Tonic: Difference between revisions

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The '''tonic''' is the first note of a [[scale]] or [[mode]], and typically serves as one, or often more, of the ~~following—the~~ primary ''tonal center'', the main resolution tone, one of the most common initiating events of a piece, the generator of other tones either harmonically or subharmonically, and or a discourager against the usage of other microtonally nearby pitches.

The '''tonic''' is the first note of a [[scale]] or [[mode]], and typically serves as one, or often more, of the following— the primary ''tonal center'', the main resolution tone, one of the most common initiating events of a piece, the generator of other tones either harmonically or subharmonically, and or a discourager against the usage of other microtonally nearby pitches.

Given all this, it is the only function that is known to be universal when it comes to tonal music, with the various other functions being collectively defined as ''nontonic'', thus, it should not come as a great surprise that the tonic exerts a very powerful influence on the context of functional harmony regardless of the nature of the tonal music system in question, even helping to define aspects of the other primary functions on the chord level as opposed to the root level.

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== Repelling the competition ==

As first put succinctly [[Flora Canou]]<ref>''[[User:FloraC/Analysis on the 13-limit just intonation space: episode ii #Chapter V. Things Repel the Similar but Not Identical| Analysis on the 13-limit just intonation space: episode ii]]''. Flora Canou. Xenharmonic Wiki.</ref>, in the realm of microtonality, things repel the similar but not identical, and futhermore, a strong tonic admits no competition. As a consequence, the presence of a strong tonic acts as a ~~very~~ powerful discouragement against the usage of other microtonally nearby pitches outside of modulation or deliberate [[Consonance and dissonance|dissonance]], as well as shimmer and chorus effects. While this effect is not unique to the tonic, being shared by both the dominant and subdominant (or superdominant), it is most consistently and strongly present around the tonic itself, and, furthermore, is one of the main drivers behind the need to [[temper out]] and or [[fudge]] either [[small comma|small]] or [[unnoticeable comma|unnoticeable]] commas.

As first put succinctly [[Flora Canou]]<ref>''[[User:FloraC/Analysis on the 13-limit just intonation space: episode ii #Chapter V. Things Repel the Similar but Not Identical| Analysis on the 13-limit just intonation space: episode ii]]''. Flora Canou. Xenharmonic Wiki.</ref>, in the realm of microtonality, things repel the similar but not identical, and futhermore, a strong tonic admits no competition. As a consequence, the presence of a strong tonic acts as a powerful discouragement against the usage of other microtonally nearby pitches outside of modulation or deliberate [[Consonance and dissonance|dissonance]], as well as shimmer and chorus effects. While this effect is not unique to the tonic, being shared by both the dominant and subdominant (or superdominant), it is most consistently and strongly present around the tonic itself, and, furthermore, is one of the main drivers behind the need to [[temper out]] and or [[fudge]] either [[small comma|small]] or [[unnoticeable comma|unnoticeable]] commas.

== See also ==

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 {{Wikipedia|Tonic (music)}}
-The '''tonic''' is the first note of a [[scale]] or [[mode]], and typically serves as one, or often more, of the following—the primary ''tonal center'', the main resolution tone, one of the most common initiating events of a piece, the generator of other tones either harmonically or subharmonically, and or a discourager against the usage of other microtonally nearby pitches.
+The '''tonic''' is the first note of a [[scale]] or [[mode]], and typically serves as one, or often more, of the following— the primary ''tonal center'', the main resolution tone, one of the most common initiating events of a piece, the generator of other tones either harmonically or subharmonically, and or a discourager against the usage of other microtonally nearby pitches.
 Given all this, it is the only function that is known to be universal when it comes to tonal music, with the various other functions being collectively defined as ''nontonic'', thus, it should not come as a great surprise that the tonic exerts a very powerful influence on the context of functional harmony regardless of the nature of the tonal music system in question, even helping to define aspects of the other primary functions on the chord level as opposed to the root level.
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 == Repelling the competition ==
-As first put succinctly [[Flora Canou]]<ref>''[[User:FloraC/Analysis on the 13-limit just intonation space: episode ii #Chapter V. Things Repel the Similar but Not Identical| Analysis on the 13-limit just intonation space: episode ii]]''. Flora Canou. Xenharmonic Wiki.</ref>, in the realm of microtonality, things repel the similar but not identical, and futhermore, a strong tonic admits no competition. As a consequence, the presence of a strong tonic acts as a very powerful discouragement against the usage of other microtonally nearby pitches outside of modulation or deliberate [[Consonance and dissonance|dissonance]], as well as shimmer and chorus effects. While this effect is not unique to the tonic, being shared by both the dominant and subdominant (or superdominant), it is most consistently and strongly present around the tonic itself, and, furthermore, is one of the main drivers behind the need to [[temper out]] and or [[fudge]] either [[small comma|small]] or [[unnoticeable comma|unnoticeable]] commas.
+As first put succinctly [[Flora Canou]]<ref>''[[User:FloraC/Analysis on the 13-limit just intonation space: episode ii #Chapter V. Things Repel the Similar but Not Identical| Analysis on the 13-limit just intonation space: episode ii]]''. Flora Canou. Xenharmonic Wiki.</ref>, in the realm of microtonality, things repel the similar but not identical, and futhermore, a strong tonic admits no competition. As a consequence, the presence of a strong tonic acts as a powerful discouragement against the usage of other microtonally nearby pitches outside of modulation or deliberate [[Consonance and dissonance|dissonance]], as well as shimmer and chorus effects. While this effect is not unique to the tonic, being shared by both the dominant and subdominant (or superdominant), it is most consistently and strongly present around the tonic itself, and, furthermore, is one of the main drivers behind the need to [[temper out]] and or [[fudge]] either [[small comma|small]] or [[unnoticeable comma|unnoticeable]] commas.
 == See also ==