modulation

[JOZEF SMITH]

What is the best or easiest way to modulate fron D to C for lap steel. Is there a instruction or video regarding modulation to any key? Thanks.

[Dom Franco]

You move your bar two frets left... no kidding it's that easy.
If something was open or played on the first fret, then you will have to drop down to a lower string and find the new note at a higher fret (probably 3th 5th or 10th fret)
Dom

[Ulrich Sinn]

How about:

D - D7 - G7 - C.

Was that your question?

[Dom Franco]

http://www.tabtuner.com/new/

[James Hartman]

How about:

D - D7 - G7 - C.

Was that your question?

Dom answered the "easiest" part. "Best" is a matter of choice and circumstance. There are many variants of the formula Ulrich offered, for instance you might use a D minor chord or an Ab7 in place of the D7, or a Db7 in place of the G7.

[JOZEF SMITH]

Thank you all for your input. The progression from D - D7 - G - C is one of them. Are there any more variations. I am using the A6 tuning.

[James Hartman]

Thank you all for your input. The progression from D - D7 - G - C is one of them. Are there any more variations. I am using the A6 tuning.

There are more variations but they start to take you farther out from what sounds appropriate in many styles of music. Not sure to what extent you wish to learn how this stuff works, or just looking for some riffs that work on these key change passages.

D - D minor - G - C will give you the smoothest modulation. The D minor functions as a "pivot" chord: it's heard as a modal shift on the D (so it's not perceived as a radical jump to some new place) but it's also part of the most common cadence pattern in the new key of C.

Using the D7 takes you a bit farther afield because it relates to the G chord and is not native to the key (C) that you're trying to get to (nothing inherently wrong with that). The difference is it's not immediately clear when you play the D7 where you're headed to from there.

[Dom Franco]

My answer was a bit simplistic, I was not sure of the question.

I play a few modulations in my arrangements. I often use a pivot chord... the dominant 7th of the new key.
So at the end of the chorus in D, hit a strong G7 and walkup to C.

For some really nice ideas, listen to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys... they often modulate after instrumentals into a vocal key. And for that matter any of the big swing bands used modulations often when backing a "boy" singer and a "girl" singer, and back to instruments.

Dom