måltonart

Måltonart is a term used in some Nordic music-theory contexts to describe the intended destination key of a modulation. Put simply, it is the key a musical section aims to establish or arrive at by the end of the phrase or progression. The expression is not universally used in English-language theory, where the concept is usually described as modulation toward a destination key or tonal center.

Etymology and scope: måltonart combines mål, meaning target or goal, with tonart, meaning key or tonality. In practice, it refers to the tonal center that a composer or analyst expects to be dominant by the conclusion of a passage, rather than to a formal label like major or minor.

Usage in modulation: In tonal music, modulations are often planned with an implicit or explicit måltonart. The harmony, voice-leading, and melodic lines guide the listener toward that key, aided by pivot chords or common tones. A cadence in the måltonart typically confirms the modulation and stabilizes the new tonal center.

Example: Modulating from C major to G major can illustrate a måltonart. Treating C major as IV in G major provides a smooth pivot; followed by D major (the V of G) leads to a concluding G major cadence, which serves as the clearly established måltonart.

Relation to broader concepts: The idea overlaps with tonal center, key, and modal tonality. While some texts use måltonart as a precise label, others use it informally to discuss the “tonal aim” of a passage rather than a strict analytical category.

See also: tonart, modulation, cadence, pivot chord, tonal center, major and minor keys, modal tonality.