{"id":20198,"date":"2024-01-30T16:03:13","date_gmt":"2024-01-30T21:03:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/?p=20198"},"modified":"2025-10-23T14:43:36","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T19:43:36","slug":"modulation-101-berklee-online-instructors-on-how-to-leap-into-a-key-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/modulation-101-berklee-online-instructors-on-how-to-leap-into-a-key-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Modulation 101: Berklee Online Instructors on How to Leap into a Key Change"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-learn-how-modulation-shapes-musical-storytelling-and-literally-and-figuratively-elevates-songwriting-across-genres\">Learn How Modulation Shapes Musical Storytelling and (Literally <em>and <\/em>Figuratively) Elevates Songwriting Across Genres<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Key changes can inject any song with an exciting (and often unexpected) jolt of interest, but as you\u2019ll see from the article below\u2014assembled with the help of several Berklee Online instructors in the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/songwriting?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\">Songwriting<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/music-production?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Music Production<\/a> departments\u2014it takes a special skill to really make modulation work. The 29 songs that are part of the embedded playlist below (and the more comprehensive write-ups after) not only showcase the skills of the songwriters, but also the talents of the singers who make the big leap into a new key. And one note of caution: Modulation should be used in moderation, unless of course you\u2019re in Queen or you\u2019re the Queen Bey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/playlist\/5LCTQ6xNMuHaCAj4qX6cIu?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameBorder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-love-on-top-by-beyonce\"><strong>\u201cLove On Top\u201d by Beyonc\u00e9 <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriters-beyonce-knowles-terius-nash-and-shea-taylor\"><strong>Songwriters<\/strong>: Beyonc\u00e9 Knowles, Terius Nash, and Shea Taylor <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re putting \u201cLove on Top\u201d on top of this list not just because it has the word \u201ctop\u201d in the title, but because of its impressive four key changes. Released in 2011 on Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s fourth album\u2014appropriately titled <em>4<\/em>\u2014the song begins in the key of C. After two verses and two choruses it jumps to C\u266f for a double-chorus at approximately 3:04. Then it keeps moving up! The second key change modulates to D at approximately 3:24. Then it modulates to E\u266d with the word \u201ctop\u201d in the chorus at approximately 3:45. The fourth and final key change happens at this same point in the song structure, with the next leap on \u201ctop\u201d to E happening at approximately 4:06.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you can\u2019t tell where the key changes are happening and you don\u2019t feel like following along with the time codes, just watch the video. Each time the outfits on Beyonc\u00e9 and her dancers change, so does the key! The live version of this song on the <em>Homecoming<\/em> album (documenting her tour de force performance at Coachella in 2018) begins in B\u266d and climbs up to D. What\u2019s noteworthy about this is that she brings the entire crowd on up to the notes with her!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe first time I heard \u2018Love On Top,\u2019 my pupils dilated with the delight of each new modulation,\u201d says&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/ben-camp?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ben Camp<\/a>, who wrote Berklee Online\u2019s <em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/songs-unmasked-techniques-and-tips-for-songwriting-success?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Songs Unmasked: Techniques and Tips for Songwriting Success<\/a><\/em> course. \u201cAt some point I was like \u2018They\u2019ve gotta be done, they <em>can\u2019t <\/em>modulate any more!\u2019 and then they. kept. doing. it. So good!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/rodney-alejandro?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rodney Alejandro<\/a>, who wrote Berklee Online\u2019s <em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/topline-and-vocal-production?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Topline and Vocal Production<\/a><\/em> course, calls the song \u201ca modern classic.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt utilizes key changes to highlight prosody in the song, arrangement, production, and performance,\u201d he says. Plus, \u201cit feels great to groove and move to!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Beyonc\u00e9 - Love On Top (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Ob7vObnFUJc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><div class=\"post-article-bio\">\n<p> <h2>What is Modulation?<\/h2><\/P>\n<P>Modulation is when a song is in a certain key and it moves to another key. <\/P>\n<P><h2>What is the Purpose of Modulation?<\/h2><\/P>\n<P>Usually to add excitement to the song.<\/P> \n<P><H2>What are the Three Types of Modulation?<\/H2><\/P>\n<ol>\n  <li>Diatonic<\/li>\n  <li>Chromatic<\/li>\n  <li>Enharmonic<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<P>Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.berklee.edu\/berklee-today\/fall-2007\/the-woodshed\/modulation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">this article from <em>Berklee Today<\/em><\/a>, a publication from the campus of Berklee College of Music, for more info.<\/P> \n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-man-in-the-mirror-by-michael-jackson\"><strong>\u201cMan in the Mirror\u201d by Michael Jackson<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriters-glen-ballard-and-siedah-garrett\"><strong>Songwriters<\/strong>: Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This 1988 hit from Michael Jackson is notable in that it uses prosody when it modulates. As a refresher, <a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/prosody-in-music-and-songwriting?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">prosody<\/a> can mean an instance when the music reflects what the words are saying: One classic example is Garth Brooks singing a low note when he says the word \u201clow\u201d in the chorus of \u201c<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/mvCgSqPZ4EM?feature=shared&amp;t=129\" target=\"_blank\">Friends in Low Places<\/a>.\u201d Accordingly, the members of the Andra\u00e9 Crouch Choir sing the word \u201cchange\u201d as they make that leap up from a G to an A\u266d major. When we hear these singers \u201cmake that <em>change<\/em>\u201d at 2:53, it gives us listeners the feeling of possibility that we can help \u201cmake the world a better place\u201d in a song that has already been an uplifting experience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf you listen to the song, it starts with realizing that if anything is going to change, it has to start with the singer,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/chad-shank?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chad Shank<\/a>, who teaches <em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/lyric-writing-tools-and-strategies?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lyric Writing<\/a><\/em>. \u201cThe song builds from this starting point in energy. Not only does the song itself build in energy, but by the time the key change happens the production is rolling full-steam ahead. Then BOOM! It becomes gospel and such an uplifting, almost spiritual feeling. That the change happens on the word \u2018change\u2019 is just amazing prosody. We feel that. We feel the change actually and emotionally.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/kelly-riley?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kelly Riley<\/a>, who also teaches <em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/lyric-writing-tools-and-strategies?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lyric Writing<\/a><\/em>, adds \u201cjust when you think Jackson\u2019s electrifying, soulful delivery can\u2019t get any better, the song lifts like a rocket.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis kind of upward shift in the tonality is a simple but visceral way to re-engage the listener,\u201d observes <a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/joseph-mulholland?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Joe Mulholland<\/a>, who teaches the <em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/getting-inside-harmony-2?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Getting Inside Harmony 2<\/a><\/em> course for Berklee Online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PivWY9wn5ps?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-i-will-always-love-you-by-whitney-houston\"><strong>\u201cI Will Always Love You\u201d by Whitney Houston<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriter-dolly-parton\">Songwriter: Dolly Parton<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s get this straight: The list is not a definitive ranking of songs with amazing key changes. We\u2019re offering this disclaimer here because there are many days where we would rank this song from the 1992 soundtrack to <em>The Bodyguard<\/em> above the previous selections you\u2019ve already read about. The sheer power of this key change\u2014a full step up from A\u266d major to B\u266d major\u2014practically shifts everything inside the listeners\u2019 souls in the same way that it shifts the notes that the musicians can use. The magic of this modulation, which occurs at approximately 3:06, is that Whitney\u2019s voice is the instrument that leads the band to a higher key. As all other instruments drop out and one reverb-drenched drum signals the change, Whitney comes in, packing a heightened emotional charge.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You (Official 4K Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3JWTaaS7LdU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dolly Parton\u2014who wrote the song (on the same day that she wrote her classic, \u201cJolene\u201d!)\u2014recorded \u201cI Will Always Love You\u201d three times; originally in <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lKsQR72HY0s\" target=\"_blank\">1973<\/a>; again in <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=enJH9gz912U\" target=\"_blank\">1982<\/a>; and in <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-6Mnfpp0ez0\" target=\"_blank\">1995<\/a> as a duet with Vince Gill. In this final version she employed a key change at the same spot as the Whitney Houston version. Dolly has always spoken glowingly of Whitney\u2019s version, telling <em>Metro <\/em>Newspapers, \u201cfor her to take my simple, sweet, heartfelt country song and be able to do it in such a big way was just spectacular.\u201d While we\u2019re on the subject of Whitney Houston and key changes, we encourage you to also give a listen to \u201c<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FxYw0XPEoKE\" target=\"_blank\">I Have Nothing<\/a>,\u201d which is the track immediately after \u201cI Will Always Love You\u201d on the <em>Bodyguard <\/em>soundtrack, and serves as a companion piece of sorts to the first song, using the same keyboard sounds and Whitney\u2019s stunning voice in top form as she takes the song to a higher plane (in a more subtle way than \u201cI Will Always Love You\u201d) in the final minute of the song.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-i-wanna-dance-with-somebody-who-loves-me-by-whitney-houston\">\u201cI Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)\u201d by Whitney Houston<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriters-george-merrill-and-shannon-rubicam\">Songwriters: George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Whitney also experimented with key changes earlier in her career. \u201c<a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/eH3giaIzONA?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)<\/a>\u201d from her 1987 <em>Whitney <\/em>album modulates a whole tone higher for the third chorus.&nbsp;\u201cThe song moves up a whole step from G\u266d major to A\u266d major,\u201d observes <a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/bora-uslusoy?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bora Uslusoy<\/a>, who teaches several courses, including <em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/writer-engineer-producer-in-the-home-studio?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Writer, Engineer, Producer in the Home Studio<\/a><\/em>. \u201cThis allows her voice range to shine even better in this higher register. And it does not sound clich\u00e9 at all to my ears.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-overjoyed-by-stevie-wonder\"><strong>\u201cOverjoyed\u201d by Stevie Wonder<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriter-stevie-wonder\">Songwriter: Stevie Wonder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/sarah-brindell?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sarah Brindell<\/a>, who co-wrote Berklee Online\u2019s <em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/arranging-for-songwriters-instrumentation-and-production-in-songwriting?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Arranging for Songwriters: Instrumentation and Production in Songwriting<\/a> <\/em>course, provided commentary for this selection. She says: My favorite example is \u201cOverjoyed\u201d by Stevie Wonder, the master of key change. \u201cOverjoyed\u201d sets our ears up for chromaticism in the intro chord progression and then beautifully balances that with a diatonic progression in the verse. Stevie uses his voice as a \u201cpickup\u201d to modulate to higher keys, with an ascending melodic sequence that helps our ears move to new sonic palettes. Then eventually, the chords step back down chromatically to the original key, with his voice in parallel motion at the end. He takes us back home. It\u2019s brilliant because that is so uncommon. Most of the time, songs either modulate and then stay in a new key or they just keep moving higher and higher, like in the case of \u201cLove on Top\u201d (by Beyonc\u00e9) or \u201c<a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/BcRoNGsI07o?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Summer Soft<\/a>\u201d (also by Stevie Wonder). Everything is seamless movement in this song.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Overjoyed\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cIhd5Yc5TCY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-still-crazy-after-all-these-years-by-paul-simon\"><strong>\u201cStill Crazy After All These Years\u201d by Paul Simon<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriter-paul-simon\">Songwriter: Paul Simon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/cassandra-long?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cassandra Long<\/a>, who teaches Berklee Online\u2019s <em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/lyric-writing-tools-and-strategies?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lyric Writing<\/a><\/em> course, weighed in on this one. She says: I absolutely adore the key changes in \u201cStill Crazy After All These Years\u201d by Paul Simon. In particular, my favorite is the whole step up, mid-way through the final verse\/refrain. It\u2019s imperceptible to the average listener, but gives the final refrain such a powerful lift! Of course, the same modulation occurs earlier in the song as well, and that provides some beautiful contrast in the bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Paul Simon - Still Crazy After All These Years (Official Audio)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Q5Eoax6I-O4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-something-by-the-beatles\"><strong>\u201cSomething\u201d by The Beatles<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriter-george-harrison\">Songwriter: George Harrison<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>George Harrison reportedly wrote this classic on his 26th birthday. The first verse and refrain ends with a guitar riff that leads back to C major for the second verse, and the second verse and refrain ends with the same riff, but it\u2019s altered to lead to A major for the bridge. The bridge is in A major and it uses a bVII (a G major chord) and at the end, uses the same G major chord to modulate back to C major, for the third verse and refrain. \u201cI think it\u2019s the only example where a riff is altered to make the modulation into two different keys,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/jimmy-kachulis?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jimmy Kachulis<\/a>, who has written many Berklee Online courses, including <em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/songwriting-harmony?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Songwriting: Writing Hit Songs<\/a><\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s the Beatles! What do you expect?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Beatles - Something\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UelDrZ1aFeY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-penny-lane-by-the-beatles\"><strong>\u201cPenny Lane\u201d by the Beatles<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriters-john-lennon-and-paul-mccartney\">Songwriters: John Lennon and Paul McCartney<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/mike-sempert?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mike Sempert<\/a>, who has taught several Berklee Online courses, including <em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/culminating-experience-in-songwriting-1?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Culminating Experience in Songwriting<\/a><\/em>, says his favorite Beatles key change is a Lennon and McCartney song: \u201cPenny Lane\u201d has these beautiful key changes with the verses starting in B major, ending in B minor and the chorus sections in A, which has a big emotional lift even as the tonal center moves down. Then at the end they give us the final victorious chorus in the home key of B and the song really soars.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Beatles - Penny Lane\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/S-rB0pHI9fU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-hey-jude-by-the-beatles\"><strong>\u201cHey Jude\u201d by the Beatles<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriters-john-lennon-and-paul-mccartney-0\"><strong>Songwriters: John Lennon and Paul McCartney<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While we\u2019re on the topic of Lennon and McCartney key change, we should probably discuss \u201cHey Jude,\u201d which some may argue isn\u2019t a key change at all, but a modal shift. But if it isn\u2019t a key change, then why do the chords used during the first three minutes of the song\u2014F, C, C6, C7, B\u266d, F\/A, Gm, C\/E\u2014indicate that the song is in the key of F major, only for us to get a progression of F E\u266d B\u266d F, at approximately 3:11, which repeats throughout the last four minutes of the song? An E\u266dmajor is not a chord that fits in the key of F major. BTW, the timecode supplied earlier will be different on the video link, due to the \u201cgreatest tea room orchestra in the world\u201d jam at the beginning of the performance. You could also make a case for the prosody involved here (whether you want to call it a key change or a borrowed secondary subdominant chord), as it literally takes a sad song and makes it better.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Beatles - Hey Jude\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/A_MjCqQoLLA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s hear from <a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/bonnie-hayes?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bonnie Hayes<\/a>, Grammy-winning songwriter and Program Director of Berklee Online\u2019s <a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/music-degrees\/graduate\/songwriting?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Songwriting graduate program<\/a>: \u201cHey Jude\u201d is interesting because it\u2019s a shift of mode while the tonal center remains the same. For the most part, the song is in the key of F and uses\u2014other than the couple of I7 chords\u2014entirely the I-IV-V. It is true that earlier in the song, in the bridge, it slips into the key of the IV. In fact, several times in this song, the I chord becomes dominant, which leads us to the IV as a temporary home tonality. But this is a common secondary dominant progression and not really a modulation. But in the end, when the chords change to F-E\u266d-B\u266d, if we just read the chords, it looks like we modulated into the key of B\u266d and are playing V-IV-I. But tonally, we\u2019re still in F; the melodic phrases end on F and C, stable tones in the key of F, and the musical phrases begin and end on the F. F still feels like home. In fact, we\u2019re in F mixolydian, the B\u266d major scale reoriented as an F scale with a \u266dVII. The mixolydian is a mode that has a sense of danger, of darkness to it, because of the presence of that \u266d7 on the tonic chord of the key. It signals a kind of revolution, a throwing off of safety to take a walk on the wild side. It feels like the singer is telling Jude, \u201crelax and take some chances, everything is gonna be okay.\u201d Words to live by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-betty-by-taylor-swift\"><strong>\u201cbetty\u201d by Taylor Swift<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriters-taylor-swift-and-joe-alwyn-a-k-a-william-bowery\"><strong>Songwriters: Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn (a.k.a. William Bowery) <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For songwriters, knowing where to place a key change is the, er um, key. In this song from Taylor Swift\u2019s 2020 <em>Folklore<\/em> album, she writes from the narrative perspective of a teenager named James, who\u2019d previously been in a relationship with the title character before having \u201cjust a summer thing\u201d with somebody who was decidedly <em>not<\/em> Betty. Throughout the first-person account we learn of James\u2019 regrets and the songwriters constantly pepper the lyrics with hypotheticals about what will happen when James sees Betty again. What if James shows up at Betty\u2019s party? That\u2019s the question we keep coming back to in the chorus. Then when we get to the last chorus, Taylor\u2019s narrator says, \u201cI showed up at your party\u201d twice before taking the song from the key of C major to D major on the third instance of the \u201cshowed up at your party\u201d phrase (at approximately 4:07), heightening the narrator\u2019s realization of everything that\u2019s at stake with the title character, and perfectly portraying all of the drama and vulnerability of being a teenager: \u201cWill you kiss me on the porch \/ in front of all your stupid friends? \/ If you kiss me, will it be just like I dreamed it? \/ Will it patch your broken wings? \/ I\u2019m only 17, I don\u2019t know anything \/ but I know I miss you.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"betty\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/skMIqk3y2VM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-getaway-car-by-taylor-swift\"><strong>\u201cGetaway Car\u201d by Taylor Swift<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriters-taylor-swift-and-jack-antonoff\"><strong>Songwriters: Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBetty\u201d isn\u2019t Taylor Swift\u2019s first foray into big key changes. \u201cGetaway Car,\u201d from her 2017 album, <em>Reputation<\/em> uses the same modulation from C major to D major, and is also about a love triangle that reaches its peak at a party. The difference, however, is <em>where <\/em>she chooses to change keys. \u201cShe modulates up a whole step in that bridge,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/scarlet-keys?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Scarlet Keys<\/a>, author of <em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/berkleepress.com\/songwriting\/the-craft-of-songwriting?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Craft of Songwriting: Music, Meaning, and Emotion<\/a><\/em>. \u201cThe result is the feeling of escaping the key (and the relationship at the party), which is pretty great storytelling. \u2026 When you decide to modulate, often songwriters will introduce the idea with some kind of musical foreshadowing melodic hint, but because she\u2019s writing about two rebels, the new key comes out of nowhere, totally unannounced, like two bank robbers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Taylor Swift - Getaway Car (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kfK14LB14s8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-love-story-by-taylor-swift\"><strong>\u201cLove Story\u201d by Taylor Swift<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriter-taylor-swift\">Songwriter: Taylor Swift<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior to \u201cGetaway Car,\u201d Taylor Swift successfully employed modulation on her 2008 album, <em>Fearless<\/em>, with the song \u201cLove Story\u201d\u2014which she wrote when she actually was a teenager!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere are so many tools and techniques you can learn from her and incorporate into your own songwriting,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/scarlet-keys?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Keys<\/a>, \u201cno matter what genre you write in.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Taylor Swift - Love Story\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8xg3vE8Ie_E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-bohemian-rhapsody-by-queen\"><strong>\u201cBohemian Rhapsody\u201d by Queen<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriter-freddie-mercury\">Songwriter: Freddie Mercury<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This epic song, from Queen\u2019s 1975 album, <em>A Night at the Opera<\/em>, is different from the other songs on this list in that when many of the key changes occur, they let the listener know, in no uncertain terms, that we\u2019re in a brand new section of the song and a brand new section of the story, much like an opera. The fact that \u201cBohemian Rhapsody\u201d has no repeated sections is something that Queen tell listeners right away in the title: one of the definitions of \u201crhapsody\u201d is a song that is through-composed and has no repeated sections! The song also includes changes in time signature, but that would take an entirely different article to get into that, as well as changes in genre.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Queen \u2013 Bohemian Rhapsody (Official Video Remastered)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fJ9rUzIMcZQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first two sections include several subtle modulations between B\u266d and E\u266d, two keys which share many of the same notes. The song begins with an a capella section in the key of B\u266d. A piano enters and we go up to the key of E\u266d at approximately 0:22. Then we\u2019re back to B\u266d at approximately 0:49 as the section commonly referred to as the \u201cballad section\u201d begins. At approximately 1:22 we\u2019re back in the key of E\u266d. At approximately 1:48 we\u2019re back to B\u266d again. When we get to the brief guitar solo that bridges together the ballad section and the opera section, guitarist Brian May brings us into what we think is going to be the key of A\u266d at approximately 3:01, but ends up being a semitone higher at A. This is one of the aforementioned changes that alert us we\u2019re in a different portion of the story, as the opera section formally begins. There are arguably two additional key changes in the opera section before we definitively modulate back to E\u266d at approximately 3:23. Surprisingly, there is no key change when we get to the rock section of the song, at approximately 4:07. The change in genre here is enough to signal that the story is moving to a different place.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When we get to the final section of the song, the instruments take us through a couple of subtle modulations, including a key change to B\u266d at approximately 5:34, which then takes us to F at approximately 5:42, which is the key we end the song in. For a much more in-depth analysis of \u201cBohemian Rhapsody\u201d than we have room for here, we highly recommend you check out <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@DavidBennettPiano\" target=\"_blank\">David Bennett\u2019s<\/a> <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XQb827N6oww\" target=\"_blank\">amazing video<\/a> on the subject. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/valerie-orth?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Valerie Orth<\/a>, who teaches several songwriting courses, including <em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/culminating-experience-in-songwriting-1?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Culminating Experience in Songwriting<\/a><\/em>, says \u201cit only makes sense that one of the most epic rock songs of all time would have key changes to intensify the theatricality and drama of the song. Much of the song\u2019s lyrics contemplate big concepts, i.e. real life vs. fantasy, murder vs. a new life. Freddie Mercury even includes Bismillah, an expression in Arabic, meaning \u2018in the name of Allah.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though this is probably Queen\u2019s best known example of key changes\u2014and the one in which they employ the most key changes\u2014the band continued asserting that they were the champions of key changes, employing them successfully in several songs, including 1977\u2019s \u201c<strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/04854XqcfCY?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\">We Are the Champions<\/a><\/strong>\u201d and on the final single they released during singer Freddie Mercury\u2019s lifetime, 1991\u2019s \u201c<strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/t99KH0TR-J4?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\">The Show Must Go On<\/a><\/strong>.\u201d<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><div class=\"post-article-bio\"><p>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/sean-slade?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&#038;pid=&#038;utm_source=takenote&#038;utm_medium=blog&#038;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Sean Slade<\/a> (Producer and Author of the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/culminating-experience-in-music-production-1?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&#038;pid=&#038;utm_source=takenote&#038;utm_medium=blog&#038;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Culminating Experience in Music Production<\/a><\/em> Courses) on His Favorite Key Changes:<\/strong><\/P>\n<P>Back in the early \u201980s, when I was in a new wave band, the joke adage was: \u201cIf you want a hit, you\u2019ve got to have a key change!\u201d<\/P>\n<P>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/arpidGq8SlA?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">\u201cDizzy\u201d by Tommy Roe<\/a> takes this principle to a comic extreme.<P>\n<P>\nSo in that spirit, my choices are:\n<P>\n<P>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=L6-uJLteKek\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">\u201cTo Be with You\u201d by Mr. Big<\/a><P>\nThe key change here is on the drastic side, moving from E to G for an outro chorus. But what makes it unusual is Mr. Big has the temerity to switch back to the original key for the final chorus (a stunt which almost never happens in the pop key-change world.)<P><P>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4LJs80e87iM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Hudson Mohawke &#038; Nikki Nair \u201cSet The Roof\u201d (ft. Tayla Parx)<\/a>\n<P><P>\nMore recently, this dance floor hyperpop from 2023 gets in on the key change game, but in a random, seemingly arbitrary way, which fits the genre perfectly.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-dynamite-by-bts\"><strong>\u201cDynamite\u201d by BTS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriters-david-stewart-and-jessica-agombar\"><strong>Songwriters: David Stewart and Jessica Agombar<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cKey changes in popular music are a death knell in the current era,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/prince-charles-alexander?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Prince Charles Alexander<\/a>, who wrote Berklee Online\u2019s <em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/genre-survey-for-songwriters-analysis-and-application?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Genre Survey for Songwriters: Analysis and Application<\/a><\/em> course, \u201cbut since K-Pop artists are just learning the rules, let\u2019s check out \u2018Dynamite\u2019 by BTS. It modulates up a full step, moving from E major to F\u266f major. The modulation hits at 2:40 in the song if you\u2019re listening on Spotify; there is extra material at the beginning of the official music video.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"BTS (\ubc29\ud0c4\uc18c\ub144\ub2e8) &#039;Dynamite&#039; Official MV\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gdZLi9oWNZg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-livin-on-a-prayer-by-bon-jovi\"><strong>\u201cLivin\u2019 on a Prayer\u201d by Bon Jovi<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriters-jon-bon-jovi-richie-sambora-desmond-child\"><strong>Songwriters: Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Desmond Child<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The mid 1980s were a big time for big things: big hair, big spending, big productions. All of these things often coalesce in the genre that some people refer to as hair metal, but it could really just be called hard rock with big pop hooks. No matter what you call this genre, big key changes are part of the formula, such as with this 1986 smash from Bon Jovi.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We asked Berklee Online course author <a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/enrique-gonzalez-muller?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Enrique Gonzalez M\u00fcller<\/a> to weigh in on this one. To do so, he dug into the perspective of the courses he has written\u2014<em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/creative-recording-and-editing-techniques-in-music-production?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Creative Recording and Editing Techniques in Music Production<\/a> <\/em>and <em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/music-production-maximizing-emotion-through-performance-arrangement-and-sound?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Music Production: Maximizing Emotion through Performance, Arrangement, and Sound<\/a><\/em>\u2014as well as his own nostalgic recollections of how challenging it can be to learn harmony when you\u2019re first starting out with singing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He says: For the most emotional key change and the toughest-ever-harmonies-to-sing, I have to go classic. \u201cLivin\u2019 on a Prayer\u201d by Bon Jovi always gets me. As a kid, I loved singing the chorus harmonies but when the key changes at 3:23, those high harmonies are impossible to belt out with as much oomph as these guys delivered. I still love it &#8230; and it gets me every time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bon Jovi - Livin&#039; On A Prayer\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lDK9QqIzhwk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-armageddon-it-by-def-leppard\"><strong>\u201cArmageddon It\u201d by Def Leppard<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriters-joe-elliott-rick-savage-phil-collen-steve-clark-nbsp-and-robert-john-mutt-lange\"><strong>Songwriters: Joe Elliott, Rick Savage, Phil Collen, Steve Clark,&nbsp; and Robert John \u201cMutt\u201d Lange<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Def Leppard also went big in the mid 1980s. Their 1987 album, <em>Hysteria <\/em>caused enough hysteria amongst fans to sell more than 20 million copies and spawn seven hit singles, including \u201cArmageddon It.\u201d And though Def Leppard did go big in many ways, the way they change keys in this song is subtle enough that the untrained ear might not even catch it. After a T. Rex-style verse in the key of E major and a prechorus in the same key, they modulate a minor 3rd in the chorus. While this key change doesn\u2019t follow the classic hair metal formula of making a leap up in the final chorus, to make such a big change from the verse to the chorus (and to make that chorus catchy enough to sing along to!) is no easy feat. \u201cI love the minor 3rd modulation in this song,\u201d says<a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/songwriting-tools-and-techniques?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> <\/a><em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/songwriting-tools-and-techniques?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Songwriting Tools and Techniques<\/a><\/em> co-author<a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/pat-pattison?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Pat Pattison<\/a>. \u201cIf you\u2019re going to modulate, really commit to it!\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"DEF LEPPARD - &quot;Armageddon It&quot; (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/urNFQw8VIvA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-god-only-knows-by-the-beach-boys\"><strong>\u201cGod Only Knows\u201d by the Beach Boys<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriters-brian-wilson-and-tony-asher\"><strong>Songwriters: Brian Wilson and Tony Asher<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/ben-camp?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ben Camp<\/a>, who wrote Berklee Online\u2019s <em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/songs-unmasked-techniques-and-tips-for-songwriting-success?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Songs Unmasked: Techniques and Tips for Songwriting Success<\/a><\/em> course, weighed in on this one. Camp says: I love the harmonic dizziness this song brings. The verse starts in the most unstable form of a major triad: \u201cI may not always love you\u201d starts on the second inversion (D\/A), then modulates up a whole step to the same structure (E\/B) for \u201cbut long as there are stars above you,\u201d and starts breezily walking down the scale (\u201cGod only knows what I\u2019d be without you\u201d), aiming at a satisfying E Major, but brazenly lands on E minor instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"God Only Knows (Remastered 1999)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/u90beUXTKwo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-stand-by-r-e-m\"><strong>\u201cStand\u201d by R.E.M.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriters-bill-berry-peter-buck-mike-mills-and-michael-stipe\"><strong>Songwriters: Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s possibly some prosody at play here in this 1988 song by R.E.M., from their <em>Green<\/em> album. The lyrics are all about how we need to find direction and proper orientation in our lives\u2014a place for us to stand where our \u201cfeet are going to be on the ground\u201d\u2014but by employing phase modulation during the song\u2019s two final choruses (first at approximately 2:29, and then at 2:46) we\u2019re made to feel disoriented. Basically, despite best laid plans, the Earth (and life) always has other plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"R.E.M. - Stand (Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bLaSXpqp__E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-somehow-someway-by-chad-price\"><strong>\u201cSomehow, Someway\u201d by Chad Price<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriters-chad-price-and-matthew-johnston\"><strong>Songwriters: Chad Price and Matthew Johnston<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/isabeau-miller?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Isabeau Miller<\/a>, who teaches <em><a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/courses\/topline-and-vocal-production?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Topline and Vocal Production<\/a><\/em>, says: My favorite key change right now is in a maybe not-widely-known song, \u201cSomehow, Someway\u201d by Chad Price. This song is such an inspiring, driving song that I often run or work out to, and when that key change hits it gives me that extra \u201coomph\u201d and just feels so good and motivating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Chad Price - Somehow, Someway (Official Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gxvk3ZWRDQQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-thong-song-by-sisqo\"><strong>\u201cThong Song\u201d by SisQ\u00f3<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-songwriters-mark-andrews-tim-kelley-bob-robinson-desmond-child-draco-rosa\"><strong>Songwriters: Mark Andrews, Tim Kelley, Bob Robinson, Desmond Child, Draco Rosa <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Everything about this SisQ\u00f3 single pushes the limits of its format. In 2000, many hip-hop artists were releasing what could only be referred to as \u201cbooty videos,\u201d showing scantily-clad models dancing along to their music. Since \u201cThong Song\u201d is an ode to the article of clothing in the title, the music video focuses on women wearing it, which is to say they aren\u2019t wearing much. (We\u2019re choosing to link to the lyric video instead, BTW, but be warned that \u201cThong Song\u201d features lyrics that some viewers will find offensive!) So at approximately 2:46 when the song dramatically changes keys (something we don\u2019t frequently hear in hip-hop) it\u2019s really the only logical choice to make an already grand song grander.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sisqo - Thong Song (lyrics)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NiGtX7WZYws?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe dramatic orchestral break followed by the over-the-top modulation from C# minor to D minor shows they knew not to take themselves too seriously,\u201d says <a href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/instructors\/ben-camp?campaign_id=7010Z000001ZkQgQAK&amp;pid=&amp;utm_source=takenote&amp;utm_medium=blog&amp;utm_campaign=bol-gen-takenote-article-link-modulation-101\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Camp<\/a>.<br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Modulation can inject a song with a jolt of interest, but it takes skill to make a key change work. Be advised, songwriters: Use modulation in moderation. And learn from these Berklee Online instructors, sharing their favorite songs to feature key changes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":20225,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,9561,12,9564,9559,9593,29,9566,9560],"tags":[151,152,192,9302,6309,9306,8633,9322,9318,442,6734,6475,9309,9314,9305,750,9316,9308,911,9321,9313,9320,1089,6817,1146,1183,9319,1270,9304,9310,9301,1354,1403,9303,1424,9311,6011,9312],"class_list":["post-20198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-basics-lessons","category-composition-orchestration-arranging-lessons","category-features-articles","category-popular-content","category-professor-playlists-articles","category-songwriting-lessons","category-songwriting-articles","category-spotlight","tag-beach-boys","tag-beatles","tag-beyonce","tag-beyonce-knowles","tag-bonnie-hayes","tag-brian-may","tag-bts","tag-chad-price","tag-desmond-child","tag-dolly-parton","tag-freddie-mercury","tag-george-harrison","tag-glen-ballard","tag-hudson-mohawke","tag-jack-antonoff","tag-john-lennon","tag-jon-bon-jovi","tag-lennon-and-mccartney","tag-michael-jackson","tag-michael-stipe","tag-mr-big","tag-mutt-lange","tag-paul-mccartney","tag-paul-simon","tag-prince-charles-alexander","tag-r-e-m","tag-robert-john-mutt-lange","tag-sean-slade","tag-shea-taylor","tag-sidedah-garrett","tag-sisqo","tag-stevie-wonder","tag-taylor-swift","tag-terius-nash","tag-the-beatles","tag-vince-gill","tag-whitney-houston","tag-william-bowery"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.8 (Yoast SEO v25.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Modulation 101: Berklee Online Instructors on How to Leap into a Key Change - Berklee Online Take Note<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Modulation can inject a song with a jolt of interest, but it takes skill to make a key change work. Be advised, songwriters: Use modulation in moderation.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/modulation-101-berklee-online-instructors-on-how-to-leap-into-a-key-change\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Modulation 101: Berklee Online Instructors on How to Leap into a Key Change\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Modulation can inject a song with a jolt of interest, but it takes skill to make a key change work. Be advised, songwriters: Use modulation in moderation.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/modulation-101-berklee-online-instructors-on-how-to-leap-into-a-key-change\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Berklee Online Take Note\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/berkleeonline\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-01-30T21:03:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-23T19:43:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/key_changes_article_image_2024.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Pat Healy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@berkleeonline\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@berkleeonline\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Pat Healy\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"20 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/modulation-101-berklee-online-instructors-on-how-to-leap-into-a-key-change\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/modulation-101-berklee-online-instructors-on-how-to-leap-into-a-key-change\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Pat Healy\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/#\/schema\/person\/2ff5be49c1e0e9c9d92848f38e40fb9d\"},\"headline\":\"Modulation 101: Berklee Online Instructors on How to Leap into a Key Change\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-01-30T21:03:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-23T19:43:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/modulation-101-berklee-online-instructors-on-how-to-leap-into-a-key-change\/\"},\"wordCount\":4496,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/#org\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/modulation-101-berklee-online-instructors-on-how-to-leap-into-a-key-change\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/key_changes_article_image_2024.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Beach Boys\",\"Beatles\",\"Beyonce\",\"Beyonc\u00e9 \ufeffKnowles\",\"Bonnie Hayes\",\"Brian May\",\"BTS\",\"Chad Price\",\"Desmond Child\",\"Dolly Parton\",\"Freddie Mercury\",\"George Harrison\",\"Glen Ballard\",\"Hudson Mohawke\",\"Jack Antonoff\",\"John Lennon\",\"Jon Bon Jovi\",\"Lennon and McCartney\",\"Michael Jackson\",\"Michael Stipe\",\"Mr. Big\",\"Mutt Lange\",\"Paul McCartney\",\"Paul Simon\",\"Prince Charles Alexander\",\"R.E.M.\",\"Robert John \u201cMutt\u201d Lange\",\"Sean Slade\",\"Shea Taylor\",\"Sidedah Garrett\",\"SisQ\u00f3\",\"Stevie Wonder\",\"Taylor Swift\",\"Terius Nash\",\"The Beatles\",\"Vince Gill\",\"Whitney Houston\",\"William Bowery\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Articles\",\"Basics\",\"Composition, Orchestration, and Arranging\",\"Features\",\"Popular Content\",\"Professor Playlists\",\"Songwriting\",\"Songwriting\",\"Spotlight\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/modulation-101-berklee-online-instructors-on-how-to-leap-into-a-key-change\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/modulation-101-berklee-online-instructors-on-how-to-leap-into-a-key-change\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/modulation-101-berklee-online-instructors-on-how-to-leap-into-a-key-change\/\",\"name\":\"Modulation 101: Berklee Online Instructors on How to Leap into a Key Change - Berklee Online Take Note\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/modulation-101-berklee-online-instructors-on-how-to-leap-into-a-key-change\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/modulation-101-berklee-online-instructors-on-how-to-leap-into-a-key-change\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/key_changes_article_image_2024.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-01-30T21:03:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-23T19:43:36+00:00\",\"description\":\"Modulation can inject a song with a jolt of interest, but it takes skill to make a key change work. 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