Atonal

Pronunciation: /eɪˈtoʊnəl/

Atonal (adj)

  1. Music that does not use one main note or key as the centre, so the sound does not feel strongly “in tune” with a home key.
  2. Describing sounds or patterns that avoid clear tonal relationships, making pitch feel less organized around a stable key.

Atonal (adjective)

Examples

  • The composer wrote an atonal piece with no key centre.
  • This recording sounds atonal because it has no key centre.