Modulation - PBworksmarvinmusic.pbworks.com/f/Chapter+14+for+Web+Notes.pdf · first progressions move through a circle: ... Common chord modulation is the name given to a modulation

Topics

Important Concepts

Modulation

Closely Related Keys

Modulation

Modulation Pivot Chord Phrase Modulation Closely Related Keys Common Chord Direct Modulation Common Chord Modulation Chromatic Modulation

Modulation is a process which results in a shift of tonal center The term applies to those occasions in music when one established tonal center gives way to another

Most modulations occur between closely related keys which are those keys that differ by no more than one accidental in the key signature If the original key is C major the closely related keys are G major and F major and the relative minors of each of the three keys A minor E minor and D minor If the original key is A minor the closely related keys are E minor and D minor and C major G major and F major (figure 141)

Figure 141

Closely Related Keys of a Minor

An easy way to understand modulation is to observe the ebb and flow of circle proshygressions Up to this chapter circle progressions have consistently remained diatonic that is they have remained within the limits of a si ngle tonal center In figure 142 the first progressions move through a circle vi iiigt y7 I then repeat the ii6 and y7 all in D major However both sets of circle progressions in the second phrase conclude with the A major triad the chord preceding it is an P chord and acts as a dominant seventh and G-sharp is fonnd exclusively from measure 6 on All of this evidence points toward a modulation from D major to A major-a fact that will he quite evident when the excerpt is heard

243

Figure 142

Mozart Sonata in D Major K 284 III ill 1-8

_2 __

42 f

-

~ ~ -J T~ -=IfT~ --i ---~

~~ ~ P

DM 1 vi ii6 V7 1 ii6 V

5~ r~

Pivot 8 ---shyChord

f 16

AM

Common Chord Modulation

Phrase Modulation

Figure 143

Mozart Sonata in A Major K 331 III (Alia turca) m 6-10

Phrase modulation End of section New section begins

em v CM I v

The Structural Elements of Music244

ii 6 I

A common chord meaning a chord that is common to each of two keys offers a smooth inshytroduction to the new key since it is diatonic to both the old and the new key This common chord is often called a pivot chord because it becomes a sort of middle ground between the two keys Common chord modulation is the name given to a modulation where a common chord (or chords) exists Figure 142 contains a common chord-labeled in measure 5

Phrase modulation also known as direct modulation occurs between phrases periods or larger sections where a phrase cadences in one key and the next phrase begins immedishyately in a different key In figure 143 a phrase modulation occurs between phrases the first of which is in E minor and the second of which begins immediately in C major

~---

~

~ ----I

--- --

- I

~ - I

--- --

- t

---

- shy- shy- I

shy

A chromatic modulation occurs at the point of a chromatic progression (a progression that Chromatic involves the chromatic inflection of one or more tones) The letter name remains the same Modulation in a chromatic progression-for example in the following Bach chorale At chord 2 the

tenor is C but in chord 3 the C becomes C-sharp

figure 144

Bach Du grosser Schmerzensmann (Thou Great Man of Sorrow) BWV 300 m 5-6

Chromatic modulation

------shy u

(k

I 1

J I r

2 -JJshy4J J ~ J

If 6

J

-

w I I I I

FM I V dm V IV v

No common chord

Chromatic modulations often occur in passages where the two keys involved are riot closely related

There are a number of other modulation types in tonal music which will be discussed in Other Modulation the second volume of this book Types

Chapter 6 page 109 sets the parameters for identifying phrases and periods in music Modulations With the introduction of modulation some further information may be helpfuL In twoshyin Period phrase periods Construction

1 Either phrase may contain a modulation 2 Either phrase may cadence in a key different from the key at the beginning of the period 3 The basic definition of a period remains the cadence at the end of the second phrase

must be stronger than the cadence at the end of the first phrase

The following parallel period (figure 145) begins in D major but ends in A major Only the first measure of each phrase is the same

figure 145

Mozart Sonata in D Major K 284 III Variation XII m 1-8

Phrase I

2

r 3 r

I IE EJ I f Phrase 2

shy

7

f Y[[lIJ1

Same as measure 1 Ends in A major

Modulation 245

In figure 146 the second phrase is a sequence of the first phrase transposed up a step

Figure 146

Grieg The Last Spring op 34 no 2 m 3-10

Phrase 1

3 4 I

P I r D I r r iF

Phrase 2

7 8 I

~ I r f3 h J dJ 2iJ I

~

Notes of ftrst phrase transposed up one letter name ~bull ~

Figure 147 illustrates a contrasting period where the second phrase is in the key of the dominant ~

~ Figure 147

~bullHaydn Sonata in C-sharp Minor Hob XVI36 II (Scherzando) m 1-8 ~

Allegro con brio Phrase 1 bull I -

1 JI II 1iaI ~ ~ l 1 I ~~ ~

1 2 3 e--shy~ fL ~

---- I II ~ - II

AM 1 I IV 16

r ~ c EM IV6 vii7

Phrase 2 =shyIII

I I ~1 JI II I ~ ~ ~ - - i - i

shybullmiddot middot ~I~ I

~

shy 4 5 6 7 18

~J ~ I I I bull middot ------ L ~

~ Ii ~ I - -

---bull 1 IV V I bull

~bullAnalysis of Composition ~ Measure Phrase Cadence Key Symbol Form

1-4 1 Half AM a =J--Contrasting bull ~ 5-8 2 Perfect authentic EM b period

--bull 246 The Structural Elements of Music ~

tbull

L-__________________~____________________

---

Analytical Symbols for Modulations

Macro Analysis

Use the following symbols to analyze modulations

1 Common chord-select the common chord and analyze it in both keys

CM I ii6 V I

GM

2 Other types of modulation-name the new key and adjust chord analysis accordingly

GM I V I am

(Assignments 141-145 pages 253-258 WorkbookAnthology 14A-14E)

Macro analysis can be a very helpful tool in identifying modulation By using the followshying strategy it may be easier to determine if a modulation exists For any section of music to be analyzed

1 Complete the entire section or piece with the letter names first before writing down Roman numerals

Figure 148

~ I

)u j ~ j T rJ I ~ ~ I I IIII E~ B~ E~ A~ b~ E~7 A~

2 After completing the letter names go back and read through the analysis The letter names representing either major minor augmented or diminished chords may follow what would be expected in the key Pay particular attention to places where the letters change from the established pattern set up at the beginning of the piece especially at the ends of phrases In this example the V chord is represented by the letter Bk When this chord appears as a minor rather than major triad later in the example it is an indishycation of a modulation

Figure 149

3 Once a modulation is identified scan around that area to determine where the modulation begins and ends Go backward as well as forward on the score When the music modulates to a closely related key the modulation may not be readily apparent until a cadence in the new key In order to determine where the modulation begins look back in the score

4 Complete the analysis with slurs Roman numerals and inversions

Modulation 247

I

-- ----- ---------i ______

Figure 1410

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Renaissance Period (1450-1600)

Baroque Period (1600-1750)

Classical Period (1750-1825)

Romantic Period (1825-1900)

Post-Romantic and Impressionistic Period (1875-1920)

Contemporary Period ( I 920-Present)

Jazz and Popular Music (1900-Present)

Applications

Harmonizing Melodies That Modulate

248

History

Most compositions of the Renaissance period are modal and therefore did not contain modulations in the tonal sense

Simple modulations to closely related keys began to develop in the early baroque peshyriod Joachim Burmeister (1564-1629) in his treatise Musica poetica (The Poetics of Music) was one of the first theorists to distinguish between major and minor modes Composers were reluctant to wander far from the original tonic of a composition beshycause the prevailing system of tuning caused serious intonation problems By 1700 with the changes in the tuning system modulation became an integral part of the musishycal style

Modulation became somewhat more venturesome during thec1assical period During the last 25 years (1800-1825) of the period composers such as Beethoven (1770-1827) and Haydn (1732-1809) explored modulation to distant keys

It was during the romantic period that composers carried modulation to the limits Composers such as Wagner (1813-1883) Franck (1822-1890) and Liszt (1811-1886) developed highly chromatic styles in which frequent and unusual modulations were featured

During the post-romantic and impressionistic periods a number of composers expanded their tonal language beyond the bounds of traditional tonality With the demise of majorshyminor tonality modulation became a much less important factor in music

Much of the music written in the twentieth century goes beyond the tonal system based on major and minor keys

Except for some forms of jazz that incorporate atonality and free tonality both jazz and popular music are essentially tonal Consequently modulation still plays an important role in this music

The same procedure should be followed for melodies that modulate as for those that do not This procedure is described in chapter 10 Harmonic Progression and Harmonic Rhythm (see page 177) To illustrate the technique two phrases of the chorale tune Keinen hat Gott verlassen (God Has Forsaken No One) are harmonized to show each step of the process

The Structural Elements of Music

Figure 1411

Keinen hat Gatt verlassen (God Has Forsaken No One) m 1-4

r r

1 r r i bull bull bull~e -- r r ~

~ r E1 I r I I rI ~

Cadence Cadence

The key signature indicates either the key of G major or E minor The closely related keys are D Major C Major B Minor and A Minor

The end of the first phrase would support cadences in G major or C major Three possishybilities for the first cadence are shown in figure 1412

Figure 1412

Cadences in G Major Cadence in C Major --------------~I J - Authentic Deceptive Half

fl I I~ II~ r ~ r -I GM V I GM V VI CM ii V

-shyJ -shyFigure 1413 shows these same cadences in four-part harmony

--J

1

Figure 1413

Cadences in G Major Cadence in C Major 1 -shy

r r I 1 ~ I 1 ~ CI

~ I

) bull r iI I I I I

I

J J I J J I J J i_

I I 1 I I II I

Authentic Deceptive Half

GM V V I GM V V vi CM ii ii V

Five possibilities for the second cadence are shown in figure 1414

Figure 1414

Cadences in G Major Cadences in E Minor ------shy

Imperfect Authentic Authentic Deceptive Plagal Half

bull I bull J bull 11 m JI

I r II r I I

GM V I V VI em iv iv V

Modulation 249

Figure 1415 shows these same cadences in four-part harmony

J shyFigure 1415

Imperfect Authentic Imperfect Authentic Deceptive Plagal Half

GM v I I v vi em iv iv v

We will choose the key of G major and the key of E minor to illustrate the process of modulation The two phrases are shown in figure 1416 with possibJe harmonizations We have indicated circle progressions by drawing a line between chords

Figure 1416

~ ~-

~ -EMinor

~ v v v v -- -i VTI VII V V VII

nr~ III~ III~ m+ III) Irr+ v VIV v

III lIT 1 1 1 1 IV 1 1 III

~ G Major

- shyiii iii iii iii - vi V V~ iii 11l V viio I ii iii V 0 1

1 ~l 1 I IV iiiiii~I J iii Vl Vll

VI vi vi vi ii I I vi vi I iii IV

v vi

Play the chorale melody on the piano and accompany it (using block chords) with sevshyeral combinations from the above possibilities When a selection has been made follow the procedures described in chapter 10 Harmonic Progression and Harmonic Rhythm fashshyioning a compatible bass line adding the remaining voices and finally inserting approprishyate non harmonic tones The following suggestions will assist you in making good choices

1 Remember that the descending PS progression involving dominant and tonic harmony is important in establishing a key Be sure to include such progressions to clarify the key particularly after a modulation

2 For the present it is desirable to include at least one common chord just before the new key is to be initiated

3 Start your selection of chords with the cadence and work backward to establish a smooth set of progressions

From the previous information two harmonizations were made by students The first (figure 1417) conceives the entire melody in G major while the second (figure 1418) beshygins in E minor modulates to G major then returns to b minor

The Structural Elements of Music 250

Figure 1417

~ 1fI JI I I I I r-1 I-----------i

-~v ~

Iv I I I r----shyI

1

~ 1Il bull

J j J j j j j Ll j ~ J- - - I

- ~~I=~ I~ ~

GM I 16 1 VI V V6 I I v I

Figure 1418

I I I I I ~ ~ r-1 I I II --=

I

~ ~

I l- r iT~ I I

II

bull J J1l

~ J IJ ~ - J -

J J J ~ J ~~

II I I em V~ em i iV6 vi 6 [i - I

GM vi vi 111 I viio6 I lvi

Finally the harmonization of thcse two phrases by J S Bach is presented in figure 1419 for comparison

Figure 1419

Bach Keinen hat Gott verlassen (God Has Forsaken No One) BWV 369 m 1-4

-em V6 V7 I VI iv 6 Vem [1

GM LIV V V I I V6 V vi

(Assignments 146-1411 pages 259-265 WorkbookAnthology 14F-14G)

Modulation 251