bitonality: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1+ (Specialist/Very Low)Technical/Formal
Quick answer
What does “bitonality” mean?
The simultaneous use of two different keys in a musical composition.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The simultaneous use of two different keys in a musical composition.
A compositional technique where two distinct tonal centers (keys) are sounded at the same time, creating harmonic tension or complexity. It is a hallmark of certain 20th-century classical music and jazz.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or definitional differences. Spelling follows the British/American conventions for the suffix (-ity/-ity).
Connotations
Neutral, academic term in both varieties.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general corpora, limited to musicological or advanced educational contexts in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “bitonality” in a Sentence
Bitonality in [work/composer]The use of bitonalityA passage of bitonalityVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bitonality” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The composer bitonalises the folk theme.
adjective
British English
- The bitonal passage is strikingly dissonant.
American English
- The piece features a bitonal section in its development.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in musicology, analysis papers, and advanced music theory textbooks.
Everyday
Almost never used.
Technical
Core term in music theory and composition, used by composers, theorists, and critics.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bitonality”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bitonality”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bitonality”
- Misspelling as 'bi-tonality' (less standard)
- Confusing it with 'atonality' (which means having no key at all).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. Bitonality is a specific technique that often results in dissonance, but dissonance can be created by many other harmonic means.
Igor Stravinsky, Darius Milhaud, and Béla Bartók are among the most notable 20th-century composers who employed the technique.
It depends on the listener's training. To an untrained ear, it may simply sound discordant or 'clashing,' while a trained musician can often identify the two separate keys.
Very rare. Pop music overwhelmingly relies on a single, clear tonal centre for accessibility. Jazz and some progressive rock are more likely to experiment with it.
The simultaneous use of two different keys in a musical composition.
Bitonality is usually technical/formal in register.
Bitonality: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbʌɪtə(ʊ)ˈnalɪti/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbaɪtoʊˈnæləti/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: BI (two) + TONALITY (key) = two keys at once.
Conceptual Metaphor
A musical conversation in two different languages happening simultaneously.
Practice
Quiz
What does 'bitonality' specifically refer to?