I'm trying to accompany the song Gesu Bambino on the guitar. The verses are sung in the key of A major and chorus is in the key of C major. The last line of the verse moves into A minor which then modulates easily to C in the chorus.
But then after the chorus, I'm stuggling to find a chord progression to modulate from C major back to A major.
I'm a hack and I know it, so I'd really appreciate any help.
Posted by RivalOfTheRose (Member # 11535) on :
You could just go from C to an E7 chord, or F to G to A, or D to E to A
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
Would C to G/B to Bb to A work? Seems like I've tried that before.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
C to the parallel major of relative minor is an awkward transition- particularly because the third in A major is C#, a half step from the first tonic.
Transitioning directly from the dominant of A is out, because it will only sound like a transition to Am. So go that route first, C, E7, F (relative major of Am), Am 6/4 (that is with E in the bass) D, E7, Am, then just raise the Am to an A.
That voicing is easier on a keyboard, but if you emphasize the base leading, it will be as clear as it can be.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
quote:Originally posted by advice for robots: Would C to G/B to Bb to A work? Seems like I've tried that before.
That works as a transition down a half step, but the keys are too distantly related to work.
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
Cool. Your transition sounds good.
Now some of what I learned in my jazz book is coming back to me. Can you do a simple II-V-I progression? Go C-Bm7-E7-A?
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
It's not bad. You need to soften transition between C and A a bit more. It's just not a great set of keys.
You could also try a modulation through circle of fifths: C G, D7, A, E7 A.
Anyway, it would sound quite right.
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
Thanks for all the help. Here's what I found seems to work best with the melody. C F Am E Am6/4 D A. I'm trying to decide whether to do this as an interlude, with the singer Ahing or to do the transition in the first line of the second verse. Both options sound pretty good.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
Yeah, a plagal cadence works well given the relative instability of the new tonic. It also depends how long you remain around A, as it is not going to sound totally settled anyway. If you are stransitionung back to C, this is possibly a better way to go.
Also I should point out that according to this diagram, and I'm not sitting at a keyboard or I would sound it out, you'd actually be in G, on a major II- which is why this arrangement sounds more stable. Test this with your vocal arrangement by playing rough it, then finding the tonic a Capella, and I think you'll find it's actually G. This makes 10 times more sense than it being A anyway- you may have been confused about that from the beginning....
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
I'm pretty sure its A and not G. I transposed it from a score in which the verse is in E and the chorus in G. In that score the transition was made in a longer piano interlude which I can't make work with my very basic guitar skills.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
Did you try analyzing the progression in the interlude? I can coach you on how to do that if you're interested.
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
I made a brief attempt to analyze the progression in the interlude but like I said, I'm a hack. My knowledge of music theory is almost non-existent. I'm sure that if I had your help and put sometime into it I could figure it out and I appreciate the offer. But I don't really have the time for it right now so I'm content with having found something that sounds OK and the singer can follow easily. Perhaps some day when I've got more time to spend on it, I will take you up on the offer.