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6.12.5 Key Changes in Music: Direct Modulation, Phrase Modulation, Shift Modulation
Of all the methods of executing key changes in music, perhaps the most abused is direct modulation, also known as phrase modulation or shift modulation.
Typically, a shift upwards occurs near the end of a song to create contrast and "raise the energy level." For example, the song starts off in, say, the key of C. Then, for the last verse or chorus, tonality suddenly shifts upwards to the key of D. Why? Because an increase in pitch is exciting (recall “Emotional Effects of Pitch” near the end of Chapter 3).
The hallmark of direct modulation is that the song almost always does not return to the original key, as is the case with other kinds of modulation. Ballad-like songs sometimes shift-modulate to relieve monotony.
It’s not uncommon for a songwriter to write a song in a single key, only to have an arranger introduce a shift modulation (without authorization) for some artist covering the song. In such a case, the shift modulation is called an “arranger’s modulation.”