CHAPTER 29 : MODULATION
The term MODULATION has several different definitions, even inside the
realm of music. The most common use in contemporary music refers to a
Transposition within a piece of music – a point in the song where you change
the Key and continue the song in a new Key (usually a higher key) -
e.g. “Let’s MODULATE up to D Major for the last chorus” or
“Let’s MODULATE down a 4
th
as we transition to the next song in the medley”.nuggets of knowledgeMODULATION means changing from one Key Center to another.The most common place to hear a Modulation in pop music would be leading
into the last chorus of a song, but they can happen anywhere. Sometimes an
arrangement may modulate a particular section for a soloist (a verse for a low
alto for instance) and then modulate back when the other singers join.
There are two basic types:
PHRASE MODULATION
PIVOT CHORD MODULATION