Modulation

Modulation is the process of changing from one musical key to another within a composition. It redirects the music’s tonal center, temporarily or for the remainder of the piece.

Tonicization: Tonicization briefly emphasizes a chord as if it were a tonic, without establishing a lasting new key. Unlike modulation, it points toward a local chord without fully changing the governing key.
Musical key: A system of pitches organized around a tonic, with characteristic relationships among its notes and chords. A modulation changes the key that organizes the music.
Sonata form: A musical form commonly organized around an exposition, development, and recapitulation of contrasting themes. Its exposition often moves from the home key to a contrasting key.
Mode mixture: The use of chords borrowed from the parallel major or minor mode while retaining the same tonic. It changes the collection of harmonies without necessarily changing the key’s tonic.
Pivot chord: A pivot chord belongs naturally to both the original key and the destination key. Its dual role lets a progression reinterpret harmony while changing keys.
Tonic: The central pitch or chord of a key, perceived as its point of rest. A new tonic marks the destination of a modulation.
Sequence (music): A melodic or harmonic pattern repeated at a different pitch level. Sequences can carry a progression through a series of keys.
Key change: A shift in a piece’s governing key, often marked by a new key signature or tonal center. The phrase is often used interchangeably with modulation, though it can suggest a more explicit shift.
Common-tone modulation: A modulation that uses a sustained or repeated pitch as a link between keys. This method connects distant keys through a pitch they share.
Diatonic harmony: Harmony formed from chords built using the notes of a particular major or minor scale. Diatonic chords reveal which keys a progression can move between smoothly.

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