PLEASE! i dont understand modulation....

[IcedEarth112]

My teacher gave me a solo-technique progression in Am using the harmonic scale. it goes Am, G#o(diminished), G#o(moved down 4 frets), Am, C#o(where the modulation is and i dont understand how you put that chord int here when its in the scale), Dm, G#o, Am.

i have a feeling those G#o's should be B diminished chords should they? and can someone help me out with how to modulate? i wanna throw it in my songwriting really bad!

 

[Osensei]

Re: PLEASE! i dont understand modulation....

My teacher gave me a solo-technique progression in Am using the harmonic scale. it goes Am, G#o(diminished), G#o(moved down 4 frets), Am, C#o(where the modulation is and i dont understand how you put that chord int here when its in the scale), Dm, G#o, Am.

i have a feeling those G#o's should be B diminished chords should they? and can someone help me out with how to modulate? i wanna throw it in my songwriting really bad!

Can you tell me what style of music if any this exercise is for while I'm thinking about it?

Let's assuming for a second that the chords are in root position. That progression would be:

Am, G#o, G#o (first inversion), Am, C#o, Dm, G#o, Am

Is that right?

 

[Osensei]

Re: PLEASE! i dont understand modulation....

It looks like your key is A min and there is a short modulation (2 chords) to the key of D min. That would occur as C#dim and D min. This is only momentary as the progression appears to return immediately to the key of A min.

The harmonic minor in this instance is a modal consideration. I always notate my chords based on the natural minor since there is no key called "harmonic minor". So based on the natural minor as a key center I get the following:

(In A min)
I min - #VII dim - #VII dim - I min

(here is your modulation to D min -->) #VII (C# dim) - I min (D min). Where C# dim is the pivot chord that facilitates the transition to D min.

Then you return to A min with G# dim - A min (or #VII dim - I min in the key of A min again). Where G# dim is the pivot chord which returns you to the original key of A min.

The diminished chords can also be visualized as substitutions for the V7 chords in their respective keys.

G# dim (G# B D) is a substitution for E7 (E G# B D). Notice there are three notes in common. So G# dim is like E7 without the root. E7 just happens to be the V7 chord in the key of Am. This sets up a very natural (V7 - I min) sounding resolution. Likewise C#dim (C# E G) is a substitution for A7 (A C# E G) or the V7 in the key of D min.

In this sense #VII dim chords are substitutions for V7 chords that are used as pivital chords allowing transitions into their related keys centers.