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The Tonic In Music: Dynamic Tension

Any tune retains a distinct identity no matter where it’s played or sung in the spectrum of pitches. Therefore, any pitch whatsoever can serve as the tonal centre, the tonic note. It’s the frequency ratios that matter, not the specific frequency that serves as the foundation (tonic note) for determining the ratios, the dynamic tension.

The intervals with the simplest frequency ratios have the lowest dynamic tension, the greatest stability. The octave, with a frequency ratio of 2:1, is, of course, the most stable interval.

The perfect fifth, with its 3:2 frequency ratio, has little inherent tension, and therefore serves as a kind of counter terminus to the tonic notes at either end of the scale. The perfect fifth has so much natural stability that many tunes end on it (instead of the tonic, which is where most tunes end), and the listener does not feel as though the tune has failed to come to rest.

At the other extreme, the minor second can supply a lot of dynamic tension, especially in its role as scale degree 7 going up to 1 (8), the tonic. Because scale degree 7 strongly seeks to resolve up to the tonic, scale degree 7 is known as the leading tone.

It’s important to reiterate that your brain does not “learn” any of this. It’s hard-wired. You will always sense these states of rest or unrest, tension or resolution, etc., whenever you hear a variety of simple ratios of frequencies in succession.

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