Atonal
Example: The composer experimented with atonal melodies to challenge traditional harmony.
Definition
"Atonal" refers to music that lacks a tonal center or key, meaning it does not follow the traditional rules of harmony and melody. This style creates compositions that avoid establishing a clear sense of a home note or scale, often producing a more abstract or dissonant sound.
Etymology
The word "atonal" comes from the prefix 'a-' meaning 'without,' combined with 'tonal,' which relates to tone or key in music. It was coined in the early 20th century as composers began exploring music without a fixed tonal center, breaking away from classical harmonic conventions.
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"Atonal" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - Music - (C2) - set 1", containing 99 commonly used words.
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