Tonally: meaning, definitions and examples

Etymology

• The word comes from the Latin 'tonus', meaning 'tone', which relates to sound pitch.
• In the 19th century, music theory expanded the concept of 'tonality' to describe the emotional quality of music.
• The suffix '-ally' suggests a relationship, making 'tonally' indicate a way something is expressed through tone.

Music

• In music, 'tonally' refers to the way melodies and harmonies create a specific emotional atmosphere.
• A composition can be described as 'tonally rich' if it uses a wide variety of notes and harmonies, enhancing its emotional depth.
• Genres like jazz often employ 'tonal' experimentation to evoke unique feelings, sometimes moving away from traditional tonal centers.

Art Criticism

• In visual arts, tones refer to how colors can evoke different emotions, like warm tones for comfort or cold tones for sadness.
• Critics often discuss a painting's tonally cohesive qualities when assessing its emotional impact and harmony.
• Photographers manipulate tonal ranges to create dramatic effects, influencing the viewer’s emotional response.

Psychology

• Studies show that tonal qualities in music can significantly affect mood and cognition, influencing everything from productivity to relaxation.
• Colors associated with certain tones can affect emotions; for instance, a bright tone might evoke joy while a muted tone might evoke sadness.
• People often respond differently to tonal communication, such as spoken language or music, illustrating the psychological complexity of sound.

Literature

• In literature, the tonal quality of a piece can set the mood, guiding readers' emotional experiences.
• Authors may shift tones throughout a narrative to enhance character development or plot progression, creating tension or relief.
• Poetry often plays with tonal shifts within stanzas to evoke contrasting feelings, emphasizing the duality of human experiences.