modulation again

[electrik noize]

Just wondering if there are any books you all could recommend that deal with modulation from one key to another in detail.

When I have attempted to modulate before it seems jerky, unnatural and doesn't pull out the emotion I would have hoped for musically speaking.

I guess what I need are some exercises of the various ways one can modulate. Bouncing around in the same key for a whole song can be boring after a while. And I'm guessing that through interesting key modulations alot of ground can be covered

[Toxikator]

I can let you in on 5 kinds of modulation that I'm familiar with:

1) Direct modulation
- This modulation is immediate, involving no transition. It sounds jerky and unnatural, which can often be a desired effect.

2) Pivot chord modulation
- Modulate from one key to the other across a chord which is common to both keys. For example, you might modulate from C major to Bb major across the chord FMajor, which is diatonic to both keys. The motion from C-F is strong, as is the motion from F to Bb, and the fact that the chord appears in both prevents the chromaticism of the modulation from being too apparent.

3) Dominant 7th modulation
- In this form of modulation, you play a major chord that occurs naturally in the scale as if it were a Major/minor (AKA Dominant) 7th chord. For example, you might play CMaj, Dmin, GMaj, C7, F. Here, the dominant 7th esablishes the C chord as a dominant and not a tonic, allowing the piece to modulate down.

4) Diminished7-Dominant7 modulation
- This modulation is common in the harmonic minor mode; when playing the diminished 7th chord that occurs on the viio scale degree (and enharmonically, also the iio scale degree), you can lower any one note by a semitone (half-step) to create a Dominant 7th chord (again, this requires that the chord be analyzed enharmonically), which then resolves to its own I chord, distinct from the original key.

5) Secondary Dominant modulation/Secondary leading tone modulation
- Secondary dominants and secondary leading tones are chords which have their quality slightly altered in order to make them function as dominant chords or leading tone chords in the key of the chord following them. Typically, they are temporary modulations; for example, CMaj DMaj GMaj CMaj begins and ends in CMajor; the DMajor is very similar to the Dminor that is diatonic to C, but acts as the V of the G following it.

However, this kind of chord can be utilized to modulate; for example, CMaj, DMaj, GMaj, F#dim, GMaj.

[Km7]

Actually, 3) and 5) could be fused, and 4) labeled as enharmonic modulation, where the usage of augmented sixth chords and reinterpreting them as sevenths also fits in.
I think temporary modulation is too heavy term, when we talk about diatonic chords preceded by their secondary dominants or subdominants. It is actually tonicization which could eventually result in modulation.

[Toxikator]

Well 4) I bring up in particular because it's frequently employed by Beethoven and other Classical-romantic composers, perhaps more so than other enharmonic modulations.

[JumpingJackFlash]

Just wondering if there are any books you all could recommend that deal with modulation from one key to another in detail.

When I have attempted to modulate before it seems jerky, unnatural and doesn't pull out the emotion I would have hoped for musically speaking.

I guess what I need are some exercises of the various ways one can modulate. Bouncing around in the same key for a whole song can be boring after a while. And I'm guessing that through interesting key modulations alot of ground can be covered

My Introduction to Modulation may be helpful to you.

[electrik noize]

Cool. I think I just need to spend more time with it. Maybe I can make up some exercises for myself to try and learn how to execute this better