Tonic (music)

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Tonic (music)

The tonic is the first note of a musical scale in the tonal

Tonality

Tonality is a system of music in which specific hierarchy pitch relationships are based on a Key "center" or Tonic . The term tonalit? originated with Alexandre-?tienne Choron and was borrowed by Fran?ois-Joseph F?tis in 1840 ....
method of musical composition

Musical composition

Musical composition is:* an original piece of music* the musical form of a musical piece* the process of creating a new piece of music...
. The triad

Chord (music)

In music and music theory a chord is a set of two or more different note that sound simultaneously. Most often, in European-influenced music, chords are tertian Sonority that can be constructed as stacks of thirds relative to some underlying musical scale....
formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord

Chord (music)

Pitch (music)

Pitch represents the perceived fundamental frequency of a sound. It is one of the three major auditory system attributes of sounds along with loudness and timbre....
upon which all other pitches of a piece are hierarchically

Hierarchy

A 'hierarchy' is an arrangement of items The word derives from the Greek language , from ?e?????? , "president of sacred rites, high-priest" and that from , "sacred" + , "to lead, to rule"....
referenced. The tonic is often confused with the root

Root (chord)

In music the root of a chord is the note or pitch upon which that chord is perceived or labelled as being built or tonality centered upon. This feeling of centeredness is aurally perceivable for those who grew up with European music, and its verbal labelling is a basic skill for the musically trained....
, which is the reference note of a chord, rather than that of the scale.

After tonic, the names of the remaining scale degrees (of a diatonic scale) in order are as follows:
supertonic
Supertonic

In music or music theory, the supertonic is the second degree or note of a diatonic scale . For example, in the C major scale , the supertonic is the note D; and the supertonic chord uses the notes D, F, and A....
— second scale degree (the scale degree immediately "above" the tonic);
mediant
Mediant

In music, the mediant is the third degree of the diatonic Scale , being the "middle" note of the Tonic triad .In music theory, the mediant chord is symbolized by the Roman numeral III if it is major or iii if it is minor....
— third scale degree (the "middle" note of the tonic triad);
subdominant
Subdominant

In music, the subdominant is the technical name for the fourth tonal degree of the diatonic scale. It is so called because it is the same distance "below" the Tonic as the dominant is above the tonic - in other words, the tonic is the dominant of the subdominant....
— fourth scale degree (a fifth "below" the tonic);
dominant
Dominant (music)

In music, the dominant is the fifth degree of the Scale . For example, in the C major scale , the dominant is the note G; and the dominant chord uses the notes G, B, and D....
— fifth scale degree (the most "pronounced" harmonic

Harmonic

In acoustics and telecommunication, a harmonic of a wave is a component frequency of the Signalling that is an integer multiple of the fundamental frequency....
note after the tonic);
submediant
Submediant

In music, the submediant is the sixth tonal degree of the diatonic scale. It is so called because it is a third below the Tonic , in contrast to the mediant being a third above the tonic....
— sixth scale degree (the "middle" note of the subdominant triad);
leading tone (or leading note) — seventh scale degree (the scale degree that "leads" to the tonic);
subtonic
Subtonic

In music, the subtonic is the lowered seventh degree of the Scale , as opposed to the leading-tone . For example, in the A minor scale , the subtonic is the note G ; and the subtonic chord uses the notes G, B, and D ....
- also seventh scale degree, but applying to the lowered 7th found in the natural minor scale

Minor scale

A minor scale in music theory is a diatonic scale with a third scale degree at an Interval of a minor third above the Tonic . While this definition encompasses Musical mode with the minor third, such as Dorian mode, the term may more usually refer only to the natural minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor scales, descri...
.

In western European tonal music

Music

Music is an art form whose media is sound organized in time. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm , dynamics , and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture ....
of the 18th and 19th centuries, the tonic center was the most important of all the different tone centers which a composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, usually in the medium of musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of music....
used in a piece of music, with most pieces beginning and ending on the tonic, usually modulating to the dominant

Dominant (music)

In music, the dominant is the fifth degree of the Scale . For example, in the C major scale , the dominant is the note G; and the dominant chord uses the notes G, B, and D....
(the fifth above the tonic, or the fourth note up from the tonic) in between.

There can be major scale

Major scale

In music theory, the major scale or Ionian mode scale is one of the diatonic scale Musical scales. It is made up of seven distinct notes, plus an eighth which duplicates the first an octave higher....
s and minor scale

Minor scale

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Encyclopedia

The tonic is the first note of a musical scale in the tonal

Tonality

Musical composition

Musical composition is:* an original piece of music* the musical form of a musical piece* the process of creating a new piece of music...
. The triad

Chord (music)

Pitch (music)

Hierarchy

Root (chord)

Harmonic

Minor scale

Music

Composer

Dominant (music)

Major scale

Minor scale

Musical mode

Mode is a term from Western music theory having three senses: the rhythmic relationship between long and short values in the late medieval period; in early medieval theory, Interval ; and, most commonly, a concept involving Musical scale and melody type ....
," for a given key
Key (music)

In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a certain key, such as in the key of C or in the key of F-sharp....
, whereas scale degrees

Degree (music)

In music theory, a scale degree is the name of a particular note of a scale in relation to the Tonic . The degrees of the traditional major and minor scales may be identified several ways:...
such as the third degree and the sixth degree are altered in the minor scale.

This can be seen another way. Each minor scale uses exactly the same set of notes (key signature

Key signature

In musical notation, a key signature is a series of Sharp or Flat symbols placed on the staff , designating note s that are to be consistently played one semitone higher or lower than the equivalent natural sign notes unless otherwise altered with an Accidental ....
) as some major scale and vice-versa. The only difference is which of these notes functions as the tonal center — which of them is the tonic. For example, C major and A minor have no sharps or flats. Consequently, the tonic plays an important part in determining why music composed using a minor mode sounds different from music composed using a major mode.

A tonic may be considered a tonal center, while a pitch center functions referentially or contextually in an atonal context, often acting as axis or line of symmetry in an interval cycle

Interval cycle

In music, an interval cycle is the collection of pitch classes created by starting with a certain note and going up by a certain interval until the original note is reached ....
. Pitch centricity was coined by Arthur Berger

Arthur Berger

Arthur Berger was a composer who has been described as a New Mannerist. He studied as an undergraduate at New York University, during which time he joined the Young Composer's Group, as a graduate student under Walter Piston at Harvard, and with Nadia Boulanger and at the University of Paris under a Paine Fellowship....
in his "Problems of Pitch Organization in Stravinsky".

The tonic diatonic function

Diatonic function

A diatonic function, in tonality music theory, is the specific, recognized role of each note and chord in relation to the key .Three general and inseparable essential features of harmonic function in tonal music are:...
includes four separate activities or roles as the principal goal tone, initiating event, generator of other tones, and the stable center neutralizing the tension between dominant and subdominant.

Tonic (music)

See also

Further reading