How to write chord progressions: creating harmony with modulation (changing key)

Chords are the building blocks of so much modern music. Understanding how to write beautiful chord progressions is a wonderful way to open your mind to new musical worlds.

Changing key (AKA “Modulation”) is not so popular at the moment. Here we listen to examples from current artists like Mitski and Yebba, as well as songs from other eras, including Kate Bush and David Bowie. We walk you through some of the theory and also offer other ways of hearing what a chord change is and how it works. It is a skill worth looking into and may take your music into new, unexpected places.