Modulation

Introduction

We are now in week 8 and our compositional tool belts are expanding fast now. The next tool we'll be looking at is modulation. First, we'll review pivot modulation and then we'll get into the aesthetic effect of close and distantly related modulations. One more modulation that we'll look at closely is transitional modulation. This is where the listener consciously perceives that they are traveling between two different keys.

In Composers on Composing we'll be asking three more composers how form influences their compositions.

Objectives

By the end of the lesson, you will be able to:

Revolving Door to an Unexpected Room: Pivot Modulations Revisited

In lesson 10 of Music Theory and Composition 2 you learned about modulating from a major key to its relative minor and from a minor key to its relative major. You also learned about the use of pivot chords to modulate to closely related keys. We also discussed the fact that secondary dominants can be especially effective as pivot chords and that modal interchange chords can be used in this capacity as well. Let's take some time now to review these concepts.

Major Key to Relative Minor Modulation

As you know, relative major and minor keys share a key signature. Identifying when a modulation has occurred will depend on a number of factors. The first factor in deciding whether a modulation has taken place is length and strength. A VI- chord preceded by a V7/VI and then moving back to the major key area is not a modulation because the V7/VI is a secondary dominant. With a secondary dominant, the music will quickly return to the major key as shown in Example 1.

Example 1. V7/VI Remaining in the Major Key:

In Example 1 you can see and hear that the G in V7/VI immediately returns to a G natural. There is also a strong cadence ending the phrase solidly in C major. Although the A minor chord (the I- chord in the relative minor of C major) is preceded by a dominant chord, and because the G (the leading tone in A minor) is quickly negated, we hear the E7 chord functioning as a secondary dominant. There is not the length or strength that would indicate a modulation.

In Example 2 there is also an E7 chord. Hear and see that in this example G continues and that there is a strong cadence in A minor. This is an example of length and strength. The length is created by the persistence of the leading tone (G) in A minor and the strength is created by the persistence of the leading tone as well as the strong cadence in the relative minor key. The E7 in Example 1 functioned as a secondary dominant. In Example 2, E7 is functioning as the dominant of the new key (A minor) and is called a pivot chord. A pivot chord functions in both the original key and the new key, or secondary key. Just like skateboarders can pivot on their board to turn a corner, a pivot chord pivots the tonal center into a new key. In order to indicate the relationship and function using Roman numeral analysis, the chord's function in the original key is put in parentheses (V7/VI) above the new key's function, V7. The interval of modulation, meaning the interval from Do of the primary key to Do of the secondary key, is indicated by an arrow following the pivot chord. In Example 2 the music modulates down a minor third (C major to A minor) from major to relative minor that is shown by a down arrow with a -3 to indicate the interval of modulation.

Example 2. Clear Modulation from Major to Relative Minor:

Minor Key to Relative Major Modulation

Modulations from a minor key moving to its relative major can also occur. Example 3 shows a modulation moving from major to relative minor followed by a return to relative major. The key of C major is established in the first three bars before the G leading tone occurs in bar four. The E7 chord (dominant in A minor) sets up the minor line cliché in bars 5 and 6 and is the pivot chord. The key of A minor is firmly established by the authentic cadence in bars 7 to 8. The move back to C major occurs in bar 9 with a strong IV to V7 to I cadence returning to C major.

Example 3. Modulation to Relative Minor and Back:

"You’ve Got a Friend" Modulation

"You've Got a Friend," written by Carole King, and made famous by James Taylor, is a good example of a song that modulates from minor key to its relative major. The verses are in F minor and the choruses are in A major. Listen to the first verse and chorus and see how the music seamlessly moves from minor to relative major and back. The E7(sus4) moving to A in the verse foreshadows the modulation in the chorus. However, the recurring C7 that has the leading tone (E) to F minor keeps the verse solidly in F minor. The song modulates to A major through an E7(sus4) pivot chord setting up the chorus. In the chorus, a persistent E natural anchors the listener in major until the return to F# minor in the verse. Notice how the song suddenly brightens when the modulation to major occurs in the chorus.

Modulating between relative minor and major is a smooth and common way to create interest and contrast in a song or composition. In songs and most classical compositions, if the music modulates to the relative minor from major, it is common for the music to return to the starting key. This is also true when modulating from minor to relative major. Remember that length and strength are the two components that make a clear modulation.

Workshop: Relative Major and Minor Modulation Practice

For this workshop you will:

1. Write a chord progression and melody that either modulates from minor to relative major or major to relative minor.

2. Analyze the following progression and melody using Roman numerals. Remember to use parenthetical analysis to show the function of the pivot chord in the initial key and to indicate the modulation with an upward or downward arrow showing the modulation interval.

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Reveal Workshop Answers

Pivot Modulation Using Secondary Dominants

It helps to have a change of scenery from time to time because it brings new stimulation to our senses and that can positively affect creativity, art, and our relationship to the world around us. In fact, writer Haruki Murakami states in his book South of the Border, West of the Sun: A Novel, "A simple change of scenery can bring about powerful shifts in the flow of time and emotions."

If you think of modulation like changing scenery, where you go and how you get there becomes relevant. You could walk, ride a unicycle, take a train, or maybe even a spaceship. Or maybe you'll ride a Ferris wheel, hop a zip line, or grab a funicular.

And think of the places you could go! Perhaps you'll find yourself atop the Burj Khalifa or biking across France. Perhaps you'll find yourself on a gondola in Venice or sliding down the salt mines in Salzburg. Or perhaps you'll travel right in your own backyard and see it for the first time from a fresh perspective.

Change comes in many forms. It can be subtle or dramatic and all of the shades in between. One vehicle for creating a change of musical scenery through the shifting of tonality is secondary dominants, which we will be learning about in this topic.

“Everlasting Love" Analysis

As you know, secondary dominants are dominant 7th chords that have dominant function. In their natural setting they modify, or move to, their diatonic chord of resolution. These chords provide harmonic movement because of their instability, which is created by the tritone between the 3rd and 7th of the chord. Because of their harmonic drive, secondary dominants are perfect vehicles to take the listener to a new location.

Download the following PDF, which contains the chords to Cayson and Gaden's "Everlasting Love," which was a top 40 hit in the US four times in different decades and was recorded by four different artists. The recording you'll hear is by Carl Carlson.

Listen carefully to the harmonic function and cadence within each phrase. Although the bass and guitar are playing a "tonic pedal," meaning that they're playing Do of the key, try to sing along with the root motion of the chords. Also sing Do so you know where the tonal center is located. During the verse, Do will be easy to hear because of the tonic pedal. Notice if you hear the tonal center shift. After you've listened to the song, analyze the chords and include any appropriate graphics. When you are done analyzing, check your answers and then continue with the discussion about the song.

Download "Everlasting Love" Chords (PDF)

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Reveal "Everlasting Love" Analysis

How did that go? Were you able to hear the shift in the tonal center?

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The structure of this song helps to clarify where the modulation takes place. The verse is made up of a four-bar harmonic phrase that starts and ends on the I chord. It utilizes a modal interchange cadence using IV-6. As the verse concludes and moves into the chorus, the section is extended by one extra measure, which, along with the tonic pedal, is a clever way to build harmonic tension and release into the chorus as well as the use of modulation.

The verse is in the key of A major, which is the primary key, and the chorus is in the key of E major, which is the secondary key. Notice that the key signature remains in the key of A major. As noted in topic 1, when a modulation occurs within a song, the key signature follows the primary key throughout the entire song. When the song moves into the secondary key, accidentals are added to accommodate the new key.

The measure before the chorus uses a B chord which acts as a pivot chord between the two keys, meaning the B chord can be heard as a functioning chord in the primary key as well as the secondary key. This type of modulation is called a "pivot modulation." As outlined in topic 2, the pivot chord receives two Roman numerals because it can be heard in relation to both keys. To reiterate, the analysis symbol on top represents the role of the chord in the primary key, or its original sound, while the symbol on the bottom represents the role of the chord in the secondary key, or what it sounds like in relation to the secondary key. In real time moving forward, the B chord sounds like V7/V. There is an expectation that it will resolve to E7. You do not fully hear the modulation until the first measure of the chorus when the E chord sounds. Retrospectively, the B chord is heard as a V7 chord resolving to the E chord. The parentheses signify the change of function that takes place: V7/V is Dominant function, expected to go to Dominant function, but instead, it moves to Tonic with a new I chord.

In order to recognize the change of function of the B7 chord, the V7/V uses parentheses, meaning it sounds like V7/V but doesn't continue in the progression as V7/V. The parentheses symbolize the change of function and the deceptive movement that takes place.

The expected resolution of B7 is to a Dominant function chord, meaning E7, or V7. Instead, this chord resolves to a Tonic function chord, the I chord of the new key. The B chord has changed from a "Dominant function chord moving to a Dominant function chord" to a "Dominant function chord moving to a Tonic function chord." The parentheses indicate this "change of function" and they cancel out the function of the chord in the primary key. You read about expectation and deceptive resolution in lesson 3 of Music Theory and Composition 2. This is another form of deceptive movement that involves a modulation. Also notice that the up arrow, or indicator of modulation, is written where the pivot modulation occurs, as outlined in topic 2.

“Kodachrome” Analysis

Let's look at one more song before we review all of the secondary dominants as pivot chords. Here is Paul Simon's "Kodachrome." Print out the PDF of the chords and follow the same process you completed for the previous song. When you are done, check your answers and then continue with the discussion about the song.

Download "Kodachrome" Chords (PDF)

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Let's look a little more closely at this song. As you probably noticed, the primary key is E major and the secondary key is A major. Just like the song "Everlasting Love," "Kodachrome" modulates at the chorus. The verse is a simple and well-balanced diatonic chord progression with a melody that strongly outlines the key. The pickup to the first melodic phrase uses the chord tones of the I chord. The opening phrase focuses on the 5th and the 3rd of the key, which cadences back to the tonic. The key of E major is clearly stated. The final conclusion comes in measure 16, which is the only place where the tonic pitch sounds with the tonic chord.

"Kodachrome" Analysis:

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The very first phrase of the secondary key repeats the 3rd of the key, which helps to establish the new tonal center. The second phrase also outlines the root, 3rd and 5th of the key, reinforcing the key of A major. Harmonically, the tune deviates from the simplicity of the verse immediately using a secondary dominant for contrast as well as the introduction of VI-. New sounds for a new section in the new key—a change of scenery. The chorus continues using another secondary dominant to target the V chord. The fun comes with the measure of 3/4 time where the rhythmic phrase is turned around while a secondary dominant resolves deceptively. It almost feels like you're taking a spin down into the salt mines!

The next phrases are repeated and bring some balance to the twists and turns of measures 25 and 26. Like the verse, the chorus closes with the tonic note on the tonic chord and the chord progression leads back to the key of E major with B7 as the pivot chord.

“Everlasting Love” and “Kodachrome” are good examples of the use of a secondary dominant to pivot to a closely related key. “Everlasting Love” employs the V7/V as a pivot chord to modulate to the key of the dominant, and in “Kodachrome,” the V7/IV serves as the pivot chord to the key of the subdominant.

Pivot Modulation and Modal Interchange

Music Theory and Composition 1 compared modal interchange to the moment Dorothy opens the door to her tornado-blown home and sees the colorful world of Oz for the first time. As you know, modal interchange is from another place, or another scale, borrowed from outside of the tonality in which it is used. It is an unexpected surprise, sometimes warm and sometimes sad, but in essence, it is a vivid place far away from home, that stands out amongst what is familiar. The image below shows the contrast of the vibrancy of Oz juxtaposed against the familiar sepia toned house from Kansas seen in the upper left corner.

While using a borrowed chord is like seeing this marvelous landscape for the first time, a pivot modulation based on modal interchange is like going to Oz, where you leave the familiar and visit the extraordinary for a time, eventually returning home.

“You’re Gonna Lose That Girl" Analysis

While there are many ways to modulate from one key to another, one way to create a shift in the tonal center is through the use of modal interchange chords that act as a diatonic chord in the new, or secondary, key. Let's look at the music of a few composers who decided to move away from the familiar and into the extraordinary using modal interchange chords.

The Beatles' "You're Gonna Lose That Girl," written primarily by John Lennon, starts with a very familiar harmonic phrase that strongly establishes the tonal center and incorporates a diatonic functional substitute, where VI- replaces the III- position in the second section.

As the song moves toward the bridge, the expectation is to hear V7 after the II- chord because it has been heard so many times at this point. Instead, the VII chord takes that position, which causes the tonal shift to G major. When D7 is heard after II-, it sounds like VII7, but since it comes just before a new section, and because it is a new sound that is a departure from what's already been heard, it holds a lot of expectation. VII is the pivot chord, where it becomes the V7 of the new key. When the G chord is finally heard, it confirms the new key. You can also see and hear that the melody focuses on the 3^rd and 4^th of the new key during the modulation. The 3^rd establishes the new tonal center and the pull of the 4^th to the 3^rd helps to bring more attention to the 3^rd reinforcing the new key.

The end of the bridge ends on an F chord, which is VII of G major, and again, there is expectation that something will shift. It is common for the ear to retain the memory of the original key because it was the first tonal center heard and the modulation is heard against it. Therefore, the expectation is to go back to that original tonal center, which is what happens in this song. The F chord becomes another modal interchange chord, II, leading back to the I chord of the primary key.

Beatles. "You're Gonna Lose That Girl," from Help!. (EMI/2013).

“Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" Analysis

"You're Gonna Lose That Girl" is a good example of modulation between sections of a song and uses modal interchange to get in and out of the modulation. Here is another song that does the same. In this case, however, the pivot chord is VI in the primary key, which becomes IV of the secondary key. Follow along and listen to the Police's "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" starting at the chorus. The modulation is quite noticeable as the presentation of the song, or arrangement, also changes.

The melody and chords of the chorus very clearly outlines the key of D major. As it moves into the next section and new key, the new tonal center is ambiguous as the I chord is never played. The music floats through this new key and finally locks into the repeated chord pattern B to C, which is IV to V in F major. When played the final time, these chords cadence to the D chord, sounding like VI, VII to I in the key of D. As the pivot, the C chord is heard as V in the secondary key of F and as VII in the primary key of D.

The Police. "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," from Ghost in the Machine (A&M Records Ltd./1981).

In both the Beatles song and the Police song, the pivot chord creates a certain expectation of progression based on its function in the original key. As we pivot, the chord reveals its logical functional relationship to the new key. It is as though we have stepped into a revolving door, expecting to arrive in one room and then unexpectedly enter another!

Modal interchange and secondary dominant chords, used as pivots, can open the door to unexpected tonal destinations. Modulation is a technique that will add color and contrast to your compositions. In the next topic we'll be exploring the aesthetic effects of moving directly from one key to another!

“Come in with the Rain” Analysis

Print out the following PDF and then listen to "Come In With The Rain" by Taylor Swift. The PDF matches the first 29 measures of the song, starting with the intro. Listen through a few times and then go back and analyze the sections on the PDF. Go back and listen again to confirm that your analysis reflects what you hear, then check your answers below.

Download "Come in with the Rain" Practice (PDF)

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Reveal Song Analysis

As you can see in the analyzed version of the song, the intro and verse are in the key of D, as is the prechorus. The opening chord on the chorus, C, plays the role of VII in the primary key as well as the role of the IV chord in the secondary key. The G chord on beat four in the last measure of the prechorus creates a V to I relationship with the C chord, making the G chord a sound a little like V/IV because of its placement. However, remember that V/IV is used with the 7th on the chord because the triad V/IV is the I chord of the home key. Here, G is still the IV chord in the key of D major, but it hints at the sound of V/IV moving into the chorus.

The chorus contains the only cases of the primary dominant cadencing to I creating stability within the new key. At the end of the chorus, the chords are drawn out to a full measure value, which hints that something is about the change. The C chord sound like IV when moving from the E- chord, but when it cadences to D in the next measure, it sounds like VII to I, creating the pivot modulation back to the original key of D major.

Workshop: "Georgia" Pivot Modulation Analysis

Download the attached PDF and follow the directions. Check your answers against the key provided.

Download "Georgia" Pivot Modulation Analysis (PDF)

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Sunrise, Sunset: The Aesthetic Effects of Direct Modulation

Sunrise

Sunset

Modulation is a marvelous device for creating contrast within a composition. Eighteenth- and nineteenth-century European composers used changes of key as a principal device to articulate structure in their longer form compositions. Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Faure, Wolf, and Debussy all used modulation to distantly related keys to create emotionally affecting changes of color within shorter song forms. This practice filtered into the compositional technique of American songwriters in the twentieth century on a more compressed scale within the confines of the short chorus. In turn, jazz composers have left their own imprint on the use of modulation.

So what is modulation? We say that a modulation has occurred when the listener senses the arrival of a new tonal center; the note we have thought of as Do changes. Common modulations often involve moving from a key to its relative or parallel minor. In this topic we'll discuss the expressive possibilities of moving directly from one major key to another major key.

Aesthetic Effects of Movement around the Circle of Fifths

Direct modulations create one of two basic aesthetic effects: a brightening or heightening of intensity, or a darkening or relaxation of intensity. The intensity with which these two musical effects register on the listener is dependent on the number of common tones from one key to another. Keys that have all tones in common but one are referred to as closely related. C major and G major differ by only one note: F–F♯. They are closely related keys. Those with more chromatic tones and fewer common tones are said to be distantly related. C major and E major are distantly related keys.

The circle of 5^ths is a convenient tool for measuring these effects. We will use the key of C major as our point of reference and express the relationships as Roman numerals so that we can commute this understanding into other keys. Any key can be the parent key or initial reference point and so the numerical relationships are important for the sake of analysis.

Aesthetic Effect of Movement Around the Circle of 5^ths:

If we move around the circle by 5^ths in a sharp direction (clockwise), lining up the pitches of the scales in parallel, we can observe that even though there are many common tones between keys, each of the principal tonal degrees—1, 4, and 5—is eventually raised by one half step. This creates a successive feeling of brightening, with III major the most extreme example. So, the move from C major to the closely related key of G major creates some brightening, but to move from C major to the distantly related key of E major will create a more exciting contrast.

Moving in a Sharp Direction:

If we move around the circle by 5^ths in a flat direction (counterclockwise), the effect is one of relaxation or darkening. The principal tonal degrees—1, 4, and 5—are retained with each successive move, maintaining a strong connection with the parent or original key. The scale degrees—2, 3, 6, and 7—are lowered successively, creating a graduated darkening.

Moving in a Flat Direction:

In the most distantly related keys, this phenomenon begins to break down. Moving directly from I major to II major creates a sense of brightening, since every tone is one half step higher: in effect, it sounds like I major. This upward parallelism overrides the pattern of darkening as the pendulum swings further from the home tonic.

I Major to II Major, II Is Enharmonically Equivalent to I:

Similarly, moving directly from I major to VII major crates a darkening, as all tones move down in parallel by one half step. Conversely, its effect is that of I major.

I Major to VII or ♭I Major, VII Major Is Enharmonically Equivalent to ♭1 Major:

Common Tone Modulation

Direct modulations between distantly related keys are often facilitated by a technique known as common tone modulation. A note, common to both keys, is used to link them for the sake of continuity. In Franz Schubert's song "Der Musensohn," the composer alternates sections of equivalent length in G major and B major. See the excerpt below for an example of a common tone modulation. You can see that the note B in the vocal part (the 3^rd of G major and the root of B major) serves as the link between the two keys.

Common Tone Modulation in "Der Musensohn" by Schubert:

"Der Musehsohn" is also an excellent example of the brightening/darkening effect of direct modulation discussed above. The song is strophic, but rather than repeat the same music for each verse, Schubert creates an interesting five-part form: first verse in G, second verse in B, third verse in G, fourth verse in B, and final verse in G. Notice the increase in intensity each time the song modulates four 5^ths in a sharp direction from G to B, and the relaxation that occurs when the same distance is covered in a flat direction—B major back to G major.

"All the Things You Are"—Common Tone Modulation

Jerome Kern's "All the Things You Are" employs a common tone modulation to move from the key of E major to A major.

Summary

Here's a summary of direct modulation:

Workshop: “The Shadow of a Memory” Analysis

Download the lead sheet for "The Shadow of a Memory." Listen to the audio and do an analysis of the harmony. Can you hear the sharp-directed and flat-directed modulations? Check your answers against the answer key.

Download "The Shadow of a Memory" (PDF)

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Walking on Air: The Transitional Modulation

Walking on Air on a Footbridge

Modulating from one tonality to another can be instantaneous—a direct modulation. In a pivot modulation there can be a moment of disorientation as one's expectation is rerouted to arrive in an unexpected key. Or, there can also be a period of time in which the listener consciously perceives that they are traveling between two different keys. This is called a transitional modulation. As we have learned previously, an extended dominant or substitute extended dominant series can create moments within a phrase in which there is no clear reference to the parent tonality or the eventual new tonality. During these moments the listener is carried along by a strong progressive pattern that creates a sense of motion or transition toward a new goal key. A transitional modulation acts as a bridge between two keys.

Transitional Modulation of “Lithe and Lovely”

To begin, let's listen to the transitional modulation of Tom Hojnacki's "Lithe and Lovely." This piece is a mid-tempo jazz tune in AABA form.

Joe Mulholland & Tom Hojnacki. "Lithe And Lovely" from Berklee Book of Jazz Harmony (2013)

The A section is in the key of F. The B section modulates directly to the key of D major in measures 13-17. In measures 17-20, we lose our sense of D to the strong forward harmonic motion. The series of II-Vs constitutes an extended dominant series (with related IIs) that implies successive unresolved key centers. The passage is eventually resolved across the section break. See the Roman numeral and graphic analysis:

In m. 17, it is possible to hear the first two chords in relation to the key of D as I-7 and IV7 from the parallel Dorian scale. (C is enharmonic to D.) However, the subsequent chords in the phrase bear no functional relation to D, whatsoever. Instead, we are carried along by the power of the cycle 5 root motion and the descending chromatic guide tones until we return to the parent key of F major.

Notice also that the target notes in the melody in each of the measures of the transition passage are T9 and T13.

This creates a clear descending melodic progression (D, C, B, A) that contributes to the impression of travel between key areas. Sequential melody is a big factor in an effective transitional modulation!

Transitional Modulation Use for Key Changes

Transitional passages can also be used to facilitate a key change in an arrangement. Suppose that you are writing an arrangement and you want to change the key of a melody that has already been heard several times, for contrast and variety. First, plan an extended dominant or extended substitute dominant series that will progress smoothly from one key to the other. Then, find a prominent motive in the melody and use it to create a sequence. Voila! You have a transitional passage!

Say that we are writing an arrangement of Harold Arlen's classic "Over the Rainbow," and we want to change the key from one chorus to the next. We have started in G and we want to set the second chorus in the key of E. The first chorus finishes:

The harmony is V/V-V7-I6, which can easily be developed into an extended dominant series by turning the G6 into G7:

The melody for the lyric "Why then, oh why . . . " is a strong recognizable motive that can be transposed sequentially. The harmonic and melodic development creates a transitional bridge from the key of G to the new key of E. Think of the picture of the bridge we saw earlier.

Foot Bridge

If one side of the gorge is the key of G major and the other side is the key of E major, then the transitional passage created by the extended dominant series and the sequential melody is the bridge from one side to the other!

Workshop: Transitional Modulation

Try your hand at writing a transitional modulation. Download the PDF and follow the directions. Check your answer against the answer key.

Download Blue Bossa Transitional Modulation (PDF)

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A Fork in the Road: The Many Paths to Extended Phrase Endings

Accomplished storytellers know that nothing is more thrilling for an audience than an unexpected twist or turn to the plot just before the final ending. Think of a movie in which the hero turned into the villain at the last moment. Or, just when all seemed lost, the hero arrived to save the day. Unexpected plot twists are pure gold for writers. The same is true for composers of music. The strong expectation for resolution created by a final cadence can be disrupted to enormously satisfying results. The following progressions are the province of jazz musicians primarily and are often employed as phrase extensions at the ends of tunes to create a final extended ending or coda. In addition to extending a phrase or section of a composition, these deceptive resolutions and subsequent progressions can be used to create interludes in arrangements, or to facilitate modulation to distantly related keys. In short, they are very useful tricks of the trade!

Final Cadence and Extended Endings

The jazz half cadence in the first measure of each phrase creates a strong expectation of resolution to the Imaj7 chord. This expectation is disappointed by the appearance of an unexpected chord on the strong stress of the downbeat of the next measure. Because each of the moves is tonally logical, they have come to be regarded as standard deceptive resolutions that will extend what seems like an obviously closed-ended phrase.

The traditional deceptive cadence:

The move to VI– is logical because its third is the tonic note of the key and VI– is a tonic function chord. The deceptive resolution is generally followed by a dominant cadence of some sort to bring the piece to a close. When used mid-phrase, the progression can continue in any fashion.

The extended turn-around ending:

The move to III-7 is logical because it is a member of the tonic function family. The cycle 5 progression (III-7, V-7/II, II7, V7) may be repeated multiple times before a final cadence to Imaj7. III-7 can be treated diatonically or as a related II by adding a non-diatonic T9 for a bright lift. III-75 can also be used in this progression.

Often heard as an ending for slow ballads:

The move to IV-75 is logical because its 3, 5, and 7 are the tonic function VI- triad in the key, and the tritone in V7 resolves to the root and 3^rd of the chord. The descending move from V7 to IV precipitates a descending chromatic bass line that eventually cadences on Imaj7. In this progression, IIIº7 may be reharmonized with subV/II or IIImaj7; subV7 can be replaced by IImaj7. Or, IV-75 can start a whole cycle 5 chord progression that ends on Imaj7 as well.

The following example is another popular ballad ending:

The move to IImaj7 on a strong metrical stress is quite shocking, but there is a thread of tonal logic: its 7^th is the tonic note in the key. This creates a surprising delayed resolution to Imaj7, completed by the Phrygian cadence. Think of it as a very dark amen cadence.

The next example is a wonderful deceptive resolution:

It is tonally logical because the 3 and 7 of VI are the highly stable tonic and 5^th scale degree in the key. VImaj7 then moves down by a 5^th to II and bII cadences to Imaj7: a strong progression for a final ending. VI may also progress to I directly or by way of VII.

The following moves unexpectedly but logically to the tonic minor modal interchange chord III:

The subsequent cycle 5 root motion of VI and II leads then to a satisfying subdominant minor cadence to I.

The next example is unusual:

The move from V7 to VII is facilitated by common tones Re and Fa. The inclusion of VII completes the cycle 5 series of parallel minor modal interchange chords of a Maj7 quality.

Standard Deceptive Resolution Summary

Learn each of the phrases shown and use each to extend the ending of a familiar tune, preferably one you have composed yourself. Create harmonic variations on each of the progressions using the suggestions given above. Once you are familiar with these phrases you can begin to use them for other purposes, such as creating a change of key or creating a subtle detour in a standard chord progression. Have fun!

Standard Deceptive Resolution Summary

After a final dominant cadence, the following chords may introduce an extended phrase ending:

Workshop: Extended Endings Practice

Composers on Composing: Form Influence on a Composition

This week, in lesson 8, three more composers shared their thoughts on last week's composer question.

The question was: How does form influence your composition?

Composers interviewed in week 8:

Mark Simos—Songwriter/performer
Elena Roussanova—Contemporary classical music composer and performer
Omar Thomas—Jazz composer

Recap

In this lesson you have learned:

In lesson 9, we will be exploring world music concepts of South America and the Caribbean.