Monotonality is a
theoretical
A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...
concept, principally deriving from the theoretical writings of
Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian and American composer, music theorist, teacher and writer. He was among the first Modernism (music), modernists who transformed the practice of harmony in 20th-centu ...
and
Heinrich Schenker
Heinrich Schenker (19 June 1868 – 14 January 1935) was an Austrian music theory, music theorist #Theoretical writings, whose writings have had a profound influence on subsequent musical analysis. His approach, now termed Schenkerian analysis ...
, that in any piece of tonal music only one
tonic is ever present,
modulations being only regions or
prolongation
In music theory, prolongation is the process in tonality, tonal music through which a pitch (music), pitch, interval (music), interval, or triad (music), consonant triad is considered to govern spans of music when not physically sounding. It is a ...
s within, or extensions of the basic
tonality
Tonality is the arrangement of pitch (music), pitches and / or chord (music), chords of a musical work in a hierarchy of perceived ''relations'', ''stabilities'', ''attractions'', and ''directionality''.
In this hierarchy, the single pitch or ...
.
History
Schoenberg laid out his concept of monotonality in his book ''Structural Functions of Harmony'', writing that: "According to this principle, every digression from the tonic is considered to be still within the tonality, whether directly or indirectly, closely or remotely related. In other words, there is only ''one tonality'' in a piece, and every segment formerly considered as another tonality is only a region, a harmonic contrast within that tonality...subordinate to the central power of
tstonic. Thus comprehension of the harmonic unity within a piece is achieved."
See also
*
Homotonal
''Homotonal'' (same-tonality) is a technical musical term that describes the tonal structure of multi-movement compositions. It was introduced into musicology by Hans Keller. According to Keller's definition and usage, a multi-movement compositi ...
ity
*
Progressive tonality Progressive tonality is the music compositional practice whereby a piece of music does not finish in the key in which it began, but instead 'progresses' to an ending in a different key or tonality. In this connection 'different key' means a differe ...
*
Prolongation
In music theory, prolongation is the process in tonality, tonal music through which a pitch (music), pitch, interval (music), interval, or triad (music), consonant triad is considered to govern spans of music when not physically sounding. It is a ...
*
Schenkerian analysis
Schenkerian analysis is a method of musical analysis, analyzing tonal music based on the theories of Heinrich Schenker (1868–1935). The goal is to demonstrate the organic coherence of the work by showing how the "foreground" (all notes in the sco ...
References
{{Reflist
Tonality