Key Changes in song arrangements.

TDOT

New member
What up FP?

I've been working a lot on song arrangement lately and was looking for advice in therms of key changes.

So when changing keys is it more practical to make a key change during the verse, say first 8 bars in one key and then last 8 bars of the verse go up key?

Or maybe leave the verse in one key and maybe have the hook played a key higher?

Also when changing keys to add interest, what is a good suggestion?
To move up one key? so from C to D or maybe a fifth C to G?

Can anything give some rule of thumbs guidelines to doing this? I know there are few boundaries in music, but just to get me started.
 
What up FP?

I've been working a lot on song arrangement lately and was looking for advice in therms of key changes.

So when changing keys is it more practical to make a key change during the verse, say first 8 bars in one key and then last 8 bars of the verse go up key?

Or maybe leave the verse in one key and maybe have the hook played a key higher?

Also when changing keys to add interest, what is a good suggestion?
To move up one key? so from C to D or maybe a fifth C to G?

Can anything give some rule of thumbs guidelines to doing this? I know there are few boundaries in music, but just to get me started.

short answer whatever works for you

consider country music - one of the few places we still hear the end of song key change.

Such a key change can be up a semi-tone - C-D[sup]b[/sup] - or a tone - C-D - or any other interval you like

What you want to do is to tonicise the new key by using one of many chord vectors

C--------G indicates a progression in C major that eventually arrives at G

C-Db: might move like so
- C--------G-C-D[sup]b[/sup] - i.e. abrupt key change no preparation
- C--------G-A[sup]o7[/sup]-D[sup]b[/sup] - i.e. C: I - V - Db: V7b9 - I
- C--------G-A[sup]b7[/sup]-D[sup]b[/sup] - i.e. C: I - V - Db: V7 - I
- C--------G-D[sup]7[/sup]-D[sup]b[/sup] - i.e. C: I - V - Db: TTSub-V7 - I
- C--------G-Dm[sup]7b5[/sup]-D[sup]b[/sup] - i.e. C: I - V - Db: TTsub-v7b5 - I

C-D: might move like so
- C--------G-C-D - i.e. abrupt key change no preparation
- C--------G-A[sup]#o7[/sup]-D - i.e. C: I - V - D: V7b9 - I
- C--------G-A[sup]7[/sup]-D - i.e. C: I - V - D: V7 - I
- C--------G-D[sup]#7[/sup]-D - i.e. C: I - V - D: TTSub-V7 - I
- C--------G-D[sup]#[/sup]m[sup]7b5[/sup]-D - i.e. C: I - V - D: TTsub-v7b5 - I

and so on

there are additional methods including using full and partial turnarounds as well as other oblique modulations

you may be interested in this book by max reger modulation
 
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