Modulation

Modulation (music), in music, the transition from one key (tonality) to another. To achieve this change, harmonies common to both tonalities are used, usually culminating in either a cadence or the statement of a theme in the new key. An important factor in a modulation is the pivot chord, which connects both keys; for example, in modulating from C to B-flat, the pivot chord could be F-A-C, which is the IV chord (or subdominant) in the key of C and the V chord (or dominant) in the key of B-flat. Modulation is an important feature of tonal music because the use of different tonalities within a composition is one of the means of obtaining variety and of building large-scale works, such as symphonies and concertos. Modulations occur especially in transitional passages, sections leading back to a main theme, and development sections.



Back to Theory Page | HOME | Explore Yahoo! GeoCities | Explore My Neighborhood

Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. © 1993-1998. All rights reserved.