Guest wrote:I've just raised a riff (to suit a vox stab ) up 1 semi from A minor to what? Am i now in A# minor or B flat minor? And what's the difference?
Shifting up a semitone is a really distant relationship (7 steps) - so in this case using the easier one helps.
However if there is a simple cycle-of-fifths modulation then one option is obvious.
e.g. if you are in Eb major and modulate to the dominant you are definitely in Bb major and not A# major
It is possible to wrap the cycle of fifths so that the enharmonics are equivalent, but it is easier to understand modulation if you have a long line thus...
Fb Cb Gb Db Ab Eb Bb F C G D A E B F# C# G# D# A# E# B#