← All lessonsModule 6 · Song craft
Key Changes
One step up, and the last chorus hits harder. Welcome to the key change.
In this lesson you'll
- Move a song into a new key in three ways.
- Use the sudden jump and the five-chord setup.
- Use the pivot chord.
Music in this lesson
- Man in the MirrorMichael Jackson · 1988 · G to A♭
- I Will Always Love YouWhitney Houston · 1992 · A to B
- Love on TopBeyoncé · 2011 · up four times
Remember
A key change moves every note together. On the circle, the shape just rotates.
The sudden jump, a half or whole step up, is the truck driver's gear change.
For a smooth ride, set up the new five chord, or walk through a pivot chord that lives in both keys.