Definition

1. Noun:
   • The character of a piece of music as determined by the key in which it is written or the relations between the notes of a scale or key: In music theory, "tonality" refers to the system and overall sound quality created by organizing music around a central note (the tonic) and its associated scale or key. It provides a sense of resolution and harmonic "home."

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The composer's use of tonality gives the symphony a feeling of stability and direction.
  • Modernist composers sometimes deliberately avoided traditional tonality in their works.
  • The shift from major to minor tonality dramatically changed the mood of the piece.

Advanced Usage

• "Tonal center": The central note or chord (the tonic) that a piece of music is built around and returns to for resolution. This is a core concept within tonality.

  • Despite the complex harmonies, the music never loses its sense of a clear tonal center.

• "Functional tonality": The specific system of harmonic relationships (like dominant to tonic) that defines common-practice period music (circa 1600-1900).

  • Bach's compositions are masterful examples of functional tonality.

Variants and Related Words

• Tonal (adj): Pertaining to tonality or tone.

  • The piece has a strong tonal structure.

• Atonality (n): The absence of a tonal center or key, a rejection of traditional tonality.

  • The movement towards atonality was a major development in 20th-century music.

• Polytonality (n): The simultaneous use of two or more different tonalities or keys.

  • The composer achieved a jarring effect through polytonality.

Synonyms

• Key: The group of pitches, or scale, that forms the basis of a music composition (e.g., the key of C major).
• Musical key: A synonym for "key," emphasizing its musical function.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• "Sense of tonality": The perceived feeling of a key or harmonic center in music.

  • Even young children can develop a strong sense of tonality.

• "Tonal framework": The underlying harmonic structure provided by a key or system of tonality.

  • The melody is simple, but it fits perfectly within the established tonal framework.

Noun

1. any of 24 major or minor diatonic scales that provide the tonal framework for a piece of music