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noun

modulation

a musical passage moving from one key to another

In a sentence

Six example sentences with modulation, each labelled with its topic.

  • The hymn lifts at the last verse through a modulation that pushes every singer a whole step higher.

    Music

  • The chase cue holds one chord until a sudden modulation signals that the pursuit has turned toward the harbor.

    Movies

  • Each boss phase triggers a modulation in the soundtrack, so players hear the fight tighten before the screen changes.

    Gaming

  • Brain imaging shows a burst of activity at the exact moment of modulation, when the key shifts beneath the melody.

    Psychology

  • Baroque composers used modulation sparingly, and a leap to a distant key was an event the audience talked about.

    History

  • Philosophers of music ask why a modulation feels like a change of scene, though the notes are only rearranged.

    Philosophy

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Found in these word lists

Each source is a published word list that contains modulation. No exam board publishes an official GRE, GMAT or SAT list; GMAT words come from GRE lists and the Academic Word List.

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