Tonarterna

Tonarterna refers to the tonal centers and key systems used in Western tonal music. The term describes how pitches are organized around a tonic, creating a sense of home or resolution. A tonart defines the scale and the pitch class designated as the tonic, guiding melody, harmony, and chord progressions within a piece.

In common practice tonality, major and minor tonarterna are primary. A major tonart typically presents a bright, stable character, while a minor tonart often conveys a darker or more somber mood. Relative tonarterna share the same key signature (for example C major and A minor), whereas parallel tonarterna share the same tonic pitch but differ in mode (C major versus C minor).

The relationships among tonarterna are often illustrated by the circle of fifths, which shows how keys relate by five-step intervals and facilitates modulation between keys. Modulation, the process of shifting from one tonart to another, is achieved through pivot chords, common tones, or chromatic shifts. Enharmonic spellings can make distinct tonarterna appear equivalent in pitch content, such as F# major and Gb major.

Historically, tonarterna have structured Western music from the Baroque through the Romantic era, shaping harmonic syntax, cadences, and formal design. In the 20th century, composers explored alternatives such as atonality and modal systems, but tonarterna remain influential in many genres, including classical, jazz, and popular music, where modulation and tonal color continue to play a central role. The term tonarttonorization appears primarily in Swedish-language music theory, where tonarterna is the plural form.