Lessons

Lesson Info

How to Change Key

Hello and welcome to this lecture where we're actually going to be looking at changing key. So previously, we had a look at the circle of fifths and we had a look at how we can temporarily use cords or notes from another key and then return back to our key. But sometimes you might want to have a new key center. So there are a few ways to do this. But the easiest way to do this is to actually create some tension and then resolve it by going into the new key. So let's just have a look at the piano keyboard and the five chord actually creates tension. So in C major, the fifth chord is a G major. And the reason this creates tension when we're in C major is because of the third note in the fifth chord. This is a B which creates tension because it's just a semitone away from the tonic of sea. So what we're in C major, you notice there, there was tension and it resolved. So I played the D minor G major which adds tension and then it resolves the C major. So if we want to smoothly change key. ...

The easiest way to do this is to kind of trick the listener by adding 10 and then resolving to the new key. So if the example of C when we go to G, we resolve to C, so what we can actually do is play the fifth of the new key, we want to modulate to or the new key we want to move to and then resolve this to the new key. So let's just look at the circle of fifths. I'll explain this a bit more. So if we're in C major here, we want to move to G major. The easiest way to do this is to actually play the fifth of G major, which is ad major chord. The reason I know this is because in G major, the fifth note is ad or we can go up the circle of fifths to see the fifth as well because this is 1/5 apart. So in G major, the fifth chord is ad but this is ad major and AD major, the triad has ad an F sharp and an A. So we're introducing this F sharp already, we're introducing this new accidental that's in G major and we're creating tension and this tension is gonna resolve to the G. So let me just explain it once more. So when changing keys, the easiest way to do this is to create tension and then resolve. So what we need to do is play the fifth chord of the key we want to change to and then resolve it by going to the keyboard moving to. So if we want to move from C to G, we need to play ad major chord, which is the fifth of G and then play the first chord which is a G and that will resolve. So we're going to create tension by playing the fifth chord of the new key and then resolving it. So from looking at the keyboard, if we're in C major, I'm just playing some chords, but we're in C major. So if you want to move to G major, now we add the F of G major which is AD and then we resolve into the G. So we played the fifth chord and resolved it by playing the Tonle, the first chord of the new key. So I'm just going to play some chords now. So we've got ac major. So we're still in C AD minor, uh F major, which is, so we're still in C and here we want to change, I'm gonna play AD major and then resolve with a G major. So that's the easiest way of doing it. It's the most simple way to create some tension by the fifth. Because whenever we play 1/5 whenever we play the fifth, like this one here, this G major, it just naturally wants to resolve up to the sea. It's because this B wants to go to this C so we can do exactly the same, but we play the fifth of the new key. So let me just write this in the piano roll here. So I'm just going to type in some chords that are in C major. We then we're going to add the fifth of the key one to move to which is AD major. So looking at the circle of fifths, the fifth of G is this one here ad so we're gonna play D major and then we're gonna play a G major. And then we've kind of cemented this new key of G major by adding 10 from the D and then resolving it with the G. OK. So I've drawn in some notes here on the piano roll editor. And if we look at the score, you can see here, I've got a AC major and then next, I have a actually a E minor but just inverted. This B is dropped an octave just so it fits a bit smoother. Then I have AD minor and then I have a E minor in root position. Then here I have an F major but with ac down an octave, then here this is the important one I have the D major and then it resolves to a AG major. And now we've actually changed key to G major, we could play other chords that are in G major. So there's tension here created by the fifth of the new key, it actually wants the key center to change this G. Just because of the tension created from this F sharp, we want it to go up to this G. OK. So you might be thinking, what if I want to modulate the other way? What if I want to modulate anti clockwise? So at the moment, we've modulated clockwise. So through the circle of 5th and 5th, but what happens if we want to modulate the other way? So we want to modulate in fourths. So the way we do this is very similar to the other way. But this time when we're going in anti clockwise, we use the fourth chord as a pivot cord to our new key. So that means if we're in C major and we want to move to F major, we need to play the fourth chord of F major and use this as a pivot chord and then play F major. So just from looking at the circle of fifths, but going anti clockwise and fourths, the fourth chord of F is actually a B flat and a B flat major. Also, by looking at F major, we know it has one accidental which is this B flat. So the notes of F major go FGAB flat and from the pattern major minor minor major, the B flat is a major chord. So if we're in C major and we want to modulate to F major, we need to play a B flat and playing this B flat will also add tension because this wants to resolve down to the F because the notes of B flat have B flat, D and C. It wants to resolve down. It wants this B flat to resolve down to the A. So it can resolve to the F major. So we're tricking the mind similar way to before. But this time, you're using fourths rather than fifths. So it's similar to before. But instead of playing the fifth of the chord, we're gonna play the fourth of the chord to resolve to the F. So I've added some chords into this piano roll editor and it's, and it's very similar to before. But this time, we have a B flat major chord that resolves into an F major chord. So let's look at the score. You can see here, we have different chords that are all in C major. And then we have this B flat here, this B flat, which is the fourth chord of the key one to modulate to. So this only works when we're going anti clockwise in the circle of fifths. If we're going clockwise, we use FS, but anti clockwise, we use fourths. So this B flat is the fourth major fourth of the chord of F and then we resolve to this F. So I'm just going to play this chord progression now. So just have a listen out for this B flat and also where it resolves from A B flat to an A. So it's this semi to movement that allows it to resolve. So it's just here that we've used this pivot cord rather B flat in two an F major. And now we trick the mind to believe that F major is the new key. There are other ways to actually change key. You don't have to do it. This way, you can literally just start playing a new key, just start playing the chord of the new key. And after a while, the brain will think this is the new key. It might sound a little weird. However, it is a lot easier and smoother to create tension and then to resolve it into your new key. So this could even be, for example, playing a B flat to go to F major or playing ad to go to G major. So now let's talk about the minor keys. So the relative minors actually have the same notes as the majors. So we can't really add an accidental and then resolve this. What we just do is it's kind of similar really, we just play the fifth chord of the minor court. We want to move to and then play the minor chord and that will resolve this. So if we're in C major and we want to move to a minor, we have to play the fifth of a minor, which in this case is a E because this is 1/ up for me. So if we look at a, the fifth is an E, so what we need to do is play this chord here, which is a E or in this case, it's actually a E minor. That's what we need to do is play an E minor. And then this will resolve into an A minor. This is because when we play an E minor, we're playing this note here, which is A B which wants to resolve to this A and we can resolve it to this A by playing a, an A minor. So we have the E minor, the resolve to the A. So it's very similar for the mears. We just need to create more tension and then release it. So we do this by playing the fifth of the mear key and then releasing it again. OK? And we can also change minor keys the same way as major keys. So if you want to move from a minor to E minor, we need to introduce this new accidental, which is an F sharp in this case. And we want to add some tension as well by playing the fifth and the fifth of E is A B 12345. So we have to play a B minor cord which has the notes of BD and F sharp. So we're introducing this F sharp and it wants to resolve up to this G and the way it can resolve up to this G is by playing in a minor cord. So it's the same really in a minor key. If you want to move to the key next to it in the circle of fifth to the right, we have to play the fifth of the key one to move to. So we're in a minor right now. Now we have to play a B minor and then play the key we're moving to which is the E minor and it's also the same as major keys going the other way. So if you want to go from a, a minor to ad minor, we have to play the fourth of ad minor, which is a G minor. This will introduce this flat here, which is a B flat because the notes of G minor are GB flat and D. So we need to introduce this B flat. So it's really about creating tension and introducing these new notes of the new keys. This is quite complex subjects. I do recommend going through and exploring this on the keyboard as well or in your digital audio work station. But let's have a look now. So we're in a minor, then we play the fourth chord of D minor which is a G minor, introducing the B flat and then we can play the D minor. So let's look at the keyboard if we're in a minor and we want to move to D minor, we have to introduce the fourth chord of D minor, which is a G minor. And this G minor introduced this new accidental, which in this case is a B flat. So we need to go for a minor G minor D minor. If you want to change minor keys, this is a minor here. And then I'm going to play a G minor and then I'm going to play ad minor. So it's just another way of changing keys by introducing the accidental and having that semi to movement that creates that resolution. So we have that tension here from the B flat and we resolve it with the D minor. So this movement here. So I've covered a lot of different things in this lecture. It's probably been the most complex lecture so far. However, I'm just going to recap the stuff I've covered in this lecture so far. So if you want to change key, the easiest way to do this is to create tension by playing the fifth chord. But the fifth chord of the new key you want to move to. So if you're moving from C to G, you want to play the fifth of G, which is ad major and then resolve this with a G major. And if we want to go anti clockwise in the circle of fifths, we have to do the same. But this time in fourths, cos remember clockwise is fifths and anti clockwise is fourths. So we have to play the fourth chord of the new key one to modulate to. So if we want to move from C major to F major, we have to play the fourth of the F major, which is a B flat, B flat major chord and then a F so we have the movement of the B flat to the F that releases that tension. And it's the same for the minor keys. If we're going clockwise, we have to play the fifth chord of the key one to move to. So from a minor to E minor, we must play a B minor. And if we want to go anti clockwise, we have to play the fourth of the key one to move to. So if you're moving from a minor to D minor, you must play a G minor because this will introduce the new accidental. So there's another thing to remember if you're playing a new key, you want to introduce the new accidental and to play that new accidental. So the listener gets used to this new note or the other way you can do it is to just quite simply kind of force your way into this new key, just keep playing the chords of the new key and eventually the listener will get used to this. So it's not as smooth as the other method, but it will eventually work. So if you're in C major and you want to move to D flat major, this will take a while to go around the circle of fifths, either anti clockwise or clockwise. However, you could just to start playing ad flat major chord. It does sound quite abrupt and strange. But after a while, the listener, we get used to it. So that's another way of doing it. It's not the smoothest way. You can literally just, just move into the new key, but using pivot notes and also creating tension and resolving this tension into the new key is the recommended way to do this. So, thank you for watching this lecture. I hope you found it useful. We've covered a lot of different things. It has been quite complex at times. I do recommend having a look at the piano keyboard and working out some of this for yourself if you do want to learn how to modulate or change keys. So thank you again and I'll see you in the next lecture.