atonality
C1Formal, academic, technical
Definition
Meaning
The absence of a tonal center or key in music.
A compositional approach that avoids traditional harmonic structures and key relationships, creating music without a sense of home key.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Specifically refers to a 20th-century musical movement pioneered by composers like Schoenberg and Webern; not used to describe all dissonant music.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in usage; term is identical in both varieties.
Connotations
Same technical musical meaning in both contexts.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in British academic discourse due to different historical emphasis on 20th-century musicology.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Noun + of + atonalityAdjective + atonalityVerb + atonalityVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No idioms specific to this technical term”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used in business contexts
Academic
Common in musicology, composition studies, and 20th-century cultural history papers
Everyday
Rare outside discussions of classical or avant-garde music
Technical
Essential term in music theory, composition analysis, and avant-garde performance contexts
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The composer sought to atonalise traditional folk melodies.
- They gradually atonalised their compositional approach throughout the 1920s.
American English
- The composer worked to atonalize hymn tunes for modern choir.
- He atonalized the symphony's final movement completely.
adverb
British English
- The piece progressed atonally from start to finish.
- He composed more atonally as his style developed.
American English
- The music shifted atonally between sections.
- She writes increasingly atonally in recent works.
adjective
British English
- The atonal passage confused the traditionalists.
- Her completely atonal composition won critical acclaim.
American English
- The atonal section required special rehearsal techniques.
- Their atonal experiment divided the audience.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- This music sounds strange because it has no key - that is called atonality.
- Some modern composers use atonality, which means their music doesn't follow traditional harmony rules.
- The introduction of atonality in early 20th-century music represented a radical break from Romantic traditions.
- While Schoenberg's development of atonality was initially controversial, it ultimately expanded the harmonic vocabulary available to subsequent generations of composers.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: A-tonality = WITHOUT tone center. The 'A' prefix means 'not' or 'without,' like 'atypical' means not typical.
Conceptual Metaphor
Musical freedom (breaking chains of traditional harmony)
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'атональность' - exact equivalent, no false friends
- Do not translate as 'disorder' or 'chaos' - it's a technical musical term
Common Mistakes
- Using 'atonality' to describe any dissonant music
- Confusing with 'dissonance' (which can exist within tonal music)
- Spelling as 'atonality' (correct: atonality)
- Using as an adjective (correct adjective: 'atonal')
Practice
Quiz
Which statement best defines atonality?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Dissonance refers to harsh or unstable sounds that can exist within tonal music, while atonality specifically means the absence of any key center.
Rarely. Most popular music is firmly tonal, though some experimental artists incorporate atonal elements in brief sections.
Atonality emerged as a significant movement in the early 20th century, particularly through the Second Viennese School composers around 1908-1923.
For listeners accustomed to traditional harmony, atonal music can initially be challenging because it lacks familiar harmonic resolutions, but many develop appreciation through repeated exposure.