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Modulation is one of the most fun things in music. Especially when you introduce jazz harmonies, the possibilities seem nearly endless. I could sit there all evening just figuring out different ways of modulating between two keys.

after so many years of classical harmony - the best explanation/demonstration yet! thanks!

Great content as always! If you can do a video on modulations to distant keys though, I think a lot would like to know that.

Very useful. I learnt a little these techniques through studying popular Indian melodies. Now I get the right terminology and notational symbols.

Man. Im an avid learner of music theory. I play axe. And this channel consistently blows my mind. Thank you for your work. !!!!! Its literally changing my musical life.

I love watching your videos! You talk about music with such passion :)

Thank you. Simple and clear as always and I especially loved the Melodic vs Harmonic use. I have taken several of your long courses and they are great.

Really love your videos, they are simple and clear enough for beginners and also a good review for theory students!

The best way to understand the theory is to listen how it sounds. Masterfully done my friend!

That was very useful reinforcement for me. I've been working on a piece that requires a lot of modulation and your previous tutorials on pivot chords have been really helpful. For fun, a piece I wrote last year about hiking traveled half way around the Circle of Fifths to help me flex my modulation muscles. In the past, I wrote pieces that modulated almost by accident, doing it solely by ear and by trial and error. It's a lot easier knowing the proper technique.

This is only slightly beyond my skill level now. But it's so well explained, when it's time for me to try it out, I will be well prepared. A testament to the best music teacher on the internet.

You are a great teacher. Concise examples about how to apply key elements of modulation. Thank you a lot.

I just love your channel! You make music so easy understood

Thanks for the insight into the Harmonic Minor, I've been trying to figure out how to use it for years.

Straight, to the point, and very useful.

Brillant explanation ! Thank you

Gareth thanks for every lessons. I Will teach all lessons to kids of my country.please teach more about counter point 🌹 from iran😉

I am a practicing karnatic musician from kerala (India). I try to study Western also from different sources. Thank you so much for the valuable explanations.

As a beginner, I think this is so awesome

Very neat! It's like plugging in the V-I cadence from different keys. :P

This guy is such an underrated chad 👑

Gareth is the modulation king! ❤️😎 Thanks again!

I so needed this.

the examples you explained made it more clear to me, and helped me understand how to use them correctly. I wish there was a poster for all of these key/chord relationships. I do have some notepads on computer I've made however.

Excellent as always ❤️ I already understood this topic (thanks to you 😊) but I watched this tutorial anyway as your lessons are just so good and interesting ❤️🎹

Outstanding video! Thank you.

This is really interesting! Thank you very much!!

Clear and great explanation. TQ

Wonderful lesson!

Thank you for the lesson! Greetings from France

I admire this knowledge, you make me happy for you make these theory more simple

Interesting use of the melodic minor key to ease the tension momentarily. I've never seen that before.

i learned a lot from this thanks ❤

very good Timing! I am just writing the Developement section in a Sonata! Need to modulate a lot!

Fantastic, clear explanation. Thank you so much.

Very well explained. But there are other topics included in this video. This is the tonality and varieties of the scale. In the case of modulation, it should be kept in mind that these mentioned topics are important in order to be bound to the problematic of the subject.

Before watching this I didn't know how to modulate successfully!... I still don't know how 'cause I didn't understand but I enjoyed the video!..

I love every theory video you’ve made! Happy new year!

Brilliant!

What a great lesson. Thank you!

Amazing explanation 🎶👌

Great video. Thanks.

What I think needs to be pointed out is that in the penultimate beat (2nd of bar 2) is that in all three cases you have effectively created a dominant 7th, which secures the modulation. I suppose that it is the resolution of 2nd and 4th notes of the dominant 7th (forming an augmented 4th) that are really needed for arrival into the new key. For modulation to a minor key I feel that the 3rd note of the dominant 7th chord is also important.

Thanks for this excellent lesson. So useful for songwriting.

EXCELLENT!

Thank you for sharing all this knowledge!

So helpful and clear. Thank you

Brilliant video - thank you !

Thank you for this great content. I have a question, is it also possible to move to for example a Mediant key? or is that a no go?

Very useful and thank you for this. Does a modulation to a new key need to be confirmed by a perfect cadence or would say an imperfect or interrupted cadence be ok as well.

Hello Gareth, I hope this message finds you well. I am currently working on a piece for cello and have encountered some challenges with modulation, particularly when the harmony is implicit rather than explicitly stated. The transitions between keys tend to feel abrupt, and I am interested in techniques that might make these modulations smoother. I have analyzed some of Bach's works for inspiration and have found some useful ideas, but I feel like there might be a gap in my theoretical understanding. I haven't been able to achieve the same sense of smooth modulation that I admire in his compositions. If you have any insights or tips that could help, I would be incredibly grateful. A video on this topic would be an excellent addition to your channel, and I am sure it would benefit composers like myself who are grappling with similar issues. Thank you in advance for your time and expertise. Best regards, Corentin

Thanks!

Thank you so much sir. Amazing video as always. Beautifully explained. 🙏

Brilliant.

So useful. Thank you.

Excellent presentation and very valuable information. Thanks.

Very well explained! Great video!

Thanks, Gareth, for the crisp explanation. Is then fair to say that following the pivot chord is almost always the dominant chord of the new key?

Well done good soul!

Awesome 😎

Great !

Of course you can also do a "segue" modulation via that F natch.

Interesting. I have been doing this without realizing that it was a method of changing keys. Moving to a further away key is something I find more difficult. Someone once suggested "a jazz turnaround". Didn't really get that one!

Great video, I noticed all the modulations contained the 5th of the new key after the pivot chords, the examples basically finished V-I. This obviously makes sense but is it possible to use chords from the new key other than 5th? Or does it just make for a murkier transition? Thanks!

Wouldn’t you say the first chord of the second measure in each instance is a secondary dominant? D major to G in the first instance C major to F in the second instance and E major to A minor in the third instance? I ask because you use it consistently, and it works in every instance

I think I get it. Does this work with all the keys other than C? By modulating with dominant, subdominant or relative minor I mean. Or is this for certain keys only?

And yet, Sir: the II, as a pivot chord, after the V - would be more euphonious. Don’t you think?

Is there any reason you have used a pivot chord in the Beginning of the second bar sir? (Subdominant modulation).

Very awesome. I was actually in middle of practicing modulations since I always switch keys lol. I think I've heard these called common chords too. The chords that share another scale. I think you can get different effects if you play over the chords. Like if you stay off the note that changes on the modulation the more you can sneak in. Or if you play the note that changes the more you can hear a chromatic going into the new key, which I guess makes it more noticeable. Btw, the maestro thing looks cool. I might join some time next year for a little bit 😃

I am curious what are the strategies for modulation if you can't play chords, say you are writing for solo wind instruments.

In A minor, can't one use the C chord as the G and C both move a half step in contrary motion to E before a? What about C/G going to G#dim to a?

Can someone explain why you can't go from C to A using the first chord of C? I didn't quite understand the explanation.

Boss video

Question for you, why does Bach work so well when interpreted as jazz or rock?

Hi,can we see more about chromatic harmony,modulation?

The music theory courses I took drew a (fuzzy) distinction between *tonicization* and *modulation*. Part of the distinction relies on the *strength* of the cadence in the new key -- here, all the cadences are what I was taught to label imperfect authentic, so not the strongest type of cadence. Another part of the distinction relates to the context: a tonicization would be fleeting and within a phrase, whereas a modulation would typically continue beyond a single phrase. These might just be American conventions, but I wondered if you had some thoughts about when a move to a new key "feels" permanent vs transitory?

do we come back to C in the same way ?

In exercise 3, did you double the major third on purpose?

🐐

Great set-up, but not everyone here is a strong piano player. Why not use basic chords to demonstrate what you meant to teach.

The third example: Sub dominant chord AFTER dominant (the first measure) does not sound very well. Sorry.

There is only two ways. Up or down. There you go.

You look a bit pale, mate. Are you alright? :(

You've gotten a lot skinnier, haven't you? Are you okay?