Many writers and arrangers feel that when their song is in risk of getting a bit tired, it can be given a fresh lease of life by shifting the whole song up a key, usually in between choruses, towards the beginning of a "repeat-till-fade" section. You may have heard this technique informally referred to as "modulation", but the correct ethnomusicological term for the phenomenon is the truck driver's gear change. This reflects the utterly predictable and laboured nature of the transition, evoking a tired and over-worked trucker ramming the gearstick into the new position with his – or, to be fair, her – fist.
This site functions as an educational resource with the aim of ensuring that in a better future world, our children, our children's children, and ideally also our children's children's children, avoid this musical crime. Equally, there is an element of name-and-shame involved, to help prevent those who may already have offended from doing so again in their career. Although frankly I think it's too late for Westlife.
Example:
| Culprit | Bon Jovi |
| Title | Livin' On A Prayer |
| Year | |
| Written by | Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Desmond Child |
| Submitted by | Karen |
If I were flipping through a pub jukebox and stumbled across an album called "Hair Metal Classics", I'd expect this to be the first track ("Crazy Crazy Nights" being the second). And what a solid rock-based gear change it has. When the chorus comes thundering back in the new key, for added measure, the song skips a beat. As does your heart – who can honestly say that they don't find themselves involuntarily punching the air with their clenched fist, bellowing out "whoa-oh, we're livin' on a prayer" at the top of their lungs?
1 comment:
Truck you, Brown
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