For a composition at school, I am writing a piece for a clarinet and a piano. The piano part is in Cb Major, and the Clarinet part is obviously in Db Major. But I need to modulate it, and I'm not sure where to modulate to. I would preferably like it to be minor, or at least something dramatic.

Could anybody help me?

Thanks.

Sam94.

What sort of piece is it? Is it jazzy/bluesy, is it a piece in a classical or a romantic style?

If I were you, I'd experiment, and see what is effective. Maybe the relative minor? I don't know, I haven't seen the piece, and don't know what it sounds like.

Hope you produce an effective work!

Cb major?! Why??

The relative minor is Ab minor, or you could go to the tonic minor, but I'm inclined to ask; if you're not sufficiently confident and experienced with composition to be able to work out a relative minor - or other suitable key to which to modulate - why are you using such an awkward key? What about Eb concert pitch, or F, or C, or Bb - any of these keep both instruments in a far more user-friendly key.

Good luck!

Or even just keep it the same but enharmonically transcribe it into B.

It's more jolly, and bright. Something that would fit nicely in the "Victorian Kitchen Garden" suit. It's going to be in rondo form, so it's a needs an interesting middle (the second section), before I repeat the beginning and go on to the third section. I suppose it's more classical than anything else. Possibly andante pastorale?

Although that would put the clarinet part into C# major...

I have transposed it into C for the clarinet, and Bb major for the piano. It sounds a little wierd, but if that's more workable, then I don't mind.

If you've done your transposition correctly, it shouldn't sound weird unless it sounded weird in the first place! It should sound pretty much the same - other than a semitone higher.

Sorry, it does sound the same. I accidently went into some sort of minor part way through.

So, what choices could I do for modulation, other than the relative minor?

That's a lot more friendly Sam94. As a clarinettist, C major is much easier to manage than Db major.

It shouldn't sound weird, really, just the same thing in a different key. You're probably not used to hearing it in the new key.



Same reply as I gave above, way back at the top of the post (no.2).

As Barry says, it's impossible to give more than general suggestions without having heard the piece. This is the sort of thing your teacher should be helping you with.

Oh, okay. Thanks for helping me get into a better key though.

I presume you intend to play this piece yourself. Do you not have a pair of clarinets yet? Many orchestral parts are written for the A clarinet, as are both of the great clarinet quintets,* by Mozart and Brahms. You could notate your original concept in B major (or keep it in Cb) for the piano and D major for the A clarinet.

* Cl, 2 Vn, Va, Vc

no reason you couldn't notate the clarinet in Db and the piano in B