Every other Monday night, we hold a live “Question & Answer” session in our Gospel Music Training Center and last night we got a great question from Miriam Tierno in NY: “What is the difference between Transposition and Modulation?”
So I’m going to repeat my answer concerning transposition and modulation here on the blog for everyone to see.
The Difference Between Transposition and Modulation
When it comes to transposition and modulation, they are very similar… yet different.
Transposition (or the commonly known verb, “transposing“) is the act of learning a song or chord progression in a new key. For example, if a song is in the key of C but you want to play it in the key of Eb, you’d have to “transpose” it to the key of Eb using one of the strategies below.
It’s useful in church when a singer wants you to take the original key of a song down a few half steps… or if you’re playing an instrument that is tuned differently so you may have to adjust by transposing up or down. Or perhaps, you’re a 12′er (my own term) and find pride in learning everything you know in all 12 keys — transposition is helpful for you too.
Here are a few links to past posts that’ll show you how to transpose:
How to Effectively Master Every Key
4 Tips For Getting to the Next Level
Transposition and Modulation Continued
Modulating, on the other hands, is the process of moving to another key while playing. While transposition is literally taking what you know in one key to another, modulation is like the actual act of going there.
So if you’re in the key of C and you want to take the song up to the key of Db, you can get to the new key by modulating there, on the spot.
There are many ways to modulate to a new key. The most common is to simply play the “5-chord” of the new key.
So you’d act like you’re about to end your progression in the current key (by typically using a 2-5-1 progression) but instead of coming back to the 1, you’d go from the 5-chord of the current key to the 5-chord of the new key, which provides resolution to the new 1-chord.
Let me give you an example:
Say, we’re at the end of a verse in the key of C. A typical 2-5-1 progression would be:
Dminor9 – D on left /// F A C E
G9sus – G on left /// F A C
Cmaj – C on left /// E G C
When we’re ready to modulate, instead of coming home to the C chord displayed above, you’d take the G9sus (which is the 5-chord in the key of C) and simply take it up a half step, giving you Ab9sus. This is now the 5-chord in Db major and will bring you beautifully home to Db major just like the G9sus brought you home to the C major.
G9sus – G on left /// F A C
Absus – Ab on left /// Gb Bb Db
Dbmaj – Db on left /// F Ab Db
The process we just took to move from C to Db is called a modulation.
Transposition and Modulation Review
So again, transposition is basically saying: “I live in California and now I want to live in Florida” (thus studying where you want to live in Florida, where everything is, how to get around, etc.) Modulation is the actual road trip you take to get from California to Florida.
I hope this helps to clarify transposition and modulation.
Related posts:
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Jermaine,
Cool post, that’s a good distinction to know. I get asked more about transposition than modulation since saxophones have to transpose any piano or ‘concert pitch’ music.
Another analogy might be that transposition would be having an Italian movie overdubbed in English (for the entire movie) and modulation would be a movie in English that has a scene where all the actors speak Italian since they’re on a short trip and then in the next scene they go back to speaking English.
-Neal
Great analogy Neal. Always good to hear from you.
To add, sometimes a song will modulate to a new key and end there so it’s not always a matter of going there and coming back (especially in gospel, you’ll find songs start in, for example, C major and modulate to Db… then D… then Eb… and even higher if it’s a dynamic song, finally ending in the last key).
All the best,
JG
Greetings Rev. Jermaine,
I want to thank you for sharing the question I posted at the “GMTC question and answerser” last night. I cannot thank you enough for all the wonderful and informative materials and training you give to all your students and future students. I can never get enoug. I listen to your videos and read your newsletters and blogs repeatedly. I hope everyone out there takes advantage of what you have to offer. I believe you offer the most and the best!
Thank you again,
Miriam Tierno
Seaford, NY
I know right.
thanks a lot Mr Jermaine for your lessons, they ‘re really helpful… lots of stuff that i didn’t know or maybe i knew but never realise what they were like( major and minor second/third and so on) and now i know them cause of your time and effort… so how do you become a member?? cause i want more of those good stuff lol
Hey Jermaine !
You are doing such a wonderful job with music, you remind me of a supermarket in Canada where you were allowed to eat any thing FREE (but don’t take it out) if we stay focus we can reach pretty far musically, great idea ! !
I was looking at the transposing and naming of the new notes, not that crucial, but since the sharp ( # ) raises a note and the flat ( b ) lowers, so when we are transposing (raising) the G9sus, couldn’t we use the sharp (#) so instead of
Absus – Gb + Ab + Db it would read G#sus – F# + A# + C#
In order to keep a principle, as I said its not a “biggy” just the flow.
Ok I’ve been in the shed a while but seen this stuff about transposition and modulation. , nice article Jermaine, simple straightforward no nonsense stuff, the way i like to see stuff presented;-) btw progress is good here on all fronts..( finding myself more and more drawn towards blues and jazz styles)
thanks jamine, I have a problem with but now its solved. thanks for sharing yr talent.
Your great lessons has so far enhanced my learning skills.Keep up wit ur good work.BRAVO
Thanks, Rev. Jermaine Briggs. Well understood.
I enjoy the simplicity of your delivery a lot. You are a gifted teacher. You are a blessing to this generation of musicians.
you are too wonderful,a teacher,an instructor,a helper and more a guide to green musicians. my musical life has abruptly changed since i came cross this site…you are too much sir!!! my hats off