Modulation - you tricky tricky friend you!

So I was thinking about my strengths and weaknesses, and what I need to do to improve my writing. One area I seem to struggle with is modulations. I can't write a smooth modulation to save my life. Now I know that modulations and being in your initial key, and moving to another key has to have a purpose. I do a lot of marching band writing so modulating for power ranges of different instruments, and maximizing impact for the brass is important.

Anyone have any suggestions on different exercises on how to work on the different types of modulations?

(please don't suggest putting a drum break and then direct mod. been there done that ;) )

Anyone want to share tips on how to modulate more smoothly? I'm becoming a fan more and more of common tone modulations. :)

Thanks Everyone!

-Cheers

Well if you only go up or down a maj/min second, you can just change keys without any fancy footwork. Almost every pop song from the nineties does this. They'll sing the chorus at the end, and then repeat it again but up a step or two. Otherwise, it's easier to change to closely related keys (up a fifth or down a fourth) buy using secondary dominants. E.g. If your in C-Maj, you can go -- a-min (vi), D-maj or D7 (V/V or V7/V), G-maj (V). Now G-maj has become your tonic. That's a very simple way of doing it. I'm sure others here will have their own suggestions.

There are two kinds of modulations: Diatonic modulations and chromatic modulations.

A diatonic modulation is when you use "pivot" chords between the two keys you're modulating to/from. For example:

You want to modulate from C major to D major. The common chord between both keys is G major (as dominant from C, and subdominant from D) so you'll be using this chord between both to make the transition more natural/smooth. It'll look something like this:

C: I -> V

D: ---- S -> V -> I

Where V by D would be A major. It's a cheap and dirty modulation, yes, but it shows the principle between such modulations.

Now, chromatic modulations are a lot more free in terms of what you can do with them. You can violently change keys, and use enharmonic changes to jump from one key to the other. It's kind of disorienting to hear, but it's something every composer ends up using towards the late 19th century. For example:

You're in Cb Major and want to modulate to F major. What you first want to do is see where is there an option to use enharmonic changes to make the transition smooth. In this case, you have to take a form of V by Cb (which is a diminished V chord +minor 9th without root: Bb, Db, Fb, Abb) and turn it enharmonically into the V from F major (G, Db, E, Bb.) Same actual sound, even if written entirely differently. You can therefore make the jump right away in terms of sound, even if on paper it looks complicated. It looks like this:

Cb: I -> V(+m9 -root)

F: ------ V(+m9 -root) -> I (or interrupted cadence, etc.)

Diminished chords are, in general, used to modulate chromatically as any single tone from that chord can be used as the leading note to a different chord, regardless of their position in the 5ths circle, as the example above demonstrates.

Awesome help guys! I'm trying to stay away from "normal" secondary dominants i.e. V/V (ex: C major modulating to G major, I V/V (D major chord), and bam new key to G). Sometimes those type of mod's don't work with marching bands, but it just depends on how they are approached I guess. By don't work I mean they work harmonically but they are just a little cheesy with them (or they are for my taste). After listening to a lot of drum corp some modulate with more crazy chords like using bVII's in different keys and having the new tonic pedal so for example ( Eb major to Bb Major. simple progression in Eb: I -> IV -> V (just root) then add the Ab Major Chord (IV in Eb / bVII in Bb) then add a F (M6) to the chord almost giving it a function of a minor v7 in Bb and then bam! resolve to Bb.

My main goal is to improve my marching band writing. thats where my career has led me and that is to be my main focus. if you want to check out some of my music look at my website! http://jmbmusic.net

Any other suggestions are definitely welcome!

(please don't suggest putting a drum break and then direct mod. been there done that ;) )

tone clusters -> direct mod :D

tone clusters -> direct mod :D

Lol.

No, but seriously, that's a pretty cool idea.

well it definitely wasn't mine, it's done pretty often. blasted new music.

There are two kinds of modulations: Diatonic modulations and chromatic modulations.

And direct modulations. ;) There are a lot of those kind.

Nice run-down, SSC.

And direct modulations. ;) There are a lot of those kind.

Nice run-down, SSC.

Well hard to call just jumping from one key to another a "modulation," as modulation describes the process of introducing a new key by means of establishing it through cadence harmony.

Unless that's not what you mean with "direct" modulations, I've never encountered the term.

Well hard to call just jumping from one key to another a "modulation," as modulation describes the process of introducing a new key by means of establishing it through cadence harmony.

Unless that's not what you mean with "direct" modulations, I've never encountered the term.

The way it was explained to me here at uni, direct modulation is a rather sloppy term used for any modulation that isn't common tone, common chord, or chromatic. The way I understand modulations, "proper modulations" must utilize some form of chord native to both the old and new keys. Call me unorthodox, but I don't think changing keys need be so restricted.

The way it was explained to me here at uni, direct modulation is a rather sloppy term used for any modulation that isn't common tone, common chord, or chromatic. The way I understand modulations, "proper modulations" must utilize some form of chord native to both the old and new keys. Call me unorthodox, but I don't think changing keys need be so restricted.

Er, it's not about what is restricted or not, just that I think it makes no sense to call something a modulation when all you're doing is just tacking on the new key. Seems to be strictly american/english terminology too, unsurprisingly.

's where I live. :P Dunna what to tell ya, it's just what we call it.