3604 / 18210 · Workshop 18 — “Have You Met Miss Jones?”: Sudden Key Centers, Major-Third Modulations, and Staying Oriented When Harmony Jumps← prev⊞ allnext →
18.6Hear a major-third root shift
Play major triads:
C major:
C E G.
Then:
E major:
E G♯ B.
Then:
A♭ major:
A♭ C E♭.
These tonal centers feel dramatically different.
Yet major-third relationships are common in sophisticated jazz and film harmony because they divide the octave symmetrically.