Key change

[Jayme]

Is it normal* to have the chorus in a different key?


*a standard way of writing a song that isn't advanced

Jayme

[Anti-Hero665]

I have done that from time to time... Usually though, I leave a key change for a bridge.

[Jayme]

But what if the song key changes on all of the choruses and goes back on the verses but then it key changes even higher again on the last chorus befor the brake where it changes back again to the original key i started in?
(I'm sorry if it sounds a bit confusing)

Jayme

[Anti-Hero665]

I say go for it. It can't hurt to try it. It sounds like a very interesting idea.

[Jayme]

Thanx, that very incouraging I will give it a go!

Jayme

[Anti-Hero665]

no prob.

[Garry Sharp]

Of course you must always try these things - who knows? Just watch out, though, that it can be very disorientating for the listener to have so much modulation.

There was a thread here a while back about "truck drivers' gear changes" - i.e. a lurch from one key to another in the hope of bringing life to a song that's going nowhere. I'm sure that won't apply to yours but it's another thing to be aware of.

[Jayme]

I spose that it's an advanced way of writing then?
I have been reaserching jass and found that it's always changing key! The song i've done sounds alright and the key changes aren't blatant, I seem to be able to get back round to the first key alright! but i know it's going to flop with the lyrics cos i'm crap at lyrics! Is there a way of writing lyrics that i don't know about? (like for example the way David Bowy does them? (I'm not shore if that's spellt right?))

[Davenhurst]

There's no right or wrong way to do anything, Bowie wrote lyrics by cutting up newspaper articles and stringing different sentences together randomly. That's just his take on the idea of lyrical composition, he probably didn't even think about it (cocaine, anyone?). Do what sounds good, why not try dissonance or dischord, or writing totally atonal passages, or jamming for a while and sticking bits together? Or verse / chorus / verse / chorus / bridge / (key change) verse / chorus x2 / tv appearance / press conference / cash galore / drugs / whores / blah blah fucking blah.

[Davenhurst]

Sorry, got a bit cynical there.

[mikeh]

I've always felt a key change should serve a specific purpose, such as adding adding energy to the last verse of a song or building some dynamics going into a bridge, etc. It should always "serve the song".

Naturally there are no rules that can't be broken to achieve the vision of the writer - but we should use caution not to be too clever just to be clever.

[bennychico11]

The great thing about music is that there is no set way you have to compose something. Of course, there are patterns that everyone seems to fall into, but the proof of a great composer is one who can change the norm and create something new. And that's what you need to do. Ignore all the "normal" way of doing things and just write what you want to. It's YOUR music after all.
PS. give us the keys or chord changes that you're talking about so that we can better understand it

[Jayme]

I worked these out quickly so they might be wrong!

It starts in B sharp minor then the chorus goes to f sharp minor then back to the verse (b sharp minor) then back to the chorus, then back to the verse, then it key changes again, but up to g sharp minor for the the last chorus befor the break, then drops back down again to f sharp minor for the break and then finaly it finishes on a sort of altered chorus in the key of f sharp minor! The chorus key changes don't sound obvious but the final chorus before the break dose, but i think that it's nice because it's very efective!
Dose it sound like it could be any good?

[Anti-Hero665]

I'd like to hear it. It sounds interesting.

[Garry Sharp]

B# min sounds interesting. Would that be the same as C min then??? Sounds very odd (not necessarily a bad thing); perhaps you'd like to work it out slowly and make sure it's right before asking for comments

[Jayme]

Originally Posted by Anti-Hero665

I'd like to hear it.

Emm.... how can i show it to yall??

[Anti-Hero665]

you should do just a minimal recording of it, then convert it to mp3. You could then post it somewhere.

[Jayme]

Originally Posted by Garry Sharp

perhaps you'd like to work it out slowly and make sure it's right before asking for comments

For being off the top of my head I think that it was a good guess!
I had a look at it today and found that i can't seem to work out what's going on! I think that there might not be a key change at the chorus but a scale change! I'm not realy shore what i'm doing wrong? (i'm not realy shore what i'm doing???) I think i'll have another look and see if i can work it out!

P.s Just to make shore i get it right; can you tell me how to work out the scale to a part of a song and how to work out the right key?

[dirtythermos]

If it sounds good, do it.

Music theory only exists to explain what sounds good. Not the other way around.

[dragonworks]

You dont have to change to the root or tonic of the key you are changing to.
I have songs when the key changes they go to the fifth of the key I am changing to. You may use any chord in the key you are changing to to get to that key I think. Someone chime in here.

PS, after forty years of playing I find that it is not normal to have the chorus in a different key. Most rock and roll tunes do not change key at all, I would say probably over 90 percent?