Half Step Modulations?

Bellycaster

This is something I barely noticed before, but a couple of songs I've been learning caught me out.

I'm used to hearing songs modulate a Minor 3rd like Bon Jovi and Cuddly Toy by Roachford to name a couple, but this half step modulation is a bit of a new discovery.

This song goes up a semi tone for the last chorus.

as does this at 2:00 mins in

I managed to find the chords that connect the two keys, or the transition chords if you like, at 2 mins is Bbmin7 to Cmin7 to Ebmin7, then the picking riff goes from starting on D to D#.

I'm gonna have to get more examples of modulations, of any sort.

How do you "think through" or "Engineer" a semi tone modulation, or any modulation for that matter if you are writing music?

Ta.

monquixote

Soul man has a semi tone modulation. It really catches people out. 

I'm pretty sure the blues brothers version of think modulates in semi tones several times. 

"Love on top" by Beyonce is the ultimate as it has 4 semi tone key changes. 

Bellycaster

Yep, just listened to that Beyonce track, it's more apparent in that. Soul Man is def more subtle. Neat little trick ain't it?

monquixote

Yeah, it's a neat trick and that Beyonce track is a fucker to sing. The singer in my band is awesome and she had a really hard time with it. 

I tend to not think of it in a music theory context more in a sort of subtle increase in intensity, especially if it's tied with an increase in tempo so it sounds a bit like a tape speeding up.

viz

New york new york!
You can't stop the beat
all that lot do it.

Bellycaster

@monquixote

Yeah, it must be quite tough to adjust the key with ones voice, it's all fingers with us, but when your vocal chords have to make the adjustment it's a different ball game.

I always tend to be drawn to studying how(musically) the change is tackled, I usually just end up knowing the transition chords and not really undertanding the theory, there must be a limited number of "routes" from one key to another and maybe it depends on more than just the route from one key to another. Cuddly Toy simply goes straight to the minor 3rd change after the drum roll with no transition chords.

I suppose the way to do it would be to write a simple ditty and then try for myself to negotiate the said route with the half step.

@-)

thisisguitar

If memory serves 'Rock With You - Michael Jackson' has a semi-tone modulation towards the end. Had to teach it this week, but am too knackered to pick up a guitar and check right now!

Catthan

thisisguitar said:

If memory serves 'Rock With You - Michael Jackson' has a semi-tone modulation towards the end. Had to teach it this week, but am too knackered to pick up a guitar and check right now!

You are quite right!

thisisguitar

@Catthan - Thank you :-)

Remembered this morning another one: Stevie Wonder - You are the sunshine of my life.

ThePrettyDamned

Bellycaster said:

@monquixote

Yeah, it must be quite tough to adjust the key with ones voice, it's all fingers with us, but when your vocal chords have to make the adjustment it's a different ball game.

I always tend to be drawn to studying how(musically) the change is tackled, I usually just end up knowing the transition chords and not really undertanding the theory, there must be a limited number of "routes" from one key to another and maybe it depends on more than just the route from one key to another. Cuddly Toy simply goes straight to the minor 3rd change after the drum roll with no transition chords.

I suppose the way to do it would be to write a simple ditty and then try for myself to negotiate the said route with the half step.

@-)

A lot of the music I listen to has time sig changes, tempo changes and key changes and often with no warning.  

Ultimately, it'll either sound good or bad and that's for the listener to decide.  But if you play something a certain way, people will accept.

Bellycaster

It seems like the HSM is a popular move in Soul, Funk and R&B. I suppose it's a sort of "Mood Lift" quality it has that fits those styles well.

monquixote

Yep. 

Loads of Soul tracks have completely baffling key changes if you look at them in terms of theory, but they do it with conviction so it sounds fine.

SidNewton

And I Love Her by The Beatles has a half step modulation just before the guitar solo.

viz

Houston's i will always love you's got a tone modulation. Titanic theme tune's got a major 3rd or something. But they're similar to the semitone modulation because it's basically a gear shift, repeating the whole thing up a key, rather than a normal modulation which is to go into a NEW section in a new key.

Bellycaster

viz said:

Houston's i will always love you's got a tone modulation. Titanic theme tune's got a major 3rd or something. But they're similar to the semitone modulation because it's basically a gear shift, repeating the whole thing up a key, rather than a normal modulation which is to go into a NEW section in a new key.

Thanks @viz

It's stuff like this I need to know the difference with. Like you say, a gear shift. Do you have any examples of "Going into a NEW SECTION in a new key". I might have heard some examples time and again, but it's recognising it that really improves ones understanding of songwriting theory etc.

I seem to be able to spot the gear shifts, but am missing the other.

monquixote

I'm currently learning L-O-V-E by Joss Stone. 

That shifts up by a semitone every 2 times around the chords. 

viz

Bellycaster said:

viz said:

Houston's i will always love you's got a tone modulation. Titanic theme tune's got a major 3rd or something. But they're similar to the semitone modulation because it's basically a gear shift, repeating the whole thing up a key, rather than a normal modulation which is to go into a NEW section in a new key.

Thanks @viz

It's stuff like this I need to know the difference with. Like you say, a gear shift. Do you have any examples of "Going into a NEW SECTION in a new key". I might have heard some examples time and again, but it's recognising it that really improves ones understanding of songwriting theory etc.

I seem to be able to spot the gear shifts, but am missing the other.

yep, for example that awesome section in every breath you take.

Bellycaster

@viz

Great song. This is what I mean by my ears failing me, because everything in the song fits so well I have to guess whether you meant the part that starts

"Since you've gone, I've been lost without a trace....."

or 

"Oh, Can't you see, you belong to me"

:-S

thisisguitar

@Bellycaster - 

The 'since you've been gone' bit

viz

Yep. It's in a key far far removed from the main sections before and after.

thisisguitar

Pain in the arse to play along with as the recording is slightly sharp of A flat (more likely than the opposite as it was probably sped up for the American market).

@Viz - It seems to do that classic pattern of playing three major chords a tone apart (like Sgt. Peppers)