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5.5.4 Definition of Modulation in Music, as in Yeats' "The Second Coming"
Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned
Yikes! Mr. Yeats, it couldn’t be that bad, could it?
Well, actually, it could. Modulation by definition is the changing the tonal centre within a song or other composition. And when you change the tonal centre, mere anarchy just might be loosed upon the world if you aren’t careful.
Some songwriters modulate skilfully. Most are afraid to even try. Some modulate clumsily, throwing in melodic twists and chord changes without the slightest idea of what they’re doing musically. This has nothing to do with ability or inability to read or write music.