Franz Liszt‘s Nocturne #3 (“Liebestraum,” 1850) begins in Ab major and jumps to B major at 1:28. At 1:45, it begins a rapid cycle through other keys, starting with C major. Pianist Matyas Novac delivers this Romantic period gem with such mastery and reverence!
But don’t take our word for it: Pianotv has produced an insanely detailed description of the piece (second video) — by request, no less!
“Mr. Mr.” by K-Pop group Girls’ Generation (2014) charted at #3 on the Korea K-Pop Hot 100 and #4 Billboard World Digital Songs chart. AllMusic’s review states that the track mixes “a hip-hop beat and EDM-inspired buildups and drops.”
After being introduced to verses, choruses, a spare breakdown at 2:40, and a bridge at 3:02, we’re hit with a big half-step key change at 3:19, only to run smack into another monster upward half-step shift at 3:35.
A guest post from our Twitter follower @AndrewOrlowski:
“One of my ten year old girls has become completely besotted by Kate Bush after watching a BBC TV documentary on her, and finds her completely inspiring. As a result, I was listening to ‘Wuthering Heights’ (1978) thinking ‘this has to be my favourite key change/chord change moment in music.'” (2:14)
Bush’s unique bio is nicely summarized by AllMusic: “One of the most successful and popular solo female performers to come out of England during the second half of the 20th century, Kate Bush was also one of the most unusual, with her keening vocals and unusually literate and complex body of songs. Bush‘s music is an ambitious and idiosyncratic melange of folk rock, art rock, prog, and pop, often performed with the bold brio of a West End stage production; her lyrics are artful meditations full of drama, fantasy, danger, and a sense of wonder at the human and natural worlds.”
Quick key-of-the-moment (KotM) shifts are a hallmark of this tune, a flagship within Bush’s catalog and the first single of her career. Starting in A major (more or less!), plenty of KotMs flash by as the fast harmonic rhythm hits us relentlessly (a good example being the repeating 4-chord passage from 0:08 to 0:15, which presents a contradictory jumble harmonically). As the chorus begins at 0:47, we transition to C# major. At 1:12, we’re back to A major (ish), etc. At 2:14 – 2:39, the brief bridge could be heard as a shift to A# major — or merely a huge passing emphasis on the iii chord of F# major. Unusual harmonic progressions and ambiguity of tonality are often part of the fun when it comes to Bush’s catalog.
Jazz pianist and composer Bill Evans was the winner of seven Grammy awards and an inductee into the Downbeat Jazz Hall of Fame. Discogs.com calls Evans “one of the most famous and influential American jazz pianists of the 20th century. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmically independent, ‘singing’ melodic lines influenced a generation of pianists.” Evans was an integral part of the ensembles of Miles Davis and Paul Motian, among others, before moving into his sustained work as a jazz trio leader.
“Here’s That Rainy Day” (music by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke, 1952) was first heard as part of the Broadway musical Carnival in Flanders. Our Twitter follower @cedgray submitted this solo piano tune: “…the best modulation is at 1:59. There’s an augmented modulation: starting in B, it moves through G, Eb, and then back to B.” There’s another big harmonic shift at 3:53, among others.
From Dave Mandl, who follows us via Twitter: “Palm Grease,” from Herbie Hancock‘s Thrust (1974).
After the tonality wanders around a bit in the first few minutes of the tune, a stronger key change happens at 3:00, where Dave explains that “the piece moves from a bridge in F minor back to the tonic, A minor. I’ve always loved the way the bassist (Paul Jackson) slinks back to A minor. That main bass riff is a classic — the drum beat, even moreso. The piece is in 4/4, but drummer Mike Clark kind of splits it up as 9/8 + 7/8. It’s got to be one of the greatest funk grooves of all time — and that key change is one of my favorites.”
Funk/pop superstars Kool and the Gang, best known for 1980’s uptempo mega-hit “Celebrate,” took a decidedly mellower turn in the early 80s. According to AllMusic, the band “left the fast lanes of funk for the smoother ride of the adult-oriented R&B expressway.” The 1983 album In the Heart produced a lead single, “Joanna,” which hit #2 (pop) in the US, #2 (pop) in the UK, and #1 on the US R&B chart.
No stranger to a broad harmonic vocabulary, the band outdid itself on the mod scale with the ballad “September Love,” a non-single track. Modulations begin with an almost jarring early shift as the first verse starts at 0:21, followed by more key changes at 1:15, 1:49, 2:43, 3:18, and 3:59.
Utopia, an American rock band formed in 1973 by songwriter, performer, and producer Todd Rundgren, started with a progressive rock sound and a fluid personnel list. In the late 70s, the band morphed into a tight power pop format with a stable quartet of players. Its only top-40 hit was 1980’s “Set Me Free,” written and sung by bassist Kasim Sulton (who later became known for his work with Meatloaf, Hall & Oates, and Joan Jett as well as his own solo releases).
A whole-tone modulation hits towards the end of the track (2:36), which just might be the bounciest song ever written about a doomed relationship (in this case, reportedly, between Sulton and his record company).
NSFW: Lizzo‘s 2019 track “Lingerie” (from the Cuz I Love You album) debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200. The track simmers at an almost impossibly slow, insistent tempo but still somehow manages a behind-the-beat delivery. From AllMusic‘s review: “she continues to embrace her gospel roots and the full power of her voice. It’s a journey she began on (previous albums), which feel like dress rehearsals for what she unleashes…”
Half-step modulations at 1:25 and 2:26.
“Spirit” by Beyoncé, featured in the 2019 remake of The Lion King movie, was reviewed by Slate.com‘s Carl Wilson as an “award-baiting piece of Hollywood-goes-gospel.” After an intro built around choristers singing in Swahili, Beyonce shows off not only her trademark fluid melisma, but also the far edges of her range, both high and low. The half-step modulation is at 3:30.
“All the Things You Are,” a now-classic jazz standard composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, was originally written for the musical Very Warm for May (1939). It later appeared in the film Broadway Rhythm (1944).
The tune is known for its wide-ranging harmonies, which transiently meander quite far from the original key during most of the tune (other than the beginning and ending bars of the form). But this particular version by The Artie Shaw Orchestra (Helen Forrest, vocalist) also features several outright key changes. Starting in A minor, the key shifts to D minor as the vocal melody leads us through the form (1:28), the final instrumental section starts in Bb minor (2:45) and ends in Db major.
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