ABSTRACT
While seven diatonic chords might seem like sufficient variety, the ear doesn’t “see” it that way. It’s true that many folk songs, hymns, and traditional songs contain no modulations-see, for example: “Amazing Grace” (Example 5-1); “The Star-Spangled Banner” (Example 7-1a); “America” (Example 7-1b); “Rock of Ages” (Example 9-8); “Michael, Row the Boat Ashore” (Example 13-19)—but even short pieces often modulate. And those that don’t may be transposed on repetition. It has become almost formulaic in popular music, for example, to end a song by repeating the refrain, modulating upward each time. The catch phrase “Cue the strings” owes its existence to these emotionally charged endings, where the violins enter to accentuate the rising tonal plateau.
