Pivot Chords???

[opus57]

Hello everybody

Is anybody of you able to explain me pivot chords in a way, I completely understand them? I know the meaning of a pivot chord (to switch from one tonality to another(?)) but how can I locate the best pivot chord for a change in tonalitiy? Is there a rule?

Thanks and greetings
opus57

[pianistimo]

wikipedia actually explains this pretty well:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_chord

another term for pivot - as they say - could be 'common chord.'  quoting their ideas - one could use any common chord to pivot - but typically (if i understand correctly - pivoting to ii and IV are used more because they precede the V chord and give you some leverage room to compose a few more chords than if you suddenly pivoted to vii or something).  *i hope a composer steps in here. 

so...  as wiki says - if you used G major scale and D major scale - you'd make yourself a little chart and match up the common chords (which in the natural minor would be every chord).  then pick your pivot.  all the notes of the chord must be the same in both keys or it won't work as well (although it does give one an idea to use even two common tones in a similar way and still call it a pivot.  this is a question for a composer, i guess).

[pianistimo]

maybe the term chord would require three notes - but i'm sure some composers pivot on two tones - so they could be called 'two-tone pivots?'  just an idea.

[opus57]

Thank you. I was very sure that somebody can help me and I was right

Thank you very much. I searched always on german internet pages and I didn't manage to find a simple text like this from the english wikipedia...

[mcgillcomposer]

Just make sure you realize that pivot chords are just ONE way of modulating. There are numerous other ways.

- Drew

[opus57]

I know that there ARE other ways, but I couldn't use them...