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to D just before the fade. They went further with 'I Hear A Symphony', where the song shifts a semitone (half-step)
at least four times and does so somewhat abruptly, causing difficulties for the pitching of the melody (a classic
problem of this modulation). It starts in C, moves to Db, then to D and finishes in Eb. Diana Ross copes well with
the first three key changes but is audibly off-pitch for a bar on the last one. The ratcheting up, key by key, has
significance lyrically in expressing the ecstasy of the lovers. The excessive modulation may also be a nod to the
word "symphony" in the title.
Classic Pop Modulation #2—
The Tone Shift
After the semitone (half-step) shift comes the tone (full step) shift. This is a key change to a closer key. If a song is
in C major, a tone shift will take it to D major, so what was a scale of seven natural notes (C D E F G A B C)
becomes a scale of two sharps (D E F# G A B C#).
Like the semitone shift, this key change is usually performed with an act of musical assertion rather than an
approach that is musically smooth. In fact, though, there are plenty of common chords with which to make the
approach: namely, Em, G and C (as a common bVII chord in D) as well as F (as bIII in D).
Sometimes this modulation is used not only for repeats of a chorus but to contrast a verse and a chorus, giving each
chorus a "lift" in relation to the verse. A IV-I change into the new key can easily do the trick:
V
V: CFGCFGch: D
IV IExamples of songs that use a tone shift include: 'My Girl' C-D, 'Up The Ladder To The Roof' Bb-C, 'What Becomes
Of The Broken-Hearted' v Bb ch C, 'Baby I Need Your Loving' v Bb ch Ab, 'So Lonely' C-D, 'Going Underground'
B-C#, 'If You're Going To San Francisco' Em-F#m (partial final v), 'Young Girl', 'Something In The Air' E-F#,
'Londinium' v A ch B s C#, 'She's Waiting' G-A, 'Fox On The Run' C ch Bb v (drops back), 'See My Baby Jive' v D
ch E, 'I've Just Got To Get A Message To You' v Bb ch C, 'Don't Worry Baby' E to F#, 'The Best Of Me' E-F#, 'My
Sweet Lord' E-F#, 'See Emily Play' v G ch A, 'Dance Away' v Eb ch F, 'Anarchy In The UK' 2nd gtr break C-D then
back, 'God Save The Queen' A-B, 'Instant Karma' v A ch G, 'Only Happy When It Rains' (Garbage) v B ch C#,
'Please Forgive Me' v A ch B and 'Exhuming McCarthy' Ab-F#(Gb).
Other Modulations
1 (C-Eb or Ebm)
'Children Of The Revolution' v E ch G, 'Get Ready' v D ch F, 'Shoplifters Of The World', 'You're Going To Lose
That Girl', 'Don't Sleep In The Subway' v C ch Eb, 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' A C, 'Pretty Woman' F-Ab,
'Summer Of 69' br D-F, 'When You're Young And In Love' C-Eb, 'Tears In Heaven' A-C.
2 (C-E or Em)
'Needles And Pins', 'Message In A Bottle' v C#m ch A, 'There's A Place' v A ch C#m, 'Bus Stop' starts in Em br goes
G F#7 Bm (momentarily in Bm).
3 (C-F or Fm)
'Mull Of Kintyre' v A v D, 'You've Got Your Troubles' v Ab D, 'Octopus' Garden' E A, 'Roadrunner' C F,
'Sidewinder' v C ch G, 'I Can See For Miles' v E br A, 'Yes