How to Change Keys

[@Ryan692.]

Just watched like 10 of your videos in a row and I must say I have learned more about music theory in a few hours than I have learned in the past couple of years. Very clear and straight to the point. I certainly will be referring to them again if I forget anything. Thanks for sharing. You're a fantastic teacher!

[@MichaelNew]

Ryan692 10? Wow. That's a lot of me.

[@chancellorave]

+Michael New i see your using a MIDI keyboard....what DAW do you use? and maybe a tutorial?

[@StrengthLegacy]

I'm on a bindge too lol

[@dysanicninja4630]

Ryan692 this is me rn bro

[@fakecubed]

I watched a whole bunch in a row, too, more than four hours' worth. I have that sort of minor headache now where I know I'm forming a lot of new neuron paths. It's pretty exciting. I'm sure I learned at least some of these concepts at some point in my past, and I've always had a good instinct for harmony, but I feel I have a much better formal understanding of the actual mechanics of music now, and I can't wait to start applying them to composition. I'm sort of a lapsed musician who was recently inspired to write some music (in the computer) and went looking for some refreshers on music theory before I dove in too deep. I've learned so much so quickly, from these videos. This is the best channel I've ever seen for music theory.

[@danielwalsh6601]

You can also prepare the listener for new V chord instead of just jumping straight to it. First play a chord common to both keys- eg: when moving from key of C to key of G, both keys contain an A minor chord, so you could extend the progression by playing: C Am D G Worth mentioning because it makes the key change even more convincing and makes the change to the new V chord more subtle. Since E minor is also common to both these keys you could use that too: C Em D G

[@threenplustwo9105]

That's called a pivot chord modulation.

[@fakecubed]

Good tip.

[@32rush79]

Am is the ii of G so it's essentially a ii-V-I progression

[@pratitghosh5973]

That's just a ii-V-I... If you posted this without knowing the theory beforehand then that just shows that you do a GOOD job at experimenting with music because you found a valid theoretic change by yourself Edit: Ah, others have said the same thing before me🤪

[@danielwalsh6601]

@@pratitghosh5973haha no I try to learn from people like Michael New! You could definitely call that example a “ii V I”. But the ‘ii’ is special in this case because it is common to both keys (C and G). A pivot chord to prepare the dominant. Em could be another pivot chord common to both keys. These are pretty mundane examples though, you could apply this pivot chord concept to all kinds of harmony and definitely won’t just get ii V I ‘s

[@bohij3030]

C = Comfort B = Btense.

[@AurasSparsas]

Nice lesson and the cat sneaking around at 0:26 is sooo funny!

[@edwardshaw9743]

You're an awesome music teacher. If I had you as a teacher when I was younger, I don't think I would have walked away from it for 20 years. Coming back to it, I'm grateful for your lessons.

[@fakecubed]

Same. I learned how to play music when I was younger, but never really got taught how to write music. This channel is absolutely brilliant. I think if I had been taught how to write music back when I still played, I would have stuck with it more, and probably would have written a lot of music.

[@nickdrexler-art]

After struggling to lean music theory for years, your videos have finally make it understandable. There are a ton of other music theory videos out there, but the pacing and your videos and the use of the whiteboard really sets you apart. Good work.

[@flamingodragon7138]

No other teacher on youtube explains it even close to as well as you do. Thank you SO MUCH!

[@mahsapk8364]

I mean,,,You make me realize that I'm wasting all my money and time by going to Music College...I watched 12 of your videos and learnt from you much more !Very clear and straight to the point.God bless you.

[@bsdiceman]

Is music school teaching online now?

[@andreashe36]

If I could I would press "thumbs up" x 10. The "brain gets used to" is SO important and explains more than many other tutorials.

[@georgegividen]

Another good way to move into another key (especially if using assertion) is to introduce a new melody, or play a variation of the same melody but in the new key.

[@wizardofthevalley4767]

Making a video about modulation with out saying the word modulation once. GENIUS!!

[@paradigmshift8460]

But can you modulate without changing keys? :)

[@paradigmshift8460]

5:17-5:32

[@lukeli8750]

I had many music theory lessons, not a single one explained all my questions so crystal clear as you do. You seem read my mind and know exactly what questions I have, and you came up with the best answers and analogies, so precise yet easy to understand, not too much not too less, just best designed for me. All your lessons themselves are like music of knowledge to me. Thank you so much young man!

[@JakeMasca]

you're the best music teacher

[@nx1101]

After years of eluding me, the concept of leading tones finally clicked while watching this video. Thanks!

[@snes09]

This is an excellently structured video. Breaking it down into notes, chords, and keys really helped me grasp the different utilities.

[@bollowz]

youtube should put a "like all videos" button xD, but seriously thanks man you've really helped me alot :D

[@renatorex9358]

Thanx Michael !!! =))) I've been songwriting for years, by ear, and I realised I had got to the point where I needed to get stuck in to some theory to 'fill in the gaps' so to speak...I have been following your videos for a couple of weeks now and they are brilliant. Absolutely perfect. It's made a huge difference! Thank you so much!!!

[@williamcreswell]

AHHHH!!! HA HA HA!!!! The Mitch Headburg reference!!!! I love it!!! I have never come away from a lesson so informed!!!! I love it!!!!

[@NamingTheTwinsVideo]

Wow, we're really enjoying your clear instructions! Thanks so much.

[@patrickhodson8715]

7:50-7:53 One of my *favorites* is to go between chords that are a minor third apart. Idk if there's a technical term for it, but I love it! I was first exposed to it a few years ago when I learned to play _Claire de Lune_ by Claude Debussy, in which the chords dance between -Cb- Db major and E major in the key of -Cb- Db. It's absolutely lovely, almost ethereal, and I've been in love with that chord progression ever since.

[@noahmcgaffey797]

Cb to E is a fourth, did you mean Db or Cb

[@Mr-Hoot]

Doesn't Cb equate to B? Did you mean to say C major to E major?

[@patrickhodson8715]

@@Mr-Hoot neither haha, I meant Db in stead of Cb, which is a minor third from E

[@rfml]

KZbin is a forest and this channel is my home now.

[@JohnSmith-iu3jg]

Leading tones aren't really the reason that V-I works so well. The real reason is that all the notes in G Major are contained in the harmonic series of C. In just intonation theory, they call the GM "Otonal" (over the tonic), and there tends to be an uplifting feeling associated with coming back down after going up a fifth. Moving down tends to work better because all that you are doing is supplying a new fundamental while all the frequencies of the 5 chord remain. If you wanted to modulate directly up a fifth (I-V), let's say from FM to CM, you would awkwardly be getting rid of the tonic, and there would be an anticipation/expectation for it to come back, You can add a new fundamental frequency below the original tonic to change key but you can't comfortably get rid of the tonic while keeping only every third harmonic. Say I took the harmonics of C starting at the eighth to save space and ignoring prime #s higher than 7 ...C D E…G…B7b B C…D 8:9:10:12:14:15:16:18 And the harmonics of G: G A B…D etc. 8:9:10:12..... Relative to C… 24:27:30:36 G contains every third harmonic of C (because it's 3x the frequency of C) If I play GM on top of CM, I will still have C as the fundamental note (although it will be a few octaves lower) Even if I take away C, the overtones of G give the impression that C is still there because they are a subset of the harmonics of C. So it's hard to convince your mind that the C is not still the tonic. If I add F however, the overtones of C are still there with the addition of the harmonics of F. There's not nearly as much suspension, and the only thing that is awkward is that there was no previous expectation for the F to occur at all. So boom you've got an unexpected new key and you aren't expecting the old tonic to come as a resolution.

[@OMystkiO]

I watched one your video by pure accident, and in loved with it instantly. I watched all of your lessons in 4 days or less, and l LEARNED A LOT. I'm learning piano for about a year and my piano teacher barely talks me about music theory and such, after learning all those from you, it do makes me feels like I'm more in control. The explanations you do are really easy to be absorbed in also. Anyway, I've learned a good lesson, and really looking forward to your new videos, and a great thank you!

[@MichaelNew]

OMystkiO Hey that's awesome! Yeah I think getting a grasp on theory really gives you a good foundation to start putting things together. I'm sure your teacher would help you out with the theory though if you asked him or her. Good luck with the lessons.

[@DeeDubbzMuzic]

You are my go to KZbin piano. Thank you for taking the time to make these. You really have taught me a lot that my old piano teacher struggled to help me learn never stop making these, your a great teacher, it just comes natural to you.

[@MichaelNew]

ErrythangWavy Thank you! That's super encouraging to hear.

[@Tzadeck]

I'm glad there's a good music theory channel on KZbin--I learned all this stuff in high school but have probably forgot a lot! Looking forward to watching more videos of yours.

[@MrRickyWow]

I feel like you are teaching me the blueprints of music through all of your videos.... As in all there is to know about the construct of it... I have made music my whole life without being aware of most of this and this knowledge now feels almost burdening... in a good way... The possibilities though.

[@PuBearsticks]

you have put together the BEST series of videos on music theory that i have been able to find anywhere. I have paid money for lessons that offered much less in the way of practical knowledge. You have officially improved my quality of life 😀 Keep up the amazing work.

[@MichaelNew]

+PuBearsticks Wow, that is actually a fantastic compliment. Thank you very much!

[@rulix36]

THANK YOU,,YOU ARE REALLY THE BEST PIANO GUY TUTORIAL IN KZbin,,,SOOO CLEAR

[@velosoxraptor]

best music theory teacher on you tube hands down

[@KeithWhittingham]

As an observation, when you look at the key changes on the Circle of Fifths you can visualise what you're doing - start at C jump clockwise one past your final destination and then slip back one. C -> D -> G, C -> E -> A. This kinda works with the C -> E -> Am progression too - just ignore the 'm' when selecting your transition chord: C clockwise one step past A get's you to E and the drop back to A but play an Am instead.

[@mavertron]

These are brilliant videos. As someone who is self taught these are invaluable. Thanks so much.

[@Toycey123]

The easiest keys to modulate to are the two keys either side on the circle of fifths and their relative minors, via the dominant chords. e.g. From C to Am (via E), F (via C) or Dm (via A), G (via D) or Em (via B). In a major key you can easily modulate to any chord other than vii (in this case B). Also, adding dissonance to a chord, by extending it with a 7th (like A7 into Dm or D7 into G), helps to build even more tension and solidify the key change when it resolves. Anything else will require a little more work!

[@penajuan46]

Great lesson. Your way of teaching really gets through quite clearly. You take the more complicated aspects of music theory, and break it down that even a novice like myself can understand. I appreciate the time you take to make these videos, they're one of my main sources of understanding music theory.

[@NMranchhand]

Super, super, super. I am enjoying your instruction immensely. I've taken music in school and it failed to penetrate. You make it much easier.

[@taquitoburrito6335]

this is a wonderful video. your way of teaching modulation makes it easy to understand.

[@JessTheDragoon]

Thanks for this tutorial Michael! I find it really interesting! :)

[@chrisb1699]

'I was lost, now I live here' 😄👌 learning loads from the videos, thanks a lot!

[@okamikatze863]

Thank you Michael. (: As usual. Simple and easy to understand. Just brilliant!

[@MichaelNew]

Sue Londo Thanks :) I actually had a really hard time getting this one done, I think just because the concept is pretty high level. I'm glad to hear it still came across as simple.

[@philippherlinghaus2088]

Love from Germany. Best lessons ever!

[@romang3623]

Awesome video Michael! You explain the topic in such a simple and concise way. I used to think, that music theory was a bunch of intellectual mumbo jumbo, but thanks to you I am starting to really understand what lies behind these big words and dry explanations. Thanks!

[@faizalahamed1541]

Your methods of teaching are really great.

[@julieemmerson6862]

Thanks for being so good at explaining this and teaching … really appreciate your help

[@N4N055]

This is the second video that I see were you explain theory. Already subscribed since this channel of yours really explains music theory in such a simple matter that even a beginner in music can understand easily. Will recommend your channel as I see more of it.

[@DblNk1275]

Besides the sort of traditional classical rules of making music, I find that while making music and playing around moving from one chord to another, the only 'rule' in my head is that as long as both chords have at least one, generally, leading tone in common, it'll work. Plus in the moment I'm blissfully ignorant of any possible key changes. For all I know I could be changing keys 4 times in 2 bars, lol. This usually works best with 'jazz' chordings because if analyzed later the seeming randomness will actually have a basis in jazz theory... you know... every flatted or raised note can logically be justified as a basis going from one chord to the next, lol. Good job, subscribed! ;)

[@MichaelNew]

iTsoFatso Ha, yeah I jazz music has managed to justify just about any note at any time. I think there's a pretty big spectrum between strictly tonal, classical-style music and something completely atonal, like serialism, and when you're writing music you can live in between wherever you like. I tend to not analyze things too closely when I'm coming up with a chord progression, but I've found that when you start trying to expand on things, like adding melodies, extra harmony, or even just arranging a song, it can help to think about "what key am I in? Is there even a solid key center right now?" and things like that. Thanks for the sub :)

[@DblNk1275]

***** You're welcome and thank you! ;-)

[@ThreeDeeDaveBass]

Michael - Just discovered you and am quite pleased with your teaching techniques. Have only checked out 2 lessons so far but your chord structures lesson is very well done. Now to view the Patreon site to see what it's all about.

[@paulmann1289]

Bit late to the party - but only just discovered you today. On your quest get a G# in there for a transition from C Major to A minor one of my fav chords is a the X minor (Major 7). You could get there from a basic C - Am - G - C6 (an inversion of the A7) - Am6 - Am7 - Am(M7), or even simpler go from the C - Am - Am(M7) - Am7 - Am(M7) which should leave you free to stay on A minor. And then there is the Melodic Minor which has a Major 7th in it naturally and so something the melody or bass line can help with. Just a few of my ideas that come to mind

[@MaggaraMarine]

I think jumping straight to the new key works best at transitions. Your first section ends with for example C major and the next section starts with a new key, let's say F major or whatever. If it's in the middle of the phrase, it's going to sound a bit off, but usually if the verse is in one key, it doesn't sound that strange if the chorus is in another. Also, many times those keys are related in a way. Def Leppard's Hysteria album has a lot of this kind of key changes. They don't really prepare the key change that much, it's usually just straight jump into the new key. But it's always a new section when the key change happens. Also, if you analyze it more carefully, you'll see certain relations. One song that comes to my mind is "Armageddon It" that has a nice key change from E major to G major. The verse ends with a B major chord that is the V of E but it doesn't resolve back to E but a half step up to C that is the IV chord of the new key. The chorus ends with a D that is the V chord of G, but it resolves to E instead of G. And it's actually more of an E minor (that's still part of G major) than E major, but it becomes an E major when the verse starts again. Both of these are actually deceptive cadences (ie, the V chord resolves to the VI chord). I think this kind of key changes are a bit more interesting and not that obvious. And as I said, Hysteria album is full of them.

[@chrisbanisch]

Michael, i started studying music theory in January of this year as i had always wanted to learns. I was very confused about the changing of keys and building tension, so thank you for clearing that up for me! You have a unique and great method of teaching, keep at it!

[@MichaelNew]

Hey thanks man, glad I could help. Good luck on your quest to learn music :)

[@chrisbanisch]

***** Much appreciated! :)

[@thwninjascopez]

Awesome info. Been wondering how key changes work for a while. Good job, and thank you.

[@MichaelNew]

THW NinjaScopez No problem, thanks for watching!

[@sommerside]

Thank you so much for spending your time in making these videos for us. Youre an amazing teacher! Priceless

[@dhpbear2]

13:54 - It's modulation. Barry Manilow used it a lot (like the final chorus of 'Looks Like We Made It' following a drum-fill) :)

[@intensalexio]

"Usually considered cheesy. Most people don't like it."

[@ewallt]

Nice thoughts. If you’re wanting to move from C to G, I would think of two key notes being needed, not just one, which are the fourth of the new key (C here), and F#, the leading tone. The C and F# form more tension than simply an F# does, and also, importantly define the new key, as G is the only key that has both a C and F# in it other than Db, so we know immediately where we are (since there’d have to be a lot of black keys involved to be moving to Db). However, if you just play a D major chord, you could be in D, or G, or A, you really don’t know, until you hear the D7 chord, which, besides providing tension, uniquely defines the key, because only G has a D7 chord. Temporary tonitization vs a new key center is a pretty subtle distinction. If would be an interesting study to try to determine at what point the brain decides we’re really in a new key. If you wanted to go immediately from C to G, using a C Lydian chord should work pretty well (C F# A), as this uniquely defines the new key (only G has these three notes), as well as providing tension and release.

[@narrowkeel]

Soooo, helpful, man. A teleprompter set up(youtube has a bunch of make-shift tutorials) may still raise the quality a bit. It's weird that such a small gesture is so affective, but it does seem to be. The extra eye contact still was muchhhhh better. These videos are so good, Michael! Thank you for sharing the wealth of knowledge.

[@MichaelNew]

Garrett Markle Lol, I swear I'm going to get it eventually :) I will definitely look into the teleprompter thing though. I think I just kind of get focused on what I'm saying, drawing, or playing, and just sort of forget. Definitely appreciate the advice though. My videography skills are pretty nonexistent, but I'd like to improve the quality as much as I can.

[@chihlimbar2]

I'm really delighted that I found your channel , you are a very good teacher!

[@sarimkhan1773]

thank u michael ,u use the screen very well,i understands your concept very fast.........again thank u so much

[@Guidodo]

Thank you so much for creating these videos. You seamlessly connect the technical side of music theory with the emotional side of it (i.e. how particular concepts actually sound in the real world and why people might want to use them), which is amazingly helpful. You're the best! (I'm never going hiking in the woods with you, though.)

[@tiggerdyret]

This is a great video. Straight to the point and easy to follow.

[@weenvai]

Great explanations! Thanks. 9:00 Mitch Hedberg, great analogy! I refer to that line a lot in various explanations to people.

[@TheFirefighter1971]

amazing tutorial .. it should be used in music schools .. great job Mike

[@jialuwang4835]

this is so helpful! I'm so glad that I find your channel, thank you so much, keep up the good work! looking forward to it!

[@benjiusofficial]

omfg the mitch hedburg joke "I have severely improved my predicament."

[@dudaudj]

Best KZbin teacher !

[@FernieCanto]

One of the supreme examples of "tonic by assertion" in popular music: I Will Always Love You, by Whitney Houston. It doesn't even need to stick around the new key for a while; from the very first note, you've already forgotten the old key. Of course it helps that the song moves from E major to B major, which is a nice IV - I transition, but still, I guess you could call it "tonic by sheer overemoting".

[@MichaelNew]

+Fernie Canto There's also a Portishead song that has a really good example of that, but I can't seem to remember which one right now.

[@ajayukumaru]

What piano sample library are you using ?

[@JewishFood]

I found this lesson very rewarding!! and I am very excited to finally learn about modes!

[@jgulliksson]

Love your videos.... I suggest that you do a follow up video with real song examples where this technique is used...

[@stratoincendus3869]

Recently did a change from F#m to Cm... 😂 That's some epic shit if you can pull it off. For example: End your F#m part on E major (dominant parallel) with a B on top, play a G major while keeping that B on top, and then resolve to Cm.

[@tomcarterpianist]

You could also use tritone substitution/the Neapolitan chord to replace the V7 chord (C#7) with a bII7 chord (G7) which could nicely modulate back into Cm.

[@boldcautionproductions9203]

Mitch Hedberg, the wise one. Good to know where you get your inspiration comes from.

[@thomasdr08]

great video! I'm rather enjoying this series! I shall donate to the patreon for the sake of others! btw, shouts on the mitch hedberg reference

[@MichaelNew]

+sclSolitarium Hey, that's awesome man, thanks so much! "Dogs are forever in the push up position"

[@AlainTramblay]

This one was VERY tough. I'm looking foward to understanding it. :) I was good following all your previous videos but this one will need a lot a reflexion on my part. Thanks for your EXCELLENT videos.

[@MichaelNew]

+Alain Tramblay It is pretty tough. Keep in mind that this is about how music affects your brain, so it's much different than learning something like chord definitions. It's more like psychology than math.

[@DereBear]

In my opinion a modulation up a half step works if you use a bVI like in the song Love on Top where she does it like 4 times. At that point the bVI has already been established as part of the progression so when it’s used as a pivot chord it’s seamless

[@niuderdrastico]

Excellent video. You changed my life.

[@flurko55]

You are an amazing music teacher

[@xelaquet]

I have really enjoyed your videos and, more importantly, learned a lot! Thank you.

[@AkshayKumar-sd1mx]

Perfect lessons,your channel explains very clearly.Thank you for this great content

[@chrischambless]

Looks like your white balance was changing keys too.

[@hlokomani]

Chris Chambless lmao 💀💀💀💀💀💀

[@FruitloopLeviathan]

lol good one

[@EivindGussiasLkseth]

I've just started watching your videos. One thing that comes to mind is, if you could create a series of videos where you take some well known melodies and explain them related to music theory. For instance I like "Sondre Lerche - Surviving Christmas" and "a-ha - A Fine Blue Line" because of their harmonies, but I'm not able to tell why and what's going on in those melodies. Maybe I will after watching most of your current videos, though.

[@adrin181]

you mentioned that C to Db would be a difficult transition given that they are so different, but theyre also a half step apart, and ive heard a few songs where the final chorus goes all out, the key a half step up from the original just something i thought was interesting from the methods of key change that you presented really good video either way, glad you made it (y)

[@adrin181]

oh man, probably should have finished watching the video, haha still, good job !

[@MichaelNew]

***** Lol, I was thinking "man, I swore I covered that. Did I edit that part out?" Glad it made sense though :)

[@shaswat_292]

You are an awesome teacher !! 🙌

[@BananaPhoPhilly]

I just started writing music over the past year and I relate so frustratingly hard to the first minute of this video lol

[@Spjen]

Excellent teaching. you make it simple. great work.thank you.

[@justisland]

Thank you for this! You made it sound so easy, I swear! I'm watching all of your videos now~ Thank you so much!

[@MichaelNew]

Haneul All of them? That's a long time to listen to me talking :)

[@justisland]

I'll prolly take breaks, but I guess I'll be binge watching your talking in front of the camera for a while! Hahaha. Thanks for these videos, btw. You're amazing!

[@MichaelNew]

Haneul Ha, well good luck :) Let me know if there's anything you think I can improve on once the binge is over.

[@ryanblackgolf]

This guy deserves a baby grand, not no Akai lol

[@Pardock97]

+Rafi Hudaya Cause it has 2 octaves for example xD

[@IvanTarasov]

Great explanation, thank you! One thing that I was wishing for were some examples of interesting key changes in familiar classical music pieces, but it's OK, I can take some apart myself :-)

[@peacefulpigeon7254]

You are a fantastic teacher thanks so much really helping me progress in my music

[@patrickhodson8715]

4:32-4:56 I'm hearing this as a key change from C to D. You said you're not done yet, but at this point that's what I'm hearing. I think it's partly because the G is inverted, but idk.

[@patrickhodson8715]

Oh I know. It's because my brain is expecting you to play the same I, IV, I, V, I chord progression.

[@patrickhodson8715]

And because the most common key change by far is to go up by a whole step, i.e. adding two sharps.

[@kyrenrowe461]

One song I was always confused by is About a girl from nirvana. The key change during the chorus tells my brain something weird just happened. But it fits so perfectly after hearing it.

[@RACEMASTERyEAH]

16:37 There's a bit cheesy way to avoid G# but still play the proper 7th for Am - replace the G# with a D to form E7 :)

[@fredrikw1447]

i like your videos. You're a good teacher.

[@edsknife]

F# is also the weird note in C lydian, so modes can help us gradually build to the next key.

[@friedaricx]

your circle of fifths is false! (D-E-A --> D-A-E)

[@kamiel79]

"DEA" is for Narcos...

[@timpullen398]

fred ploegman yes it is incorrect. HAHA

[@bv9434]

Thank you! My brain squirmed when I saw that

[@salsabilahmedshrestho960]

Man you know you're brain has gone from watching too much narcos or breaking bad. I saw D.E.A too! 😂😂😂

[@friedaricx]

:))

[@CTFUvegan2014]

Haha Mitch Hedburg, are you a fan of stand up comedy? You covered so many things and made it so easy to understand as usual. Im glad you mentioned modes at the end, I feel like I'm a VII chord waiting to resolve when you post that modes video lol. Its like the only thing I just dont understand. Thanks Michael New :D

[@MichaelNew]

Bikepacker96 Yep, big fan. Although Mitch Hedburg is definitely my favorite. Sorry to leave you handing like a VII chord :) Doing this video actually helped me get some ideas down on what to do for modes, so I'm feeling pretty good about that one. Hopefully it won't be long, although this one took way longer than I expected.

[@HandyFox333]

Bikepacker96 Love that guy!

[@CTFUvegan2014]

***** Cool man. Hey I have another big question maybe you could help with. I came across this summary of many things, "In creating music in chorale style, use complete triads. (If you omit any triad note, it should be the fifth.) Double (or--if omitting the fifth--triple) the root of the triad. Double the fifth only for some compelling voice leading reason. Avoid doubling the third of a triad except in very special contexts (described in Chapter 7). Do not double the leading tone (7^) in a V or vii. Avoid parallel perfect unisons, fifths, and octaves completely. You may use parallel perfect fourths as long as they do not involve the bass. (If you are working from Piston's Harmony, however, parallel fourths must always be accompanied by parallel thirds in a lower voice.) Avoid voice crossings and voice overlaps. When possible, move by step." What do you think about what this summary says? Why does it say to avoid all these certain things!?

[@MichaelNew]

Bikepacker96 Ha, so this is something that I *hated* about learning music in school. Everything in that summary is actually really interesting and really important, but if the book/teacher/whatever doesn't make it clear what those rules are for it's pointless to learn. Keep in mind that those rules apply to a very specific style of music; chorales sung in a German Protestant church service. But the logic goes something like this: "In creating music in chorale style, use complete triads. (If you omit any triad note, it should be the fifth.)" - If you're trying to convey a chord, omitting there root or the third makes it impossible to tell what the chord really is. But if you omit the fifth, you still have most of the harmony still there. Like a C and an E still sounds more or less like a C major chord, but a C and G could be a C major or a C minor. "Avoid parallel perfect unisons, fifths, and octaves completely." - In this style of music, they wanted 4 distinct voices. Like at any point you should be able to hear the soprano, alto, tenor and bass doing their own thing. If you move voices together in parallel fifths, octaves, or unison, they don't really sound like distinct voices anymore and they kind of blend together. "Avoid voice crossings and voice overlaps." - Same as above really. Overlapping the voices causes them to sort of blend and become less clear. Hope that helps a bit. Think of those guidelines as a sort of recipe for how to write music in that particular style. But if you think about why they stuck with those guidelines you can pick up some interesting things that you can apply anywhere.

[@CTFUvegan2014]

***** That does help! I love acapella and vocal harmonies and i didnt know they had different rules than keyboard style. Thanks Michael!

[@Manuellaborer]

You're a born teacher!

[@GenX6887]

The reason you invert chords is to create a repeating pattern when playing a song. Plus chords sometimes sound a whole lot better inverted depending on the song you're playing.

[@KeithWhittingham]

BTW you got your Patreon pledge - I went for the beer option because I wrote an article a long while back and the research I did told me that beer is healthier than coffee in what we consider 'moderation' - good news I thought.

[@rayang9929]

Valuable knowledge brother, keep it up!

[@Riurelia]

One time I was listening to a song that changed keys at the end. It was so abrupt that it sounded weird. I've since then listened to the song enough so now I can barely even notice the key change.

[@canispeaktodave]

Loved this. You should do some exercises on patreon for your listeners to learn it.

[@DavePawson]

Michael, you rather skip over using the five chord for tension (2:21 in). Have you rather skipped over the place of this in key changes? Is it mentioned anywhere else please?

[@CaptnRich737]

Hi Michael... can you differentiate the “tonic by assertion”. with a direct modulation. They seem very similar, what differentiates them out?