Harmonic Key Changes

Hi GMCers,

This lesson is about the key harmonic changes in a songs. There are lots of options available when deciding where to change a key in a song. Most of the time, it’s during the second half of the song that you’ll find works the best. Another good idea is to consider doing the verse in one key and the chorus in another. Doing so, however, presents you with a problem to solve: how do you move up to a new key for the chorus and then move back to the original key for the verse?

There are several methods of changing key: common chord, common tone, etc. In this case, I’ve used what’s best described as an abrupt modulation by using the Eb chord as a bVII of the original key of F major. That Eb gets reinterpreted as a bVI in the new chorus key of G major. Using the suspension (Dsus4) helps to smooth the transition to the new key.

To return to F major I used a Gm chord with a Bb in the bass. The Bb gets the bass back into F major, and following it with a C chord gives me the dominant chord of F major.

Equipment: PRS singlecut SE model, Sonar8 DAW, Amplitube 3 guitar plugin

Tempo : 90 bpm

Signature : 4/4

Chord progression: FB,Gm7,C,Am7,Dm,Eflat ,Dsus4,D

Techniques: Alternate picking


F major :



Asharp :