Your favorite modulation tricks and tips?
- Thread starter tokatila
- Start date
Kralc
Senior Member
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.
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.
Ned Bouhalassa
Senior Member
Quick! Someone make this a stickie! Great tips.
Patrick de Caumette
Senior Member
This is now a sticky: let's see how many modulation ideas we can come up with!
JohnG
Senior Member
tokatila @ 14th April 2015 said:
Here's my favourite version of that tune.
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/f03d46 ... n-original
Living Fossil
Senior Member
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.
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.
Kralc
Senior Member
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.
Living Fossil
Senior Member
@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.
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.
Kralc
Senior Member
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.
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.
reddognoyz
Senior Member
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.
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.
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.
Living Fossil
Senior Member
@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.
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.
tack
Damned Dirty Ape
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.
