Chapter 39 Modulating melodies

In this chapter, you'll learn the basics about one-part modulations. In the Workbook, Melody, Modulation one-part you'll find exercises to improve your skills.

39.1 Modulating melodies, starting in major

In a modulation a key of some music changes and another key will be established. We give here a small introduction to simple modulations to a few related keys:

• C major > A minor
• C major > G major
• C major > F major
• C major > E minor
• C major > D minor

There are a few, easy tricks to make a good modulation:

• Establish first the old key by closing formulas, e.g 1 7 1, 3 2 1, 5 6 7 1;
• Use again closing formulas to define the new tonic;
• Use tones that have both keys in common to make a modulation smooth.

Example:

X:1
T: C major > A minor via common tone A (X)
M:none
L:1/16
%%MIDI program 79
Q:1/1=72
K:C clef=treble
%%annotationfont Times 10
%%keywarn 0
"_;defining C major"!h_br(!!c1!C16 D16 !c3!E16 !c2!D16 !c1!C16 c16 B16 !h_br(!x !h_br)!"_;X""^defining A minor"A16x ^G16 !c5!E16 !c6!^F16 !c7!^G16 !h_br)!!c1!A16 |]

Example 1

The marked tone A is 6 in C major and 1 in A minor. Tone G# = 7 in A minor is the first tone that leads into a new key. Sequences are effective means to make a modulation fast and smooth. Example:

X:1
T: C major > F major via common tone F (X) and using a sequence technique.
M:none
L:1/16
Q:1/1=72
%%MIDI program 79
K:C clef=treble
%%annotationfont Times 10
%%keywarn 0
"_;defining C major"!h_br(!!c1!C16 D16 E16 F16 !c3!E16 !c2!D16 !c1!C16 !h_br(!x !h_br)!"_;X""^defining F major"F16x G16 A16 _B16 !c3!A16 !c2!G16 !c1!F16 |]

Example 2

In E minor the 2 is tone F#. To introduce tone F# smoothly, you could avoid tone F when you establish C major and use F# at the end of the melody. Example:

X:1
T: C major > E minor via common tone C(X), avoiding tone F in C major.
M:none
L:1/16
%%MIDI program 79
Q:1/1=72
K:C clef=treble
%%annotationfont Times 10
%%keywarn 0
"_;defining C major"!h_br(!!c1!C16 E16 G16 !c3!E16 !c2!D16 !c7!B,16 !c1!C16 !h_br(!x !h_br)!"_;X""^defining E minor"c16x B16 G16 E16 A16 !c3!G16 !c2!^F16 !c1!E16 |]

Example 3

Note that the last examples can be use completely to modulate to G major.

X:1
T: C major > G major like C major > E minor.
M:none
L:1/16
%%MIDI program 79
%%Q:1/1=72
K:C clef=treble
%%annotationfont Times 10
%%keywarn 0
"_;defining C major"!h_br(!!c1!C16 E16 G16 !c3!E16 !c2!D16 !c7!B,16 !c1!C16 !h_br(!x !h_br)!"_;X""^defining G minor"c16x B16 G16 E16 A16 !c1!G16 !c7!^F16 !c1!G16 |]

Example 4

Now we'll give you some short sight-reading exercises with modulating melodies.

X:1
M:none
L:1/16
%%MIDI program 79
K:C clef=treble
%%annotationfont Times 10
%%keywarn 0
[K:Dmaj][M:2/4]"_D major > A major"D6 F8/4 | A4 B4 | A8/4B8/4 A8/4G8/4 | F8 | d6 B8/4 | A4 ^G4 | A8/4B8/4 ^c8/4B8/4 | A8 |]
[K:Fmaj][M:3/4]"_F major > D minor"A6 G8/4 F4 | G8/4F8/4 E8 | F6 E8/4 D4 | ^C6 D8/4 E8/4F8/4 | G8 A4 | D48/4 |]
[K:Ebmaj][M:2/2]"_Eb major > G minor"G8 c8 | B4 D4 E8 | G8 c8 | B4 =A4 G4 ^F4 | G16 |]
[K:Amaj][M:6/8]"_A major > D major"c3BA8/4 G3FE8/4 | F4 B8/4 A8/4 G4 | F3ED8/4 E3DC8/4 | D4 F8/4 =G8/4 F4 | E6  D6 |]

Example 5

The next melodies modulate twice! It shows that you can use a key as intermediate key.

X:1
M:none
L:1/16
%%MIDI program 79
K:C clef=treble
%%annotationfont Times 10
%%keywarn 0
[K:Cmaj][M:3/4]"_C major > G major (intermediate)"C8/4B,8/4 C8/4D8/4 E8/4F8/4 | G4 E4 C4 | G8/4c8/4 B8/4A8/4 G8/4^F8/4 | "_G major (intermediate) > E minor"G4 B4 G4 | ^F8/4A8/4 G8/4F8/4 E8/4^D8/4 | E4 G4 B4 | E48/4 |]
[K:Cmaj][M:2/4]"_C major > F major (intermediate)"C4 E8/4F8/4 | G4 C4 | F4 A8/4_B8/4 |  c4 "_F major > D minor"F4 | _B4 G8/4E8/4 | A4 F8/4^C8/4 | D48/4 |]

Example 6

39.2 Modulating melodies, starting in minor

Again simple modulations to a few related keys, now starting in minor:

• A minor > C major
• A minor > D minor
• A minor > E minor
• A minor > F major
• A minor > G major

The procedures are the same as we saw before: establish the minor key, find a common tone between the current and the new key (X) and define the new key via closing formulas. Now we'll give you some short sight-reading exercises with modulating melodies. We first show how three identical measures can lead to different keys, using tone A as common tone.

X:1
M:none
L:1/16
%%MIDI program 79
K:C clef=treble
%%annotationfont Times 10
%%keywarn 0
[K:Amin][M:2/4]"_A minor > C major"A4 C4 | E4 ^G,4 | A,4 "X"A4 | G4 F4 | E4 D4 | C8  |]
[K:Amin][M:2/4]"_A minor > D minor"A4 C4 | E4 ^G,4 | A,4 "X"A4 | F4 E4- | E4 ^C4 | D8  |]
[K:Amin][M:2/4]"_A minor > E minor"A4 C4 | E4 ^G,4 | A,4 "X"A4 | B4 E4 | ^F4 ^D4 | E8  |]
[K:Amin][M:2/4]"_A minor > F major"A4 C4 | E4 ^G,4 | A,4 "X"A4 | _B4 G4 | A4 G4 | F8  |]
[K:Amin][M:2/4]"_A minor > G major"A4 C4 | E4 ^G,4 | A,4 "X"A4 | B4 c4- | c4 ^F4 | G8  |]

Example 7

More complex examples

X:1
M:none
L:1/16
%%MIDI program 79
K:C clef=treble
%%annotationfont Times 10
%%keywarn 0
[K:Dmin][M:2/4]"_D minor > F major"d4 z8/4 ^c8/4 | d4 z8/4 B8/4 | A8/4B8/4 A8/4G8/4 | F4 z8/4 E8/4 | D4 z8/4 E8/4 | F4 z8/4 G8/4 | A8/4B8/4 c8/4B8/4 | A4 G4 | F8 |]
[K:Gmin][M:3/4]"_G minor > C minor" d6 c8/4 B4 | A6 G8/4 ^F4 | G4 =F4 E4 | D48/4 | C6 D8/4 E4 | F6 G8/4 _A4 | G4 e4 d4 | c48/4 |]
[K:Emin][M:2/2]"_E minor > C major"B8 | E8 B8 | G8 F8 | E8 B8 | c4 B8 A4 | B8 A4G4 | A4 G8 =F4 | G8 D8 | E4 D8 B,4 | C16 |]

Example 8

Of course, sequences can be a great help to modulate.

X:1
M:none
L:1/16
%%MIDI program 79
K:C clef=treble
%%annotationfont Times 10
%%keywarn 0
[K:Bmin][M:6/8]"_B minor > E minor"B3BB8/4 ^A3Bc8/4 | d3cB8/4 ^A8/4F4 | B3BB8/4 G8/4E4 | =A3AA8/4 F8/4D8/4^D8/4 | E3FG8/4 A3GF8/4 | E8/4B,4 E6 |] 
[K:Cmin][M:2/4]"_C minor > Bb major"C8/4D8/4 | E4 F4 | G4 B8/4A8/4 | G8/4A8/4 G8/4F8/4 | E4 c8/4B8/4 | =A8/4B8/4 A8/4G8/4 F4 G8/4=A8/4 | B8/4c8/4 B8/4=A8/4 B4 F4 | B,8 |]

Example 9

How to modulate from E minor to B minor and back to G minor again? Well, the backwards modulation is only a matter of undoing the alterations.

X:1
M:none
L:1/16
%%MIDI program 79
K:C clef=treble
%%annotationfont Times 10
%%keywarn 0
[K:Emin][M:3+2/8]"_E minor > B minor > E minor"E6  G4  |  A6  B4  |  A6  B4  |  ^c6  d4  |  B6  ^A4  |  B6 z4 |  d6  =c4  |  B6  =A4  |  G6  F4  |  E6  ^D4  |  E6  |]
[K:F#min][M:2/2]"_;F# minor > A major > F# minor"z4 A8 G4-  |  G4 F4 ^E8  |  z4 c8 B4-  |  B4 A8 G4-  |  G4 F4 =E8  |  z4 A8 G4-  |  G4 F4 ^E8  |  D4 C8 F4-  |  F4 ^E4 F8  |]
[K:Cmin][M:3/2]"_;C minor > G minor > C minor"C8 E8 A8 | =B,16 C8 | D8 E8 F8 | G8 ^F16 | G8 =A8 B8 | _A8 G8 F8- | F8 D8 G8 | C96/4 |]
[K:Dmin][M:4/8]"_;D minor > G minor > D minor"D8/4d8/4 ^c8/4A8/4 | D8/4=c8/4 B8/4G8/4 | D8/4B8/4 A8/4^F8/4 | G8/4A8/4 B4 | D8/4d8/4 ^c8/4A8/4 | B8/4d8/4 ^c8/4A8/4 | G8/4A8/4 F8/4E8/4 | D8 |]   
[K:Bmin][M:2/4]"_;B minor > A major > B minor"(3B,8/4C8/4D8/4 E8/4C8/4 | (3D8/4E8/4F8/4 G8/4E8/4 | (3F8/4^G8/4A8/4 (3B8/4A8/4G8/4 | A8 | (3B8/4A8/4=G8/4 A8/4F8/4 | (3G8/4F8/4E8/4 F8/4D8/4 | (3E8/4D8/4C8/4 D8/4C8/4 | B,8 |]

Example 10