Hello, friends and musical colleagues!

As most of you know, I am an amateur ear-player with just a limited knowledge of music and no formal musical education. So, this question may seem odd to the musicians among us, but I know someone can probably help me. I feel most comfortable playing in either the key of F or Eb, so, I am wondering how I can play the same melody twice in succession in BOTH keys with a suitable transition from one key to the other? Also, I have been told that transposing is usually done from the lower key (Eb) to the higher one, rather than the reverse. Is there any reason why one should move upward rather than downward--(if indeed that IS the musical "rule")? I am usually able to play a song in both keys by playing to the end in one key, and then --> starting in the new key to the end --> and then replaying from the beginnning again in the original key. But I have not yet figured out what chords to play to move smoothly from one key to the next and how to return to the first one again and make it sound like a single rendition.

I hope this makes sense as a question and doesn't just show my musical ignorance! Being an ear-player is a great blessing because I can usually play any song just by hearing it and remembering the melody, but I often wish I knew the logic behind what my myserious gift lets my fingers do. Friends often ask me how I know what chords to play and I really have no idea; if it were not for the wonderful little window on the keyboard, I would not even know what the names of the chords are, but, because of the window that identifies the chords as they are played, I can tell others what I am playing.

Thanks for any assistance you can offer me.

Ted Rose

Hi Ted
I am self taught but I know should modulate from one key to the other according to the wheel of fifths,etc etc. I suppose keys do traditionally move upwards. I am guessing that this moves up to a finale.

Personally, I do what I want. You can use as many lead in chords as you want, but to simplify it, I might do the following:

Eb to F: Eb,Ebdim,Gm7,C7,F
F to Eb: F,Fm7,Bb7,Eb

The most important thing is to have the Bb7 before the Eb, and the C7 before the F.

I hope this helps
Bernie

Bernie,
Check your e-mail...and thanks for the prompt reply!

Right on, Bernie - absolutely correct. You're too modest in stating your playing ability.

Scott

... also, the move to the higher key tends to "lift" the song to another level ...
t.

I usually change keys at least 2 or 3 times in a performance. I change from one key to another usually based on what instruments (sounds)I want to play during the next chorus. For example the range of some instruments sound better to me in certain keys expecially if I am going to play them in a chord structure rather than a single note passage. Also sometimes the Rhythms I choose before starting the arrangement will also sound better in a higher or lower key.

To me it doesn't matter which way I want to transpose. Going down is as easy as going up.

Example of going down from F to E Flat:

F
G Minor
G Flat Minor
F Minor 7th
B Flat 7th
E Flat
Sorry, I couldn't remember how to prnt the "Flat" symbol.

As already stated, using the basic cycle of 7ths (with a few modifications now and then)will always work out.

Example: G, G7th, C, C7th,F,F7th, etc.

Have fun.

Larry Gosmeyer

Some more thoughts on Modulation.....

If you want to change to a 'parallel key' such as C major to C minor, you can just switch, without other chords.
Another commonly used modulation method is to use a 'Pivot Chord'. The trick here is to end the tune/song in the first key, on a chord that also exists in the second key - this is the Pivot Chord. For example, the chord A minor exists in both C major (vi min) and G major (ii min), so it would be a good pivot chord. So, if you’re playing along in C, a usable progression would be C F G7 C > Amin - Amin being the pivot, you can then continue in the key of G - Amin D7 to G.

There is a good 'tutorial' here : http://www.lovemusiclovedance.com/modulation.htm