| Modulation and Tonicization | Theory Things William Wieland |
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Aldwell and Schachter. Harmony & Voice Leading. 3rd ed. (p. 209) “We have two terms for the process of making scale degrees other than 1 sound temporarily like tonics: tonicization and modulation. The first implies a temporary ‘tonic’ of brief duration; the second implies a longer-lasting and more significant change. The two terms overlap to a considerable extent; we cannot precisely determine where one stops and the other begins.” Burstein and Straus. Concise Introduction to Tonal Harmony. 2nd ed. (p. 248) “... a tonicization occurs when a harmony other than I is briefly treated as a tonic. The appearance of a few chords in a new key in mid-phrase is usually interpreted as a tonicization, rather than a modulation. To be sure, there is no strict dividing line between these two categories, and in some cases a harmonic progression might be characterized either way, as involving a tonicization or a modulation. In general, however, a modulation tends to be a key change that is long and substantial, involves a pivot chord, and—most importantly—is confirmed with a cadence.” Clendinning and Marvin. The Musician’s Guide to Theory and Analysis. 3rd ed. (p. 414) “When a secondary dominant resolves, making its chord of resolution seem like a temporary tonic, the effect is called tonicization. When a harmony like V is tonicized, the key of the passage does not change except in a very termporary sense. The temporary tonic then returns to its normal functional role in the primary key and progresses as usual. Tonicizations of greater structural significance are called modulations. To identify a modulation, look for such musical indications as
Kostka and Payne. Tonal Harmony. 5th ed. (p. 289 & 290) “The line between modulation and tonicization (using secondary functions—V/V and so on) is not clearly defined in tonal music, nor is it meant to be. One listener might find that a very short passage tonicizing a new tonality is enough to make a convincing modulation. ... There is no right or wrong here—there are just the interpretations of different listeners.” Laitz. The Complete Musician. 3rd ed. (p. 376) “Tonicizations usually occur within phrases. They do not disrupt the feeling of the home key; they do not have strong cadences in new keys, and they are fleeting. Modulations include a strong cadence in the new key, and the new key continues after the cadence. They give the feeling that a new key has usurped the home key (at least for the moment).” | |