Tonal System

See also: Tonality (homonymy)

The tonal system indicates the musical system Western, set up at the Renaissance, and used in the erudite music - in an almost exclusive way - since the 17th century until the end of the 19th century. This expression thus indicates the whole of the principles and the laws governing, not only the notation of the intonation, but the structure, operation and the actuation of this one, in its two dimensions: melody and harmonic.

  • One can also say “tonal music”, “system major-minor”, or, “tonality” - or Tonalité , with a capital letter. One will note that the word “tonality”, taken in a more restricted direction, indicates, either the system, but a scale pertaining to this system.

For example, the “tonality of major C ”, the “tonality of minor F \ sharp ”, etc

  • For more details on this second significance, to consult the article Tonality.

Characteristics of the tonal system

The tonal system was not born ex nihilo : it is on the contrary the result of a slow evolution which took place over a few six centuries - Carolingian time at the end of the Moyen-âge. Appeared the Rebirth, the tonal system succeeded the modal system of which it is at the same time a impoverishment and a enrichment . It should be noted that during the 16th century, the two systems more or less coexisted. In addition, though given up by many Type-setter S, the modal system is still largely used with the 21e century.

Degrees

The tonal system rests on the seven hierarchical degrees diatonic scale, organized around the fundamental degree which is the tonic - “center of attraction” of the other notes - like on a note Dominante, fifth degree of the range: the tonic and the dominant one determine the tonality.

  • Among the seven degrees of a range, three are regarded as the “very good degrees”, the first, the fourth and the fifth, because they fulfill the three “tonal functions”: tonic function of (Ier degree), Dominant function of (Ve degree) and function of Sub-dominant (IVe degree).

Modes

During the 16th century, the old modes medieval disappear: only the modes remain major and minor which is the heirs to the precedents. This supremacy will be called into question only at the end of the 19th century, with the re-use of the old modes and the introduction of news scales.

  • the difference between the major mode and the minor mode rests precisely on the position of the tons and of the Demi-ton S of the diatonic scale compared to the tonic. For more details on this question, to consult the article Mode (tonal music).

  • the word “mode” having other directions in music - in particular in the modal music medieval -, certain musicologists prefer not to use this term in the tonal system, and recommend the use of the expressions “major tonality” and “minor tonality”, or, “major range” and “minor range”. Names “mode major” and “minor mode” however are very usually used.

Privileged movement of downward perfect fifth

Among the melody movements the most used in the tonal music, the interval of perfect fifth occupies a privileged place - cf Cycle of the fifths. This movement is frequently used with the low . It will be noted that the sequence of the three good degrees (V - I - IV) produced twice this interval. In addition, the sequence of the agreement of seventh of dominant and of the Triad of tonic - prototype of the tonal system, called perfect Rate - is also built on a melody movement of perfect fifth.

Mechanism of tension and relaxation

Almost all the tonal music is built at an alternation of moments of tension and time of relaxation.

  • For example, the Dissonance, realized according to certain rules, is felt as a tension requiring a relaxation - the latter will consist of a resolution. For more information on the harmonic sequences of intervals, the dissonances, the consonances, etc, to consult the harmonic article Movement.

  • the sensitive , VIIe degree of both modes, from its attraction towards the tonic located at the higher Semitone diatonic, also takes part of this mechanism.

  • Lastly, concerning the interval of fifth, one can say that the ascending perfect fifth - or its Renversement, the perfect fourth downward - is side of the tension, while the downward perfect fifth - or its inversion, the ascending perfect fourth - is side of the relaxation.

Process of writing

Until the Rebirth, the process of writing - called counterpoint - consists of a superposition of melodies. The process of tonal writing - called monodie, or melody accompanied by agreements - is very different. This one indeed, privileges a particular melody, generally entrusted to the higher part, supported by the low part - charged with playing the tonal Fondamentale S and functions - while the intermediate parts fulfill the mission, more modest, of harmonic complement.

Harmonic dimension of the tonal system

Taken in their broadest direction, and often written with capital letters, the words Polyphony and Harmonie have the same significance roughly speaking: “ technical musical including deliberated and controlled sound simultaneities ”. However, when they are associated with a given musical current, these two terms can take different directions and more precis.

  • the word Polyphonie - without capital letter - is usually associated with the modal system. One speaks then, more precisely, of modal polyphony and his process of composition, the counterpoint - 12th century at the 16th century.

  • It is on the contrary the word harmony - without capital letter, also - which is generally associated with the tonal system. One speaks then, more precisely, of tonal harmony or, of traditional harmony , technique of writing which succeeded the counterpoint during the 16th century, and which remains until the 21e century. The main feature of the traditional harmony compared to the polyphony, is to make agreement an autonomous entity with a specific role.

  • For more details on the tonal harmony, to consult the elementary page tonal Harmony and the associated articles.

Tonal system and temperament

At the 18th century, influenced by the discoveries in the field of physics, the Musicien S seek to unify the musical scales. This unification, made possible by the Temperament of the instruments, and producing a single scale - the moderate Range - is indissociable tonal system. In 1722, Branch, in its Treated harmony reduced to its natural principles , and Bach, in the quite moderate keyboard, gives, one the method, the other the practical application, of the moderate system which installs the tonality, logical news in the musical construction industry.

Evolution of the tonal system at the twentieth century

Arrived at the borders of harmonic exploration and stylistics of the romantic Musique, the Compositeur S of the beginning of the 20th century try to untie tonal system, and to purify the listening of the music of its eternal couplings between tensions and relaxations , that the tonality inculcated to him. The “extra-tonality” gets busy to explore, sometimes by them combining, sometimes the method - Debussy, Moussorgsky, etc -, sometimes harmonic space in its entirety - Dodécaphonisme -, sometimes rhythmic space - Stravinski… the dodecaphonic music - works of Arnold Schönberg, Alban Berg, or Anton Webern -, uses scales of twelve sounds, of which no degree has more importance than the others. It opens the way with the atonality.

  • Since the end of the 19th century, the type-setter seeks, creates, upsets, tonalities, modes, harmony, forms, instruments… He tests all, uses all, even the elements of a deep past come until him. The 20th century is the time of the most unexpected combinations, the reign of the audacity, the innovation, the paradox.

  • In such a context, one attends a general dispute of the system and rules of school: the diatonic scale and the tonal system, the principle of the resolution of the Dissonance, the measurement and the metric regularity, etc

Legacy of the past

The Compositeur lays out of the traditional contribution - the tonal system with its modes major and minor -, but he exhumes the natural minor mode, as well as the old modes, uses certain scales belonging to other civilizations - range gypsy , Arab range , etc -, or, the defective modes, i.e., having less than seven degrees - such as the pentatonic range , sometimes called Chinese range .

These various scales - or ranges - can obviously be transposed in any diatonic scale thanks to the armor.

  • Some examples, since the tonic C :

New scales

  • We know that the usual range, the traditional range , is at the same time heptatonic and diatonic, which means that, on the one hand, this range is made up of seven degrees, on the other hand, whatever the mode, it always consists of tons and semitones diatonic.

  • At the beginning of the 20th century, the type-setters imagine two new ranges derived from the diatonic scale traditional, but exclusively formed , one, of semitones - the chromatic range which we already met -, the other, of let us tons - the range by let us tons . These two ranges are thus used in an atonal way , i.e., without reference to the tonal system.

Chromatic range

Admittedly, the chromatic range was known traditional type-setters - Monteverdi, Bach, Mozart, etc -, but only in the context of the tonal system.

However, at the beginning of the 20th century, certain modern type-setters use the 12 sounds of the chromatic scale out of the tonal system: these 12 sounds, treaties in an equivalent way, are employed in an order preestablished - called series -, without tonic, Dominante, any tonal function, etc This system created of all parts by type-setters such as Schönberg, Berg and Webern, is called the Dodécaphonisme or, the Serial music.

the dodecaphony implying the equal temperament, is by there dependant on the traditional system - name of the seven notes, name of the intervals, nothing to say measurement and instruments…

  • chromatic Example of range:

Range by let us tons

The Gamme by let us tons or pentatonic Gamme - sometimes improperly called Chinese range -, is a hexatonic range of which the six degrees are separated by tons: it was very much used by Debussy.

  • Exemple of range by let us tons:

Towards atonality and the concrete music

Throughout the 20th century, many type-setters dismount methodically and gradually the various parts of the traditional music and the tonal system, and forward themselves to new systems.

  • Here principal stages of this movement:

- Polytonalité: associating process harmonically and mélodiquement elements belonging to different Tonality S: first of all two - Bi-tonality -, then more, until leading to the atonal Music, whose Serial music is a notorious example.

- Use of formed scales of intervals lower than the your: news scales, from now on completely independent of the diatonic scale traditional: scales with the third of tone, the Quarter tone - or others microtones -, etc

- random Music: system privileging the unforeseen one with the detriment of envisaged the - music to be made, since a partition -, by taking of account the parameter of the chance.

- Concrete music: system based on the joining and the treatment of sounds recorded on tape.

- Abandonment of the traditional instruments - considered to be too dependant on the traditional designs - and direct use of the artificial sounds produced by electronic or electroacoustic instruments.

  • the traditional marking system - the Musical theory - which since the 12th century approximately, was only and single means of preserving a trace , even imperfect, musical gesture, seriously will be competed with by the invention - as of the end of the 19th century - and especially vulgarizing, during second half of the 20th century, the various processes of recording and sound diffusion: discs, tape recorders, computers and synthetizers…

  • In addition, the traditional marking system is unsuited to the majority of the new musics. Each new music supposes in fact its own marking system, its own rules of coding, “its clean musical theory ”.

  • However, and paradoxically, a century after the first serial works, the very large majority of the music consumed in the western world remains dependant on the tonal system - popular Musique, industrial music, and even, a whole side of the erudite music… “Of liking or force, we all bathe in the tonality. ”

See too

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