How to Change Keys 

Just watched like 10 of your videos in a row and I must say I have learned more about music theory in a few hours than I have learned in the past couple of years. Very clear and straight to the point. I certainly will be referring to them again if I forget anything. Thanks for sharing. You're a fantastic teacher!

C = Comfort B = Btense.

You can also prepare the listener for new V chord instead of just jumping straight to it. First play a chord common to both keys- eg: when moving from key of C to key of G, both keys contain an A minor chord, so you could extend the progression by playing: C Am D G Worth mentioning because it makes the key change even more convincing and makes the change to the new V chord more subtle. Since E minor is also common to both these keys you could use that too: C Em D G

You're an awesome music teacher. If I had you as a teacher when I was younger, I don't think I would have walked away from it for 20 years. Coming back to it, I'm grateful for your lessons.

Another good way to move into another key (especially if using assertion) is to introduce a new melody, or play a variation of the same melody but in the new key.

After struggling to lean music theory for years, your videos have finally make it understandable. There are a ton of other music theory videos out there, but the pacing and your videos and the use of the whiteboard really sets you apart. Good work.

youtube should put a "like all videos" button xD, but seriously thanks man you've really helped me alot :D

Nice lesson and the cat sneaking around at 0:26 is sooo funny!

This Channel is a GOLD MINE!

you're the best music teacher

I mean,,,You make me realize that I'm wasting all my money and time by going to Music College...I watched 12 of your videos and learnt from you much more !Very clear and straight to the point.God bless you.

I had many music theory lessons, not a single one explained all my questions so crystal clear as you do. You seem read my mind and know exactly what questions I have, and you came up with the best answers and analogies, so precise yet easy to understand, not too much not too less, just best designed for me. All your lessons themselves are like music of knowledge to me. Thank you so much young man!

Making a video about modulation with out saying the word modulation once. GENIUS!!

This is an excellently structured video. Breaking it down into notes, chords, and keys really helped me grasp the different utilities.

RU-vid is a forest and this channel is my home now.

AHHHH!!! HA HA HA!!!! The Mitch Headburg reference!!!! I love it!!! I have never come away from a lesson so informed!!!! I love it!!!!

After years of eluding me, the concept of leading tones finally clicked while watching this video. Thanks!

Thanx Michael !!! =))) I've been songwriting for years, by ear, and I realised I had got to the point where I needed to get stuck in to some theory to 'fill in the gaps' so to speak...I have been following your videos for a couple of weeks now and they are brilliant. Absolutely perfect. It's made a huge difference! Thank you so much!!!

Thanks for this tutorial Michael! I find it really interesting! :)

If I could I would press "thumbs up" x 10. The "brain gets used to" is SO important and explains more than many other tutorials.

omfg the mitch hedburg joke "I have severely improved my predicament."

Great lesson. Your way of teaching really gets through quite clearly. You take the more complicated aspects of music theory, and break it down that even a novice like myself can understand. I appreciate the time you take to make these videos, they're one of my main sources of understanding music theory.

this is so helpful! I'm so glad that I find your channel, thank you so much, keep up the good work! looking forward to it!

Thank you Michael. (: As usual. Simple and easy to understand. Just brilliant!

Thank you so much for creating these videos. You seamlessly connect the technical side of music theory with the emotional side of it (i.e. how particular concepts actually sound in the real world and why people might want to use them), which is amazingly helpful. You're the best! (I'm never going hiking in the woods with you, though.)

Wow, we're really enjoying your clear instructions! Thanks so much.

I'm glad there's a good music theory channel on RU-vid--I learned all this stuff in high school but have probably forgot a lot! Looking forward to watching more videos of yours.

This is the second video that I see were you explain theory. Already subscribed since this channel of yours really explains music theory in such a simple matter that even a beginner in music can understand easily. Will recommend your channel as I see more of it.

Your methods of teaching are really great.

Love from Germany. Best lessons ever!

Awesome info. Been wondering how key changes work for a while. Good job, and thank you.

I watched one your video by pure accident, and in loved with it instantly. I watched all of your lessons in 4 days or less, and l LEARNED A LOT. I'm learning piano for about a year and my piano teacher barely talks me about music theory and such, after learning all those from you, it do makes me feels like I'm more in control. The explanations you do are really easy to be absorbed in also. Anyway, I've learned a good lesson, and really looking forward to your new videos, and a great thank you!

These are brilliant videos. As someone who is self taught these are invaluable. Thanks so much.

this is a wonderful video. your way of teaching modulation makes it easy to understand.

I have really enjoyed your videos and, more importantly, learned a lot! Thank you.

I found this lesson very rewarding!! and I am very excited to finally learn about modes!

I'm really delighted that I found your channel , you are a very good teacher!

This is a great video. Straight to the point and easy to follow.

I feel like you are teaching me the blueprints of music through all of your videos.... As in all there is to know about the construct of it... I have made music my whole life without being aware of most of this and this knowledge now feels almost burdening... in a good way... The possibilities though.

Perfect lessons,your channel explains very clearly.Thank you for this great content

you have put together the BEST series of videos on music theory that i have been able to find anywhere. I have paid money for lessons that offered much less in the way of practical knowledge. You have officially improved my quality of life 😀 Keep up the amazing work.

You are my go to RU-vid piano. Thank you for taking the time to make these. You really have taught me a lot that my old piano teacher struggled to help me learn never stop making these, your a great teacher, it just comes natural to you.

Awesome video Michael! You explain the topic in such a simple and concise way. I used to think, that music theory was a bunch of intellectual mumbo jumbo, but thanks to you I am starting to really understand what lies behind these big words and dry explanations. Thanks!

Super, super, super. I am enjoying your instruction immensely. I've taken music in school and it failed to penetrate. You make it much easier.

Excellent video. You changed my life.

Excellent teaching. you make it simple. great work.thank you.

7:50-7:53 One of my *favorites* is to go between chords that are a minor third apart. Idk if there's a technical term for it, but I love it! I was first exposed to it a few years ago when I learned to play _Claire de Lune_ by Claude Debussy, in which the chords dance between -Cb- Db major and E major in the key of -Cb- Db. It's absolutely lovely, almost ethereal, and I've been in love with that chord progression ever since.

amazing tutorial .. it should be used in music schools .. great job Mike

'I was lost, now I live here' 😄👌 learning loads from the videos, thanks a lot!

thank u michael ,u use the screen very well,i understands your concept very fast.........again thank u so much

THANK YOU,,YOU ARE REALLY THE BEST PIANO GUY TUTORIAL IN RU-vid,,,SOOO CLEAR

Great explanation, thank you! One thing that I was wishing for were some examples of interesting key changes in familiar classical music pieces, but it's OK, I can take some apart myself :-)

Thank you so much for spending your time in making these videos for us. Youre an amazing teacher! Priceless

Great explanations! Thanks. 9:00 Mitch Hedberg, great analogy! I refer to that line a lot in various explanations to people.

Michael - Just discovered you and am quite pleased with your teaching techniques. Have only checked out 2 lessons so far but your chord structures lesson is very well done. Now to view the Patreon site to see what it's all about.

Valuable knowledge brother, keep it up!

Michael, i started studying music theory in January of this year as i had always wanted to learns. I was very confused about the changing of keys and building tension, so thank you for clearing that up for me! You have a unique and great method of teaching, keep at it!

Best RU-vid teacher !

Soooo, helpful, man. A teleprompter set up(youtube has a bunch of make-shift tutorials) may still raise the quality a bit. It's weird that such a small gesture is so affective, but it does seem to be. The extra eye contact still was muchhhhh better. These videos are so good, Michael! Thank you for sharing the wealth of knowledge.

You are an amazing music teacher

This one was VERY tough. I'm looking foward to understanding it. :) I was good following all your previous videos but this one will need a lot a reflexion on my part. Thanks for your EXCELLENT videos.

Excellent and very worthwhile. Thank you. :-)

best music theory teacher on you tube hands down

great video! I'm rather enjoying this series! I shall donate to the patreon for the sake of others! btw, shouts on the mitch hedberg reference

Once again, thanks for another great video!

Thanks Michael, great videos as always. Very clear :)

Thank you for this! You made it sound so easy, I swear! I'm watching all of your videos now~ Thank you so much!

One song I was always confused by is About a girl from nirvana. The key change during the chorus tells my brain something weird just happened. But it fits so perfectly after hearing it.

what you do has helped me so much , cheers !

i like your videos. You're a good teacher.

Great video, sir. Thank you!

Thanks a lot for these videos bro

Excellent video, thanks!!

Thanks mate. Really informative video

Recently did a change from F#m to Cm... 😂 That's some epic shit if you can pull it off. For example: End your F#m part on E major (dominant parallel) with a B on top, play a G major while keeping that B on top, and then resolve to Cm.

You are an awesome teacher !! 🙌

You are a fantastic teacher thanks so much really helping me progress in my music

thank you for sharing. youre a great teacher

Thank you so much for your amazing videos man. I love your content

Brilliant lesson as usual

Love your videos.... I suggest that you do a follow up video with real song examples where this technique is used...

The easiest keys to modulate to are the two keys either side on the circle of fifths and their relative minors, via the dominant chords. e.g. From C to Am (via E), F (via C) or Dm (via A), G (via D) or Em (via B). In a major key you can easily modulate to any chord other than vii (in this case B). Also, adding dissonance to a chord, by extending it with a 7th (like A7 into Dm or D7 into G), helps to build even more tension and solidify the key change when it resolves. Anything else will require a little more work!

Nice!! This is easily explained for my skill set. Thanks. Sweet Hedberg reference btw

This helped me loads! Thanks

Great stuff man thank you.

thnx a lot!! man you're pro!! keep up the good work

One of the supreme examples of "tonic by assertion" in popular music: I Will Always Love You, by Whitney Houston. It doesn't even need to stick around the new key for a while; from the very first note, you've already forgotten the old key. Of course it helps that the song moves from E major to B major, which is a nice IV - I transition, but still, I guess you could call it "tonic by sheer overemoting".

Thanks Michael, this will help!

As an observation, when you look at the key changes on the Circle of Fifths you can visualise what you're doing - start at C jump clockwise one past your final destination and then slip back one. C -> D -> G, C -> E -> A. This kinda works with the C -> E -> Am progression too - just ignore the 'm' when selecting your transition chord: C clockwise one step past A get's you to E and the drop back to A but play an Am instead.

outstanding tutorial

Nice thoughts. If you’re wanting to move from C to G, I would think of two key notes being needed, not just one, which are the fourth of the new key (C here), and F#, the leading tone. The C and F# form more tension than simply an F# does, and also, importantly define the new key, as G is the only key that has both a C and F# in it other than Db, so we know immediately where we are (since there’d have to be a lot of black keys involved to be moving to Db). However, if you just play a D major chord, you could be in D, or G, or A, you really don’t know, until you hear the D7 chord, which, besides providing tension, uniquely defines the key, because only G has a D7 chord. Temporary tonitization vs a new key center is a pretty subtle distinction. If would be an interesting study to try to determine at what point the brain decides we’re really in a new key. If you wanted to go immediately from C to G, using a C Lydian chord should work pretty well (C F# A), as this uniquely defines the new key (only G has these three notes), as well as providing tension and release.

u are awesome dude, thanks for the supporting!

Great lesson ! Your an awesome teacher☺

Besides the sort of traditional classical rules of making music, I find that while making music and playing around moving from one chord to another, the only 'rule' in my head is that as long as both chords have at least one, generally, leading tone in common, it'll work. Plus in the moment I'm blissfully ignorant of any possible key changes. For all I know I could be changing keys 4 times in 2 bars, lol. This usually works best with 'jazz' chordings because if analyzed later the seeming randomness will actually have a basis in jazz theory... you know... every flatted or raised note can logically be justified as a basis going from one chord to the next, lol. Good job, subscribed! ;)

you the man, Mike

Great stuff man

Mitch Hedberg, the wise one. Good to know where you get your inspiration comes from.

I think jumping straight to the new key works best at transitions. Your first section ends with for example C major and the next section starts with a new key, let's say F major or whatever. If it's in the middle of the phrase, it's going to sound a bit off, but usually if the verse is in one key, it doesn't sound that strange if the chorus is in another. Also, many times those keys are related in a way. Def Leppard's Hysteria album has a lot of this kind of key changes. They don't really prepare the key change that much, it's usually just straight jump into the new key. But it's always a new section when the key change happens. Also, if you analyze it more carefully, you'll see certain relations. One song that comes to my mind is "Armageddon It" that has a nice key change from E major to G major. The verse ends with a B major chord that is the V of E but it doesn't resolve back to E but a half step up to C that is the IV chord of the new key. The chorus ends with a D that is the V chord of G, but it resolves to E instead of G. And it's actually more of an E minor (that's still part of G major) than E major, but it becomes an E major when the verse starts again. Both of these are actually deceptive cadences (ie, the V chord resolves to the VI chord). I think this kind of key changes are a bit more interesting and not that obvious. And as I said, Hysteria album is full of them.

Leading tones aren't really the reason that V-I works so well. The real reason is that all the notes in G Major are contained in the harmonic series of C. In just intonation theory, they call the GM "Otonal" (over the tonic), and there tends to be an uplifting feeling associated with coming back down after going up a fifth. Moving down tends to work better because all that you are doing is supplying a new fundamental while all the frequencies of the 5 chord remain. If you wanted to modulate directly up a fifth (I-V), let's say from FM to CM, you would awkwardly be getting rid of the tonic, and there would be an anticipation/expectation for it to come back, You can add a new fundamental frequency below the original tonic to change key but you can't comfortably get rid of the tonic while keeping only every third harmonic. Say I took the harmonics of C starting at the eighth to save space and ignoring prime #s higher than 7 ...C D E…G…B7b B C…D 8:9:10:12:14:15:16:18 And the harmonics of G: G A B…D etc. 8:9:10:12..... Relative to C… 24:27:30:36 G contains every third harmonic of C (because it's 3x the frequency of C) If I play GM on top of CM, I will still have C as the fundamental note (although it will be a few octaves lower) Even if I take away C, the overtones of G give the impression that C is still there because they are a subset of the harmonics of C. So it's hard to convince your mind that the C is not still the tonic. If I add F however, the overtones of C are still there with the addition of the harmonics of F. There's not nearly as much suspension, and the only thing that is awkward is that there was no previous expectation for the F to occur at all. So boom you've got an unexpected new key and you aren't expecting the old tonic to come as a resolution.

Amazing video, amazing teacher, thanks man :-)