Saturday 9 August 2014

Ticket 45: Change Key Between Sections




Changing keys can give a real lift (or drop) to a new section. Switching to the relative minor or major (or vice versa) is common (e.g. from Am to C maj) but not strictly speaking a 'key change' as you're still using all the same notes.

More striking changes are rising a semitone or tone or switch to the parallel major (from Am to A major). But any interval can work with the right set up.

Blackbird - The Beatles
Free As A Bird - The Beatles
From Me To You - The Beatles
I Want To Hold Your Hand - The Beatles
Julia - The Beatles
Octopus's Garden - The Beatles
Penny Lane - The Beatles
The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill - The Beatles
While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles
1963 Do You Want To Know A Secret - The Beatles

Also

Born To Be My Baby (Bon Jovi)
Brave (Matt Blick)
I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me (Nik Kershaw)
Poison (Alice Cooper)
Roses (Nik Kershaw)
The Morning After The Day You Saved The World (Matt Blick)
Up All Night (Take That)
What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted (Jimmy Ruffin)
Wouldn't It Be Good (Nik Kershaw)
You Might (Nik Kershaw)

*Burt Bacharach and Nik Kershaw are two writers that excel at this trick

See also

Ticket 5: Make Sections Contrast With The Other Musical Sections
Ticket 14: Write An In-Key Melody Over Out-Of-Key Chords
Ticket 15: Change Time Signatures Between Sections
Ticket 16: The Picardy Third
Ticket 28: Use At Least One Out Of Key Chord
Ticket 43: Use The Fourths Luke!
Ticket 44: Use the Minor 5 (v) Chord
Ticket 51: Use The Mixolydian Mode
Ticket 60: Drop to the 7th Chord

See the full list of songwriting tips here - Tickets To Write

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