Tonic (music)

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In music, "tonic" refers to the originating note or chord of a particular key. Scales are based on their tonic pitch, or tonic note, which is why they begin and end with their tonic pitch. This is also why scales are named after their tonics: for instance, the tonic of the C major scale is the note C. In the movable do solfège system, the tonic note is sung as do. "Tonic" may also refer to the tonic triad, which is a triad built on the tonic pitch, or more generally to a tonic chord of another quality. The tonic often functions as the tonal center or final resolution tone of tonal music, and is commonly the goal of the final cadence in tonal harmony. In very much conventionally tonal music, harmonic analysis will reveal a broad prevalence of the primary (often triadic) harmonies: tonic, dominant, and subdominant (i.e., I and its chief auxiliaries a 5th removed), and especially the first two of these. The tonic is distinguished from the root, which is the note on which a chord is built...

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