Modulation Using a Tritone - Music Theory

[@MusicMattersGB]

Learn Music Online - Check out our courses here! www.mmcourses.co.uk/courses

[@deplinenoise]

This is great! This quirky kind of problem solving against constraints is something I’d love to see more of. I can imagine this might be really helpful for composers scoring say a movie, where quick modulation is often required.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Absolutely

[@MusicMattersGB]

Absolutely

[@outpostbabu676]

You've beautifully laid out the logic of this key transition in a way that's easy to grasp. I always look forward to the topics you bring.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s great. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@ryanharris2462]

Thanks for the great content you’re publishing here!

[@MusicMattersGB]

Thanks for your support. Much appreciated.

[@pauldavis6857]

Brilliant! So clear, and clever. The high point are your beautifully sung inner parts from time to time. Thank you so much.

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Glad it’s helpful

[@ephjaymusic]

You are a treasure Gareth! Thank you for such a brilliantly clear lesson!

[@MusicMattersGB]

You’re very kind.

[@heart_healer]

What a fantastic lesson sir!! It is an honour and privilege to learn from such a fantastic teacher!

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s most kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@randolphmitchell6851]

Very nice! I remember reading about how a German augmented 6th could be re-thought as a dominant seventh, but it's nice to see it worked out!

[@MusicMattersGB]

It’s a useful trick

[@jayducharme]

That was ingenious! I was really impressed with how natural the progression sounded.

[@MusicMattersGB]

It works really well

[@JP-fp8uc]

I'm writing a piece that starts in Eb major, modulates to C major, then to Gb major. This is very helpful. I watch your videos to get new ideas. Thank you to this channel Music Matters and Gareth

[@MusicMattersGB]

You’re most kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@eduardojagla1061]

HI Gareth, thanks for a new interesting lesson. I wait for your videos every week... Let me just make a comment. When you played the two cords a tritone away in a row, it reminded me of some known sound... Then I realized Dvorak uses two such cord (without modulation in the middle) in the beginning of the 2nd movement of his new world symphony, and then continues with some nice cadence. Thanks again

[@MusicMattersGB]

Good connection

[@ThomsenTower]

Another wonderful lesson. Thank you so very much from someone who will not be able to reward you as you deserve, being a mere hobbyist from a country with a very weak currency.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s fine. That’s why we make so much available on KZbin.

[@SPCEMN3]

Great explanation! I think the critical chord was actually the fourth chord (F5/A?) because it sets up the V/V -- V - I in F#. Once you get to the V/V (German 6th), it's like water running downhill to the new key.

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@cstaeger]

Excellent video! I love the explanations from a classical music angle so much! 👏😘 For a Jazz musician, it’s a II - V - I into Gb (Jazzers prefer flats for an enharmonic equivalent). So the progression would be C - F - Ab7 - Db7 - Gb. 😅

[@MusicMattersGB]

Cool

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@MehdiD.Ardebili]

Fantastically explained as always and very insightful! Thanks for all your persistent hard work in making these beautiful and enjoyable videos Gareth! 🙏 There’s another video where you explained how to modulate by a semitone shift. But this here is like a two-step technique for how to modulate by a semitone and then by an overall tritone. By the way, there’s a lyrical Italian piece by Franz Liszt by the name Sonetto del Petraca where he modulates by a tritone from Db major to G major if I remember correctly. It seems that these types of modulations are quite common in the music of late romantic composers like Liszt and Wagner. Just as a suggestion, it would be very interesting if you could also do a kind of example score analysis in parallel with explaining these concepts.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Fair point. Yes, all interesting observations

[@ht9896886]

the pivot chord that you introduced is a secondary dominate chord in F sharp Major（V/V） and I think this modulation way belongs to Enharmonic modulation type.

[@MusicMattersGB]

It certainly belongs to the enharmonic modulation category. While it progresses V7-I it’s not really a secondary dominant because the chord I is not a chord in the prevailing key.

[@AtomizedSound]

I always love secondary dominants, secondary leading tone chords in order to modulate to any key out there

[@MusicMattersGB]

They add lovely colour

[@jeremiahwilliamsmusic]

Genius modulation tactic - Thx Gareth.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Glad it’s helpful

[@ericwarncke]

Hi Gareth, I just saw a thumbnail of a video from 2 years ago and it looks like you've lost a lot of weight. I pray that you are staying healthy. Sincerely care for your well being. Thank you for making so many fantastic lessons.

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s most kind. All is well. It’s actually been intentional weight loss.

[@ericwarncke]

@@MusicMattersGB That's a relief! I need to lose some weight myself next. 😎😎

[@MusicMattersGB]

I seem to be putting it back on. It’s a real challenge!

[@evelyneduval6441]

Thanks! Very well explained, as usually!

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s most kind

[@ilninfeo]

Excellent! Thank you, Maestro Green!

[@MusicMattersGB]

You’re most kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@Silks]

Augmented sixth used as a secondary dominant? I like it.

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@dan27music]

Brilliant. Thank you.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Glad it’s helpful. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@seanonel]

Would it not have been easier to do a ii(maj7)-V(7) in C and then tritone substitute the G7 to get to the C#7? Apologies if this is a stupid question.

[@MusicMattersGB]

It’s another possibility. Different things work in different contexts.

[@patrickcunningham618]

Thank you very much, Sir !!!

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure

[@abagatelle]

Great! This could come in useful for cracking safes!

[@MusicMattersGB]

Love it!

[@YasmeenKauserZiaudeen]

Sir, there is a Dm piece with the chords as follows ( D min - Bb maj - F maj - Db maj ) can you help me with what kind of modulation is happening here. F maj goes to Db major?

[@MusicMattersGB]

F is acting as a pivot note ie F is in both the F chord and in the Db chord.

[@sofia.cardenas.x]

Thank you for your videos!

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@brodymclaughlin]

Wow! Truly amazing!

[@MusicMattersGB]

You’re most kind. Much more at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@acwatercolors]

Never understood that German6th notion, for me it's Ab7. Excellent lesson by the way as always

[@MusicMattersGB]

Thank you. The big difference is that Ab7 includes Gb and the German 6th includes F#. This is important because the Gb resolves downwards but the F# resolves upwards.

[@acwatercolors]

@@MusicMattersGB Thank you! Will work on that the whole 2023 year haha

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@googleuser9592]

What about transitioning in as little as one bar: C C#7 F# - Tada

[@googleuser9592]

Is there a reason not to do this much simpler method (employing the simple V7-I resolution)? To my ears this sounds even nicer. Am I missing something?

[@MusicMattersGB]

It’s a perfectly reasonable option. The only difficulty is false relations but if you’re happy with them go for it!

[@seanonel]

Tada is also a tritone.

[@TheAtheistworld]

U guys rock! Thnx

[@MusicMattersGB]

That’s most kind

[@kierenmoore3236]

It’s like the Sixth chord gives an inch, and then (by tweaking the product of that, into a secondary dominant) you suddenly take a mile!! 😇

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@savagetofu1]

I don’t know why… I love the sound of hearing C Major to F# Major. I still don’t understand tritones. I just know I like hearing that #4 whenever possible.

[@MusicMattersGB]

It’s a great sound

[@Vasioth]

Hey Gareth, do you think you'll eventually do a subscription model for course access (so the access for the materials is limited to the time subscribing at a fraction of the cost etc)? I'm a very poor student and would love to do some of the courses on your site but I just don't have upwards of £70-150 to spend each month due to cost of living crisis sadly but I'd love to support in some way etc.

[@MusicMattersGB]

We’re not planning to offer a subscription model for courses but we do offer a subscription service in relation to our Maestros programme. Further details at www.mmcourses.co.uk

[@NomeDeArte]

Clever! Thank you

[@MusicMattersGB]

A pleasure

[@acwatercolors]

Just heard three words with your British accent made me push the thumb up :)

[@MusicMattersGB]

Thanks and welcome!

[@superblondeDotOrg]

Great lesson.

[@MusicMattersGB]

Many thanks

[@gregoryhaddock5395]

Brilliant 😮

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@СтаниславДроздов-и9ж]

why did you called the root note of the pivot chord is e flat, not d#, its a DD43-5+1 chord, isnt it?

[@MusicMattersGB]

Eb is part of the German 6th in the starting key. D# belongs to the new key. Hence the notation in the video.

[@СтаниславДроздов-и9ж]

@@MusicMattersGB i didnt know that i can named the tonic notes differently from the key in first appereance(in such ocassion like harmony task) so in C dur theres no Eb, but we can alterate D, i do not know nothing about this geman french italian 6th chord theory, i used to study it like alteration of the secondary dominant

[@edgenovese]

Gareth, you've done it again, made sense out of the nonsensical. Ed Genovese (Her letter)

[@MusicMattersGB]

Glad it’s helpful

[@PijanitsaVode]

Do you know of graphic means (colours,. shapes) to represent modulation?

[@MusicMattersGB]

Some people perceive modulations in terms of moving to a brighter or darker colour but most people simply hear the key or key relationship

[@PijanitsaVode]

@@MusicMattersGB This question is not about perception, but about sketching. Scores don't show harmony. Did any musicologist à la Schenker or other propose a way to sketch harmonic itineraries?

[@PijanitsaVode]

@@MusicMattersGB And, incidentally: it would be nice to have, easily available, harmony-graphically-enhanced scores. I asked in rue de Rome in Paris whether one could find harmony-annotated scores. Dumb looks no charge, and in one case, aggressivity. I did not even ask about graphic annotation. It is done on excerpts only, in strictly pedagogical contexts. But, take a very constructed sonata, where you are aware of the harmonic events. How do you map that into shapes, colors on your paper or screen, for the learner, the performer, the musicologist? Where can I ask about this?

[@MusicMattersGB]

Good question. You can colour code according to thematic ideas/ motifs etc or according to keys or chord types. Personally I don’t particularly approach things that way but others may have ideas.

[@MusicMattersGB]

I find the most useful thing is to analyse the chords and mark Roman Numerals on the score then to look for patterns/ overall movement.

[@Ana_crusis]

Have you not already done a video on this topic or am I dreaming again?

[@MusicMattersGB]

Are you thinking about our tritone substitution video?

[@Ana_crusis]

@@MusicMattersGB i might well be 😁

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@umbracul]

Yes, I like *extreme* modulations 😀

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@eplumer]

erg cool, though I did not catch why it needed to be the German version

[@MusicMattersGB]

Because the Eb gets used in a pivotal way but the others can be used

[@federicobistoni9234]

I think I listened to it in a piece of classical music but I don't remember which one

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@PijanitsaVode]

What proportion of trained musicians perceive modulation? Half? Many of my singer friends do not. Same about the general public. 10% What conclusion about the actual experience of listening to subtly/smartly modulating compositions in classical music Beeethoven Schubert Fauré Debussy... ?

[@MusicMattersGB]

Most professional musicians can do that.

[@x2mars]

Cool 😎

[@MusicMattersGB]

Glad it’s useful

[@FrankMGarcía]

❤

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀

[@sallyjohansson6045]

Ab7

[@MusicMattersGB]

😀