Tonartig

Tonartig is a German adjective used in musicology, acoustics and literary descriptions to indicate that something is tone-like or has tonal qualities. The term derives from Ton (tone) and the suffix -artig (meaning 'like' or 'characteristic of'). In practice, tonartig may describe sounds, passages, or textures that emphasize a clear pitch, harmonic behavior, or timbral character associated with musical tones, as opposed to noise-like or non-tonal textures.

In music theory and analysis, tonartig can be used to characterize passages that evoke tonality or rely on a perceptual sense of pitch without necessarily establishing a formal key. It may also describe timbres or sound textures that resemble the color and center of a tone, producing a tonal impression even if the work is atonal or experimental.

The term is primarily literary or descriptive; it is not a formal technical category in standard theory, but it appears in German-language writing about music, sound studies and aesthetics. It can be applied to instruments, performances or soundscapes to signal a focus on pitch or tone-like color.

See also: Tonart, Tonalität, Klangfarbe, Klangstruktur.