Tónustól

Tónustól is a term that appears in some Hungarian-language discussions of music theory and analysis to denote a relationship or process that originates from a specific tone. It is formed from tónus (tone, timbre) and the postpositional suffix -tól (from). The word is primarily found in scholarly writing and is not widely listed in standard dictionaries.

In use, tónustól is typically employed as an adverbial modifier or within phrases such as tónustól kezdve, meaning starting from the tone. It signals that subsequent musical material is analyzed with reference to the initial pitch or tonal center. Analysts may apply the concept when tracing how motifs, timbral developments, or dynamic trajectories unfold from an established tone.

The exact definition and scope of tónustól can vary by author, and some writers treat it as a methodological stance rather than a fixed technical label. It is most often associated with discussions of tonal progression, motif derivation, and the evolution of musical material from an initial tone within a tonal framework.

Related topics include tone in music, tonality, and Hungarian musical terminology. The term exemplifies how Hungarian analytical language sometimes forms compound expressions to describe relationships between pitch and musical development.