Truck Driver's Gear Change: Difference between revisions

''And the truck changing gears was just music to our ears"<br />

''"Goodbye papa, it's hard to die<br />

''Three semitones means singing way too high..."''<br />

The Truck Driver's Gear Change is a [[Modulation]] near the end of a song, shifting upwards by some relatively small pitch increment -- usually by one semitone (half -step) or whole tone (whole step), but occasionally by other intervals. It is so widespread in popular music that the term "[[Modulation]]" is sometimes considered synonymous with it, despite technically having a broader meaning. It typically occurs after a chorus or as part of a bridge, and is followed by a repeat of the chorus and often a [[Fade Out]].

The term "Truck Driver's Gear Change" was apparently coined by [http://www.gearchange.org/FAQ.html this site], which compares the technique to a tired, overworked truck driver performing an unartistic, mechanical function. It's becoming something of a [[Discredited Trope]] these days, although it still shows up with some frequency in certain genres.

The [[Truck Driver's Gear Change]] is most often associated with [[Power Ballad|uplifting ballads]].

'''Please note that this is not a trope about [[Modulation]] in general''' -- that has its own page. This is about "shifting gears" for what is arguably called "dramatic effect" but what has devolved into a musical cliché: sliding up a step and remaining there for the rest of the song.