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Your favorite modulation tricks and tips?

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 :)
Click to expand...

Strauss was Steiner's godfather.
 
Cathbad said:
Strauss was Steiner's godfather.
Click to expand...
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.
 
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.
Click to expand...

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

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
 
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
Click to expand...
That's a lot clearer way to express it.
 
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
Click to expand...
perfect description !

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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.
Click to expand...

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

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.
 
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.
Click to expand...
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.
 
Negative harmony as a tool for modulation is great I think.
As sort of an extreem example, each chord change here is negative harmony of the previous chord:

GM7 EbM7 DbM7 BM7 AM7 GM7 FM7 EbM7
 
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