Modulation: How To Find Second Degree Relationship Keys
What are Second Degree Relationship Keys?
These keys are slightly further distant from First Degree Relationship keys. First Degree Relationship keys are like brothers and sisters of the original key, whereas Second Degree Relationship Keys are like cousins.
How many Second Degree Relationship Keys are there in any given key?
Each Major and minor key has 11 Second Degree related keys that they can modulate to.
What are the Second Degree Relationship keys of a Major key?
There are two ways in which you can find the Second Degree Relationship keys. The first way is simpler, but the second method gives you a better understanding of the relationship between keys.
Method 1:
A) 4 x Major keys chromatically descending keys from the original key
B) 4 x Major keys chromatically ascending keys from the original key
C) minor keys a semitone below, a whole tone below, and perfect fourth below the original key
Here is an example:
C Major
A) B Major, Bb Major, A Major, Ab Major
B) C#/Db Major, D Major, Eb Major, E Major
C) b minor, bb minor, g minor
Method 2:
A) Major and minor keys with 2 sharps difference
B) Major and minor keys with 2 flats difference
C) Major key with 3 flats difference
D) Major key with 3 sharps difference
E) Major key with 4 sharps difference
F) Major key with 4 flats difference
G) Major and minor keys with 5 flats difference
H) Major key with 5 sharps difference
E.g. C Major
A) D Major, b minor
B) Bb Major, g minor
C) Eb Major
D) A Major
E) E Major
F) Ab Major
G) Db Major, bb minor
H) B Major
Here you go! The keys in both methods are the same, they just appeared in a different order. Use whichever method suits you best! :)
What are the Second Degree Relationship keys of a minor key?
Method 1:
A) 4 x minor keys chromatically descending keys from the original key
B) 4 x minor keys chromatically ascending keys from the original key
C) Major keys a semitone above, a whole tone above, and perfect fourth above the original key
For example:
c minor
A) b minor, bb minor, a minor, ab minor
B) db minor, d minor, eb minor, e minor
C) Db/C# Major, D Major, Eb Major
Method 2:
A) Major and minor keys with 2 sharps difference
B) Major and minor keys with 2 flats difference
C) minor key with 3 flats difference
D) minor key with 3 sharp differenc
E) minor key with 4 flats difference
F) minor key with 4 sharps difference
G) minor key with 5 flats difference
H) Major and minor key with 5 sharps difference
E.g. c minor
A) F Major, d minor
B) Db Major, bb minor
C) eb minor
D) a minor
E) ab minor
F) e minor
G) db/c# minor*
H) D Major, b minor
* d-flat minor has 8 flats so you can think in its enharmonic equivalent of c-sharp minor (which has 4 sharps) to make it simpler!
These keys are slightly further distant from First Degree Relationship keys. First Degree Relationship keys are like brothers and sisters of the original key, whereas Second Degree Relationship Keys are like cousins.
How many Second Degree Relationship Keys are there in any given key?
Each Major and minor key has 11 Second Degree related keys that they can modulate to.
What are the Second Degree Relationship keys of a Major key?
There are two ways in which you can find the Second Degree Relationship keys. The first way is simpler, but the second method gives you a better understanding of the relationship between keys.
Method 1:
A) 4 x Major keys chromatically descending keys from the original key
B) 4 x Major keys chromatically ascending keys from the original key
C) minor keys a semitone below, a whole tone below, and perfect fourth below the original key
Here is an example:
C Major
A) B Major, Bb Major, A Major, Ab Major
B) C#/Db Major, D Major, Eb Major, E Major
C) b minor, bb minor, g minor
Method 2:
A) Major and minor keys with 2 sharps difference
B) Major and minor keys with 2 flats difference
C) Major key with 3 flats difference
D) Major key with 3 sharps difference
E) Major key with 4 sharps difference
F) Major key with 4 flats difference
G) Major and minor keys with 5 flats difference
H) Major key with 5 sharps difference
E.g. C Major
A) D Major, b minor
B) Bb Major, g minor
C) Eb Major
D) A Major
E) E Major
F) Ab Major
G) Db Major, bb minor
H) B Major
Here you go! The keys in both methods are the same, they just appeared in a different order. Use whichever method suits you best! :)
What are the Second Degree Relationship keys of a minor key?
Method 1:
A) 4 x minor keys chromatically descending keys from the original key
B) 4 x minor keys chromatically ascending keys from the original key
C) Major keys a semitone above, a whole tone above, and perfect fourth above the original key
For example:
c minor
A) b minor, bb minor, a minor, ab minor
B) db minor, d minor, eb minor, e minor
C) Db/C# Major, D Major, Eb Major
Method 2:
A) Major and minor keys with 2 sharps difference
B) Major and minor keys with 2 flats difference
C) minor key with 3 flats difference
D) minor key with 3 sharp differenc
E) minor key with 4 flats difference
F) minor key with 4 sharps difference
G) minor key with 5 flats difference
H) Major and minor key with 5 sharps difference
E.g. c minor
A) F Major, d minor
B) Db Major, bb minor
C) eb minor
D) a minor
E) ab minor
F) e minor
G) db/c# minor*
H) D Major, b minor
* d-flat minor has 8 flats so you can think in its enharmonic equivalent of c-sharp minor (which has 4 sharps) to make it simpler!
