Hamrony 4: Writing SATB - Changing to a new key

How to recognize when there’s a key change (modulation):

1. ACCIDENTALS: (or in a minor key no raised leading-note)

1) V chord from the new key. (in which a raised note is the leading-note or a lowered

note is note IV in a V7 chord)

2) melodic minor scale (no key change)

3) non-chord notes (eg. a passing note or auxiliary note on a weak part of a beat)

2. CADENCES:

A phrase may end with a cadence in a new key.

How to change keys:

1. Decide where the new key starts and where it ends. (Sometimes, using a V of V or V of II,

etc. is enough). However, sometimes the new key consists of more than two chords. In this

case, we need a pivot chord to change keys smoothly.

2. MODULATING TO RELATIVE MAJOR/MINOR, OR TO DOMINANT KEYS:

1) Write I in the original key.

2) Write a PIVOT chord (must belong to both keys)

3) Write the I6/4 and V7 of the new key.

4) Resolve the V7 to the I chord of the new key.

3. MODULATING TO SUBDOMINANT KEYS:

Follow steps 1, 2, and 4, but step 3 is different.

3) Write the IV chord of the new key instead of I6/4.