UNIT 2.

2
MODULATION, part 2: Chromatic Pivots!!

SO you want to pivot to a distant key, huh?

We could use a good old pivot-chord modulation, but instead of staying purely diatonic, we
could use an altered chord.

We could pivot on:

-a borrowed chord!
-a secondary function chord!
-a Neapolitan!!

We call these Chromatic pivots.

We can also use +6 chords to modulate, but we use them a little differently, so we won’t discuss
them yet (that will be the focus of Unit 4!).

SEE ALSO
Here are some great examples and some further explanation:
http://musictheory.pugetsound.edu/mt21c/ModulationsWithChromaticPivotChords.html

PLEASE NOTE
Like most modulations, the following examples could possibly all be re-interpreted in various
ways to pivot on something else. I am just using them as examples of the topic at-hand.

On homework / tests, I will tell you how I would like you to interpret a modulation (i.e. “this
pivots on a borrowed chord”, or “this pivots on a secondary dominant”, etc.) just for the purpose
of the assignment.

Out in the wild, there are usually multiple answers!

I HIGHLY recommend that you play these progressions in some way to hear them.
Using a Borrowed Chord in a Pivot-Chord Modulation
A borrowed chord could be used in a pivot-chord modulation when moving to a distant key!

For example:
If you wanted to modulate from C major to A♭ major, you could not use a regular diatonic pivot
chord modulation, because there no common chords between those two keys.

However, you could borrow a chord from C minor - now you have four common chords upon
which to pivot (and A♭ isn’t so distant anymore):
C: C Dm Em F G Am B°
Cm: Cm D° E♭ Fm Gm A♭ B♭
A♭: A♭ B♭m Cm D♭ E♭ Fm G°

An example!
C major I ii V I iv

C Dm G C Fm D♭ E♭ A♭

A♭ vi IV V I
major
Fm is the borrowed iv, and is the diatonic vi in the key of A♭.

Another example:
C major I ii V I ii°

C Dm G C D° E♭

E♭ major vii° I
D° is the borrowed ii°, and is the diatonic vii° the key of E♭.
Using Borrowed Chords as a pivot, cont.

Another example:
G major I ii V i

G Am D Gm C F

F major ii V I
Gm is the borrowed i (“reverse” Picardy third), and is the diatonic ii in the key of F.

How about another:

F minor i iv V i IV

Fm B♭m C Fm B♭ E♭

E♭ major V I
B♭ is the borrowed IV in the key of F, and the diatonic V in the key of E♭.

All of my examples were

Borrowed chord in home key = diatonic chord in new key

It doesn’t necessarily have to be like this. It could be the other way around, or borrowed in both keys.

E♭ I ii V
major

E♭ Fm B♭ C D♭ B♭m C Fm

F minor IV V VI iv V i

B♭ is the diatonic V in the key of E♭, and the borrowed IV in the key of Fm.

The first section of Chapter 34 of your textbook (“Pivot Chords Involving Mixture”) has
more examples; go look!
Using a Secondary Dominant in a Pivot-Chord Modulation
A secondary dominant could be used in a pivot-chord modulation when moving to a distant key!

An example!
C I vi ii V vi V/ii
major

C Am Dm G Am A D G A D

D V I IV V I
major
A is the V/ii in the key of C, but is the diatonic V in the key of D.

Another example!
F I vi ii V7/iii
major

F Dm Gm E7 A F♯m Bm E A

A V7 I vi ii V I
major
E7 is the V7/iii in the key of F, but is the diatonic V7 in the key of A.

Another example, using both secondary functions AND borrowed chords:

Pivoting on a secondary dominant OF a borrowed chord!! WOW!

G major I vi IV V7/ (♭VII)

♭VII

G Em C C7 F Gm C7 F

F major V7 I ii V7 I
C7 is the V7/♭VII in the key of G, but is the diatonic V7 in the key of F!

You might also interpret it as simply pivoting on the borrowed ♭VII.

Using a Neapolitan in a Pivot-Chord Modulation
A neapolitan chord could be used in a pivot-chord modulation when moving to a distant key!

An example!
C minor i VI ii° N

Cm A♭ D° D♭ G♭ A♭m D♭ G♭

G♭ V I ii V I
major

Another example!
G major I vi ii N

G Em Am A♭ B♭ E♭

E♭ major IV V I

Another example!

D major I vi ii N

D Bm Em E♭ A° D7 Gm

G minor VI ii° V7 i