atonal
Definition
- Adjective:
- Lacking a tonal center or key: In music, describes music that is not written in or does not use a traditional key or scale system, such as major or minor. It avoids the hierarchical relationships between notes that define traditional Western harmony.
- Not tonal: More generally, it can describe any sound or music that does not adhere to a conventional system of tonality.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- The composer's early works were tonal, but his later pieces became increasingly atonal.
- Some listeners find atonal music challenging because it lacks a familiar melodic center.
- The piece featured atonal harmonies that created a sense of tension and unease.
Advanced Usage
- Atonality (n): The absence of a tonal center; the technique or style of composing atonal music.
- The composer was a pioneer of atonality in the early 20th century.
- Atonally (adv): In an atonal manner.
- The section was composed atonally, without reference to a key signature.
Variants and Related Words
- Atonality (n): The quality or state of being atonal; the musical system.
- Atonally (adv): The adverbial form.
- Post-tonal (adj): A broader term often used for music after the common-practice period that may include atonal music as well as other non-traditional systems.
Synonyms
- Non-tonal: Lacking tonality.
- Pantonal (a specific, less common term): Encompassing all tones without a central key.
- Twelve-tone (adj, specific technique): Relating to a systematic method of atonal composition using all twelve chromatic notes equally.
Antonyms
- Tonal: Having a key; based on a traditional scale system like major or minor.
- Diatonic: Using only the seven notes of a standard major or minor scale.
- Modal: Based on a musical mode rather than a key, but still possessing a central pitch.
Related Phrases/Concepts
- Serialism: A method of composition, often atonal, that uses a fixed series of musical elements (like the twelve-tone row).
- Dissonance: A harsh or discordant combination of sounds, frequently a feature of atonal music.
- Chromaticism: The use of notes outside the prevailing key signature, heavily employed in atonal music.
Adjective
-
characterized by avoidance of traditional western tonality
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
Từ trái nghĩa
Từ chứa "atonal"
Từ có nhắc đến "atonal"
