achieve the transition from the first key to the second key.
> 
> Steve S


That's a lot clearer way to express it.


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## ed buller

Steve S said:


> I've always understood "modulation" to refer to the process of moving from one tonal centre to another, rather than the fact that there has been a change of key. In other words, how you achieve the transition from the first key to the second key.
> 
> Steve S


perfect description !

e


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## Living Fossil

Steve S said:


> I've always understood "modulation" to refer to the process of moving from one tonal centre to another, rather than the fact that there has been a change of key. In other words, how you achieve the transition from the first key to the second key.



Both exist, with blurred lines, but there are different terms:

- the term "modulation" applies when there is a real change of key, i.e. when the new tonal centre has weight (in the formal architecture)

- What you describe is called a "deviation" (in German, people like Schoenberg etc. used the term "Ausweichung"). 

I think it's always good to keep in mind the meaning in which certain terms are used in the literature.


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## Julien Jardon

mverta said:


> In this review video, I do my favorite modulations through all 12 keys if you want to check those out:



Mike I freakin love you :D


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## ed buller

Julien Jardon said:


> Mike I freakin love you :D


maestro !


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## handz

Julien Jardon said:


> Mike I freakin love you :D


Mike is awesome, but I hardly find myself to have time to watch 7 hours long videos lately


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## Julien Jardon

mverta said:


> In this review video, I do my favorite modulations through all 12 keys if you want to check those out:



loved it ! I could just find the major ones, do you plan to do also the minor ?  Thanks sooo much for sharing ... incredible !


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## ChrisHarrison

Found this one recently.

C major to F#major

C triad moves up to Db triad
Bass moves down to B
Gives you a Db7/B (Cb)

This is the 5 of F# 
Takes you to F#/A# 

You can move back to C the same way

F# up to G7/F, takes you to C/E

It’s wonderful. Enjoy


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## SamMarksMusic

Throw out the Germanic handbook and enter the open, expressive, and wonderful world of Impressionism 

But, in regards to traditional style modulations, anything romantic onwards is fantastic and expressive. Beethoven (later on) shows us how a chord can have many functions. I personally love the colourful and more expressive key changes of that style.


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## ZeroZero

A lot of cinematic chord sequences don't really have much regard for a key centre. Here are a few examples:


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## ZeroZero




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## Emanuel Fróes

Dewdman42 said:


> This is an interesting old thread that has been brought back. Some good and interesting comments...
> 
> Various chromatic techniques have been discussed, all useful...
> 
> My view about the term "modulation" is that this is really referring to when we make a change from a strong and well perceived tonal key center, to a different one. The ironic thing is that if you start introducing a lot of chromaticism, the tonal key center starts to shift around so much that its not even perceived anymore.
> 
> Here's the irony: If you don't have a well perceived tonal key center...with a listener expectation to resolve to some tonic...then how can you "modulate" from it to a different one?
> 
> See my point? In my view the term "modulation" should be reserved for specifically when you transition the work of music from a very strong tonal key center, one that has inherent listener expectations to resolve to some tonic chord; to a different and well perceived tonal key center with listener expectations about resolving to that new tonic.
> 
> Some techniques for doing that, which were well established in the classical era and sometimes used in pop music, have been mentioned here! They do tend to sound a little dated, because they are so blatantly obvious when they are happening, but that is the whole point...modulation specifically manipulates the listener into expecting a new tonic end chord. And later on, highly chromatic music became more and more interesting where the tonal key center was intentionally blurred to make things more interesting and less predictable perhaps. But chromaticism can be applied with or without changing the listener's expectation to resolve to some tonic chord. When it does change the listener's perception of home, then its a "modulation"
> 
> In my opinion, traditional university theory courses are sometimes unable to describe how and why certain borrowed chords might be used and resort to analyzing these changes as "modulation" but I feel that is erroneous analysis in many cases. Many kinds of borrowed chords can be used, which introduce chromaticism and do blur the line of tonic expectation, but still if you were to play the tonic chord, the listener would think "ah yes, that does still sound like home". The strong cadential resolve to it was blurred for a bit...but it really wasn't changed to a new one..it was just blurred. That is NOT modulation!
> 
> Conversely, modulation ELIMINATES the pull towards the original tonic..it's gone.... with a new strong pull towards a new tonic key center. That is modulation.
> 
> Chromatic techniques should be distinguished from "modulation". I feel that the more highly chromatic music is, the less likely it will have any modulation in it. That's the irony. Modulation as a technique actually infers highly tonicized music with very strong sense of pull towards home tonic chords...and every once in a while a modulation to a new tonal key center where it continues to sound with a very strong cadential pull towards the new tonic home. Highly chromatic music, on the other hand, tends to flow all over the place with a blurred or eliminated sense of home key..in which case any talk about "modulation" is moot.


Most people don´t distinguish between tonicization and key change (whats is mostly implied by form), so is hard to discuss without knowing what the interlocutor already understands and to which theorists he reffers to.

NOwadays people think the words are not important, you call as you like, and this confusion kills music theory.


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