The word “tonic” can be used to describe a chord, note, or key. The tonic chord or tonic note is the first chord or note of a major scale, and it creates a feeling of stability and restfulness. It is considered to be the first “degree” of a scale, meaning it is the starting point.
In music, a tonic is a major musical note which provides the key of a piece or song. When we talk about tonic in music, it means that it gives the first impression or orientation for other notes to follow. It is considered the basic note from which all other notes derive their pitch.
When we talk about music, we all think of it as an art and a way to release stress and tension. Music is a very personal thing, and some sounds may irritate one person while relaxing another. This makes listening to music a very subjective matter.
So, what is the tonic note?
The tonic note is the first step of a particular scale. The tonic chord uses only the notes in that same scale, and it creates a feeling of restfulness and stability. These feelings are used as part of songs to help end them or lead into new sections.
The relationship between the tonic note, chord, and scale is used to build sections in melodies. While there are variations on this theme, most western music features multiple sections with different moods. This helps guide people along during a song or keep them interested while listening to an entire piece continuously.
In other cultures, music may strongly emphasize the tonic note. In western culture, however, it often functions as a stable framework. This stability helps create tension and release in songs because the listener knows that there will be a return to this base tone after going somewhere else with the song. The lack of expectations about where a piece might go make it easier to create moments of surprise and novelty.
There are some exceptions to these generalizations, but they do serve as good starting points. It is not always easy to identify tonics or even diatonic notes if listeners are unfamiliar with the instrumentation used in many contemporary pieces. However, it is a useful foundation for more complex music than just the tonic note and chord.
Some pieces do not follow these rules at all and can quickly become complicated when listeners expect them to function in one way, and they instead take another direction. This means that while it is helpful to know about tonics, it can also be enjoyable to look for them and try to identify what is happening in a musical section.
What are the tonic chords?
The tonic chords are probably all familiar to the average music listener. They are one of the most used chords in commercial pop music because they provide a sense of rest at the end of the chord progression.
The chord is built on scale degrees 1, 3, and 5 – that is to say, it contains only notes from the Ionian mode. This chord has an ambiguous quality, being neither major nor minor in the tonal center. This attribute may seem trivial, but it actually makes it essential to end a song or section rhythmically after prolonging tension through other chords throughout a piece’s progression.
The use of non-tonic chords creates tension and ambiguity throughout a piece and allows for many variations and nuances musically. However, it can be distracting to have no sense of center while listening to a music piece. This is why people enjoy songs that end with tonic chords or cadences – they provide a feeling of restfulness after following through on the chord changes.
There are three variants of this chord built upon each scale degree: dominant, subdominant, and leading tone chords. These are all used frequently but the most often heard chord is probably the dominant variant since it tends to resolve well back to the tonic.
The dominant variant is built on the fifth scale degree and contains a major triad with a minor seventh. This chord ends with a diminished fifth that resolves well into the tonic – this characteristic makes it quite desirable as a cadential chord, allowing it to finish one section of music and lead smoothly into another.
The subdominant variant is built on the fourth scale degree and contains a major or minor triad. This chord has two purposes: one is called a “plagal cadence,” where it acts as summarizing a large portion of music in an abbreviated way. The other purpose it serves is that of returning to the tonic – this ensures that no matter the harmonic direction, the final chords will always be tonic chords.
The leading tone variant is built on the seventh scale degree and contains a diminished triad. This chord helps lead smoothly back to either dominant or subdominant through half-step movement from third to fifth scale degrees. It also leaves open the possibility to move directly to another tonic chord.
When used in succession, all three variants create a characteristic sound, typically heard when the same melody is being passed around instruments. This may be called an “echo” effect or call and response. The placement of these chords throughout a piece helps to determine the overall dynamic shape of the chord progression, allowing for more subtle changes than with other chords.
Conclusion
Tonics are the basis of any musical composition, and the composer needs to know how to use them correctly in order to create a good melody. They play an essential role in harmony and can be used in many different ways to evoke emotions.
In conclusion, a tonic is one of the most important aspects of music. It’s the key to a song and determines the mood. To have a well-composed piece, attention should be given to how tonic is used.
