Since Cadenecs is pretty easy to get the hang of and understand. Allan decided to move on with the class. We have now moved onto a new part of listening called... Modulation.
He has been explaining what it is, why we use it, how we do it and showing us many examples. We also had to modualte a piece of music for him at the end of the class.
WHAT I UNDERSTAND MODULATION IS:
Modulation is the changing of a key. The example Allan gave us was, if a piece of music starts in A major, but we then modulate, to C major. That mean the piece has changed from A to C.
In the key of A, the first degree is A. In the key of C, the first degree is C. Allan told us that a composer/writer will show a new key signature to show that a modulation has taken place. He also said that sometimes the composer/writer won't change the key signature but will show the modulation with accidentals.
WHY WE MODULATE:
Modulation is useful because it gives music a new/fresh sound. If someone is listening to a song that is more than five or six minutes, they might get fed up and think it's repetitive. So composers or writers modualte their songs to make it sound fresh again and give the listener a boost.
We looked at Michael Jacksons song, 'Man In The Mirror' as an example of modulation. I didn't realise that this song was five to six minutes long, and the chous repeats itself more than three or four times. The only reason we don't get fed up half way through is because Michael modulates to another key at literally about half way through (2.52). This song is one of Michael's best and I think if he didn't modulate there, then the song wouldn't have the same feeling. It is one of the most obvious and popular modulations in music.
HOW WE MODULATE:
I know that there are 7 degrees in a scale (1-2-3-4-5-6-7). A chord is built by using two or more of them degrees and playing them all at once. In this lesson we focused on triads which is three notes. This table below is one that Allan showed us (on a revision website) and it shows the triads in the key of C major, the scale steps, letter names, official names, chord tones and chord types.
Scale Step Letter Name Functional Name Chord Tones Chord Type
1 C Tonic 1-3-5 Major
2 D Supertonic 2-4-6 Minor
3 E Mediant 3-5-7 Minor
4 F Subdominant 4-6-2 Major
5 G Dominant 5-7-2 Major
6 A Submediant 6-1-3 Minor
7 B Leading tone 7-2-4 Diminished
If I then modulated to A Major and typed out a table like above. Everything would be the exact same apart from the letter names so from C Major to A Major:
Instead of C it would be A
Instead of D it would be B
Instead of E it would be C#
Instead of F it would be D
Instead of G it would be E
Instead of A it would be F#
Instead of B it would be G#
HOW I FEEL ABOUT MODULATION:
A lot of what I typed out above is notes from the class and research on music revision wesites.
I still don't have a complete understanding on how to modulate but I have a ruff understanding. I am doing a lot of practice and research into how to modulate so I can do it with complete confidence. My brother knows how to modulate pretty well now, so he helps me into understanding it.
I think this is a very interesting and useful thing to do. If I can learn to modulate very well then when I am trying to write songs and I think I am getting quite repetitive. Then I can always consider a modulation.
I know if I learn to do this very well then I will improve as a musician quite a lot. It will help me not only with my listenin, but my music theory and of course my main instrument, Bass Guitar.