[lollum_dropcap]O[/lollum_dropcap]ne way to add a bit of variety to your chord progressions is to do a Key Modulation or switch keys during a song.

In order to do this you first need to establish the original key by using notes, chords and cadences from that key. For our example we’ll use C major as our starting key.

You then have to choose the new key you’re going to modulate to. Each new key will fall into two categories, near or remote.

Switching to a key that shares a lot of the same notes as the original key is called Near Modulation. G major, or F major would be keys considered near to C major because there’s only one accidental difference between them all. Check the circle of fifths below to see this.

The opposite of this would be Remote Modulation where the original and new keys share very few of the same notes. F# major or B major would be considered remote keys to C major.

Near modulation is far more common than remote modulation.

Near Modulation vs. Remote Modulation

Establishing the Key

The easiest way to establish that your song is now in a new key is to use the I, IV, and V chords of that key in a clear way.Primary chords are very powerful in solidifying a songs key center.

Types of Modulation

There are a few ways to make the transition from one key to the next when modulating. Let’s take a look at two of the most common methods used in popular music. They are called Pivot Chord or Common Chord Modulation and Shift or DirectModulation.