Dictionary of Music - Birding America

434 tonantecomposers have abandoned this concept. SeeATONALITY; also KEY, def. 3.tonante (tô nän′te) Italian. A direction to performvery loudly and vigorously, in a thunderingfashion.tone 1 Any sound of definite pitch; a note. InBritish terminology a definite pitch is called a note,not a tone. 2 In British usage, the interval of onewhole tone (or major second; see INTERVAL, def. 2),as opposed to one half tone (minor second). InAmerican terminology this is usually referred to as awhole tone. 3 Also, recitation tone. In Gregorianchant, a melodic formula used for reciting thepsalms, gospels, and other parts of the religious service.It is usually based on a single tone (pitch), withsome slight variations from it (a few notes up ordown in pitch). A PSALM TONE is one kind of recitationtone. 4 The quality of sound. An instrument issaid to have “good tone” if it has good intonation (isproperly tuned) and pleasing tone color (a goodblend of harmonics). Performers are said to producegood tone if they play or sing exactly on pitch andobtain a pleasing tone quality.tone clusterSee CLUSTER.tone color Also, timbre. The blend of harmonics(overtones) that distinguishes a note played on aflute, for example, from the same note played on theviolin. Tone color is determined by both the particularharmonics sounded and their relative loudness.Combining the different instruments, each with itscharacteristic tone color, is a major concern in writingmusic for an instrumental ensemble. See alsounder SOUND.tone poemAnother name for SYMPHONIC POEM.tone row Another name for the series of twelvetones used in twelve-tone music; see under SERIALMUSIC.Tonette (tō net′). A small plastic wind instrumentthat is used mainly in teaching music to young children.It consists of a pipe not quite eight inches long,stopped at one end and with a whistle-like mouthpiece(like the recorder’s) at the other end. There areseven finger holes, plus a rear thumb hole. The smallsize and close position of the finger holes make theTonette easy for a child to handle. A similar instrumentis the FLUTOPHONE.tonguing (tung ′ing ). In playing wind instruments,the technique of using the tongue to produceclear and separate tones, as well as staccatoand other special effects. Tonguing, which is essentialfor proper PHRASING, involves a silent pronunciationof the letters T or K, which interrupts theflow of air. —single tonguing The silent pronunciationof the letter T over and over, enabling theclear articulation of different notes. This techniqueis used in all wind instruments. —double tonguingThe silent pronunciation of ta-ka over and over,enabling the quick repetition of a single note. Thistechnique is used mainly in wind instruments thathave no reed, such as the recorder, flute, and mostbrass instruments. —triple tonguing The silentpronunciation of ta-ta-ka over and over, enablingvery rapid playing. Triple tonguing is used mostlyin playing brass instruments and the flute. —fluttertonguing The technique of silently rolling theletter R over and over while blowing, which resultsin a tremolo (a kind of trembling on a single note).It is used in playing the flute and some other instruments,and produces a rather odd effect. Notes tobe so played are sometimes indicated by either awavy line over them or by strokes through theirstems.tonic Also, keynote, prime. The first degree of thediatonic scale, that is, the first note in any major orminor scale (see SCALE DEGREES). In the keys of Cmajor and C minor, the tonic is C, in the key of Dmajor it is D, etc. The tonic is the most importantnote of the scale, dominating both melody and harmony(see TONALITY). In analyzing the harmony ofa composition, the letter T or the Roman numeral Iis used to indicate the tonic or a chord built on it.—tonic chord A chord built on the tonic. The mostimportant tonic chord is the tonic triad, the triadwhose root is the tonic (in the key of C major,C–E–G; see also CHORD).