Modulation

©2011 m.mermikides@surrey.co.uk

We have so far been focusing on what happens harmonically within a key, or

tonal centre, and have only made passing reference to the use of modulation
– changing tonal centre – in popular music harmony. Here is a short
introduction to the concept that will help identify, differentiate and employ
various modulation devices.

Identifying a Modulation

First of all, how can we identify that a modulation occurs at all. Why isn’t a
secondary dominant, or minor key borrowing considered a modulation?
There is no perfectly clear methodology, and there is certainly room for
subjectivity but here are some good indicators.

1. Is a significant section of music repeated almost identically with a

transposition in both harmony and melody? This is the most clearly
identifiable occurrence of modulation. We’ll call this simple
transposition.
2. When the harmony is taken in isolation, there is almost always a sense
of the home – tonic – chord, the one that most comfortably would end
the song. Is there a significant passage of music where this tonic
chord changes?
3. When transcribed is there a lot more accidentals suddenly occurring in
the melody? Would the use of a new key signature reduce this
significantly? Do the chords in this new section fit well with the new
key signature?

Key relations

What is the key shift in terms of intervals? Common modulations include an

ascent of a minor second, major second, minor 3rd and major 3rd – and a
descent of a minor 3rd and major 3rd. However there are examples of all
interval transpositions across a range of repertoire.

How does the tonality/modality change? Is it from one major to another

major key? Major to minor? One key of Dorian to another? Is there a diatonic
relationship between keys? (Eg Bb major to Gminor, Fmajor to A minor etc.)
If more than one modulation occurs is there a clear pattern (constantly rising
semitones, or major thirds for example)?
Once modulations occur is the original key ever revisited.

©2011 Milton Mermikides

 Modulation Structures

Once all the modulations have been identified, it is instructive to see how and
when they occur in terms of form. For example does the modulation occur
towards the end of the track as a ‘lift’? (E.g. Son of A Preacher Man, My Girl
Bold as Love etc.) Or perhaps an end section contains many incremental
modulations.

Often modulations appear as part of the form and the original key is revisited,
like the Bridge of a jazz tune for example (So What, What’s New, I’m Through
With Love and hundreds of other examples). Alternatively the modulated
section can be a ‘one-off’ like the saxophone solo in Respect for example.

Is the modulation ‘prepared’ in any way. This might involve using chords that
are related to the two key centres during modulation, or a prepared ii-V7 into
the new section. On the other hand is the modulation direct, ‘unprepared’
and/or unrelated to the original key?

Modulations can occur on multiple levels. That is, a section may contain
modulations and then this whole section can be modulated. Some examples
are provided below.

Some Examples

All these considerations will give a much clearer method for analyzing,
assimilating and creating modulations. Here are a couple of quick examples:

My Girl – The Temptations. This tune is in the key of C major. About 5/8
through the tune a very simply dominant gesture modulates the chorus up a
major 2nd to D major.

So What - Miles Davis. This includes a modulation as part of its repeating

AABA form with a simple transposition of the D Dorian in the A section, up a
semitone to Eb Dorian. There is little preparation and relationship between
the keys and the melody and chords are simply transposed up a semitone.

Bold as Love - Jimi Hendrix. The tune is in A major, and after the final chorus
there is a guitar solo over the chorus chords. After a drum break the solo
continues over the same chords, but transposed up a major 3rd to C#major,
and fades out on this section.

What’s New – Jazz standard. The structure is a repeating AABA form. The A
sections are in C and the B section is in F, and contains very similar melody
and harmony to the A section but is simply transposed up a 4th. This
modulation (and modulation back) is prepared with a cadence, and sounds
very natural as F major is a diatonic chord in C major.

©2011 Milton Mermikides

I’m Through With Love – Jazz standard. The form is a repeating AABA with
the A sections in F major and the middle B section in A minor with new
melodic material. This modulation is prepared with a ii-V and feels natural
because Am is a diatonic chord in F major.

Fever – This has a simple chord sequence that is often performed with
several on cue unprepared transpositions up a semitone.

All The Things You Are – The form is AA1 BA2 The A section starts in A-flat
and modulates up to C major. Then this entire sequence is transposed –
without preparation- up a 5th to Eb – and then to G major. The B section
starts in G major and then modulates without preparation to Emajor. The
final section is similar to the first, but it remains, after an extended ending in
the key of A-flat. So there are 5 major key areas. Ab, C, Eb, G, E. Notice how
they are each of these key areas has another key a major 3rd away. And the
shift up a major 3rd in the A sections, is mirrored in the modulation from E to
A-flat out of the bridge to the last A.

Giant Steps – John Coltrane. This is an extreme example of modulations. The

entire piece uses three key areas, B major, Eb major and G major. Notice
how they divide the octave in major thirds. The first section rapidly moves
through these 3 key areas (with dominant chord preparations) B – G – Eb.
Then a ii-V prepares a repetition of this same section down a major third –
this time moving through G – Eb – B. Then a series of ii-V-I progressions
occur in the 3 key areas: Eb, G, B, Eb and then a ii- V back to the B to repeat
the form. An intricately self-contained pattern of modulations.

Find some examples (there are countless out there) and see if you can
identify these characteristics, as well as the musical effect they create.

©2011 Milton Mermikides