What is the difference between modulation and transposition in music

Transposition is the periodic swapping of positions of the conductors of a transmission line, in order to reduce crosstalk and otherwise improve transmission.

In telecommunications this applies to balanced pairs whilst in power transmission lines three conductors are periodically transposed. Transposition is found in cognitive psychology, particularly in learning experiments were subjects can react to the relationship between stimuli rather than to each stimulus on an individual basis.

If you transpose something, you change the order. In math, to transpose is to move something from one side of an equation to another. A transposition error describes an event where a bookkeeper accidentally reverses two adjacent digits, when recording transactional data.

Transpositional errors, which tend to occur in accounting firms, brokerages, and other financial services providers, fall under the broader category of transcription errors. Transposition is the process by which genetic elements move between different locations of the genome, whereas site-specific recombination is a reaction in which DNA strands are broken and exchanged at precise positions of two target DNA loci to achieve determined biological function.

Modulation is the process of converting data into electrical signals optimized for transmission. Modulation techniques are roughly divided into four types: Analog modulation, Digital modulation, Pulse modulation , and Spread spectrum method. Modulation is the addition of information to an electronic or optical carrier signal.

In electronics and telecommunications, modulation is the process of varying one or more properties of a periodic waveform, the carrier signal, with a modulating signal that typically contains information that is to be transmitted. The signals within 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency range can travel only a few distances.

To send the message signal, the length of the antenna should be a quarter wavelength of the used frequency. Thus, modulation is required to increase the frequency of the message signal and to enhance its strength to reach the receiver. There are 12 possible keys any particular song can be played in. Some might end up resulting in a sequence.

On the other hand in a simple sonata form the "second theme group" the part of the exposition in the dominant key can often be simply transposed down a fifth to the tonic during the recapitulation.

If that sonata stuff isn't familiar, try reading some reviews of sonata form and then look at L. Mozart's Nannerl Notebook which as many examples in small scale pieces. Transposition in the recapitulation is a nice example where it has formal, structural meaning and a modulation, a key change, is the result.

So, there is some overlap in the meanings, but modulation doesn't really say anything about the handling of thematic material while transposition does tell specifically we are modifying thematic material. It's not stretching the definition of 'transposed' too much to let it cover an ALMOST literal copy, and a different mode as well as a different pitch. The word "modulation" isn't so much the problem see my comment to another answer as that there are degrees of tonal change. A simple II7-V7-I probably didn't really modulate to the dominant key.

Tovey discusses the difference between cadencing "in" a key and cadencing "on" a note. Schoenberg suggests that one must "neutralize" the original key to be considered a modulation. Modulating from C to G means emphasizing F especially where F would be used without modulation. Transposing is moving whole passages up a certain interval. The singer cannot sing the passage in E Major so you transpose it a diminished fifth up to the key of Bb.

Transcribing is related to Transposing. Here you find a violin piece written in the treble clef, but you want to play it on your Viola, but you don't auctually want to change the pitches. So you see ah this crotchet is the E above middle C, you find the E above middle C on the alt clef and you write the note there. The music does not really change, you just transcribe it so that it makes sense on the viola.

Modulation is a harmonic device where there is movement between keys. You can modulate just about to any key imaginable but some are harder to make convincing than others, although I don't think any are impossible. You start in C Major, you move to a minor you end on C Major again. Music is all about movement, the moving between keys modulation is one of the ways you make music interesting. Sign up to join this community. For example, Silent Night starts on the 5th degree of the scale, goes up to the 6th, back to the 5th, then down to the 3rd.

Because the scale degrees are constant -- we just need to apply them in each key. What about chords? Same idea. If the chord progression on Silent Night is the I chord followed by the V chord, followed by the I chord, followed by the IV chord, etc. Modulation means getting between keys, so let's say you are playing in the key of C, but you want to get to the key of Eb smoothly, without jarring the nerves of the listeners.

There are lots of ways to do it, but the main point is that you have to get to the V7 chord of the new key. So from the key of C to the key of Eb, that means getting to Bb7. How do we do that smoothly? We look for chords with common notes. Since the V of the V of the new key would be Fm7, we have C as a common note.

So we hold the C in the C chord, and move the rest of the C chord to Fm7, then Bb7, then Eb, and presto -- we are there! Hope this has helped you understand both the process and the difference between transposing and modulating.

Jermaine Griggs Founder at HearandPlay. Hi, I'm Jermaine Griggs, founder of this site. We teach people how to express themselves through the language of music. Just as you talk and listen freely, music can be enjoyed and played in the same way Latest posts by Jermaine Griggs see all.

Great analogy Neal. Always good to hear from you. All the best, JG Reply. Greetings Rev. I know right. Your great lessons has so far enhanced my learning skills. Keep up wit ur good work. Thanks, Rev. Jermaine Briggs. Well understood. You are my hero Jermain Reply. How do i get i.