Hi Guitarists
Forming Chord progressions is an easy process when generating progressions in the same key. All you need to know is which chords belong to which key and combine them together in any order and voila! You have a chord progression. To find this information out please refer to my earlier posts ‘Major Scale Chords’ and ‘Minor Scale Chords’
The real challenge is how do you gracefully combine chords from different keys into one progression. There are a few different trains of thought on this however the most common is to use Modulation and Cadences. Let me explain.
Modulation
Modulation is a structured process to change music from one key note to another. It’s a great tool for adding something different to your piece and for triggering emotional responses from the listener. For example, a piece of music may modulate from C major to G major so that G takes over (albeit temporarily) from C as the keynote. You may also modulate to several keys in the same piece
Half Step Modulation
This is a very simple modulation, moving your entire composition half a step higher and does not require any connecting cadences. For example you’re playing in the key of C major and go up half a step to D♭ major. You can do this automatically simply by playing in D♭ major immediately by making all notes D ♭, E ♭, F, G ♭, A ♭, B ♭ and C. This transition will sound fine and you can go back and fourth
Modulating Up a Whole Step
This is similar to the half-step modulation, again, no connecting cadences needed before the modulation. For example you’re playing in the key of C major and go up a whole step to D major. You can do this automatically simply by playing in D major immediately by making all notes D, E, F ♯, G, A, B, and C ♯. This transition will sound fine and you can go back and fourth
Modulating and Cadences (down a perfect 5th, up a 4th)
If your planning on modulation down a perfect fifth (up a fourth) then you may typically want to make this modulation via a slight connecting cadence (cadences are used when the jump is great and a method to bring a sense of resolution is needed); all you have to do is turn the tonic chord (I) of the original key into a dominant seventh chord. This dominant seventh then cadences naturally to the tonic of the new key. For example, if you’re modulating from C to F, turn the C chord into a C7 chord, and then lead from that into the F major chord—the I of the new key.
Modulating using shared chords
You can modulate to different chords using keys that share one or more chords in common with the original key. That shared chord can then serve as the pivot point for the modulation.
For example, starting in the key of C major. The D minor (ii) chord also exists in several other keys, including the key of F major, where it serves as the vi chord. You can modulate from C to F by holding the D minor chord and then using it as the vi chord in the new key. From your chord-leading rules, you know that the vi chord easily leads to the IV chord, which, in the key of F, is a B♭ major chord. So you hold the D minor chord and then move to a B♭ major chord (and then to the next appropriate chord in the new key). Because B♭ major is definitely not a chord in the original key of C, the listener is immediately made aware of the modulation.
Modulating at will
We’ve covered some basic steps for modulation. Having said all this you do not have to follow any of these rules and you can modulate at any time for example going from one tonic chord to another i.e. going from the key of C to the Key of E simply by playing the C chord followed by the E chord.
To summarize: when composing always go with what sounds good however should you hit a hurdle you can always rely on good old music theory to get you over and go back to the creative process
Hope this has helped
Mike
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