Tonality in musicTonality refers to the overall sound and organization of notes and chords in a piece of music according to a particular key or center of pitch. With tonality, a particular note or chord usually feels like the "home base", known as the tonic. Music that returns to or begins with the tonic is said to be tonal.
Much Western music in the common practice period from 1600 - 1900, especially in genres like classical, jazz and pop music, exhibits tonality. The chords, melodies and progressions tend to relate to and lead to the tonic note or chord.
`Tonality = key + hierarchy`. While key refers simply to the notes used, tonality implies a hierarchy with some notes acting as a central "point of gravity". The tonic note and chord are the most stable and important in tonal music.
The principal of organization of a composition around a tonic based upon a major or minor scale.
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