Nontonal

Nontonal is a term used in music theory and criticism to describe music that does not establish or rely on a traditional tonal center or key. It covers a range of approaches in which functional harmony is minimized or absent, and where pitch organization does not conform to standard major–minor tonality.

Characteristics of nontonal music include a lack of a functional tonic–dominant relationship, an emphasis on texture, timbre, and rhythm, and the use of pitch-class organization or other organizing principles that do not assume a Western tonal center. Chords may be nonfunctional or dissonant, and melodic lines may avoid a clearly defined tonal center.

Historically, the concept arose in discussions of early 20th-century modernism, as composers moved away from traditional tonality. While atonality is often described as nontonal because it lacks a central pitch, some theorists prefer the broader label of nontonal to highlight nonfunctional organization rather than the complete absence of a center. The term is also encountered in ethnomusicology and analysis of non-Western musical systems that do not map neatly onto Western tonal concepts.

Usage and interpretation of the term vary among scholars. Nontonal serves as a descriptive label for music that resists conventional tonal analysis, rather than a strictly defined technical category. See also Tonality, Atonality, Nonfunctional harmony, Serialism, and Modal music.