Normaalisointia

Normaalisointia is a Finnish term used in music theory to denote the standard sonority of Western tonal harmony, particularly within the common-practice period. The concept refers to the customary set of chords and voice-leading practices that underlie tonal harmony, including diatonic triads and seventh chords, their functional roles (tonic, subdominant, dominant), and typical progressions.

In practice, normaalisointia describes the usual sound of tonal music from the Baroque through the Romantic era: stable consonances such as thirds and sixths, with dissonances treated as prepared and resolved by step to the next consonance. Voice leading aims for smooth melodic lines in the soprano, alto, and tenor, preservation of common tones, and avoidance of parallel fifths and octaves. Cadences such as authentic (V–I) and half cadences provide tonal closure and forward motion.

Variations exist across periods and genres; composers may expand the diatonic palette, incorporate secondary dominants, modal mixture, or chromatic chords, but the underlying idea of a conventional sonic structure remains. In pedagogy and analysis, normaalisointia provides a baseline for recognizing and describing functional harmony, chord progressions, and phrase structure. It is distinct from non-tonal, modal, or atonal practices, which lie outside the framework of standard tonal harmony.

The term is most often encountered in Finnish-language music-theory literature and education, where it functions as a general label for the widely taught principles of Western tonal sonority.