twelve-tone

adjective

Meaning

A method of musical composition that ensures all twelve notes of the chromatic scale are sounded as often as one another in a piece of music, preventing the emphasis of any one note.

Examples

Schoenberg is widely credited with developing the twelve-tone technique in the early 20th century.
The twelve-tone composition felt jarring to listeners accustomed to classical harmonies.

Synonyms: dodecaphonic, serial, atonal

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twelve-tone

adjective

Pronunciation: ˈtwɛlvˌtoʊn

Definition

A method of musical composition that ensures all twelve notes of the chromatic scale are sounded as often as one another in a piece of music, preventing the emphasis of any one note.

Examples

Schoenberg is widely credited with developing the twelve-tone technique in the early 20th century.
The twelve-tone composition felt jarring to listeners accustomed to classical harmonies.
Students analyzed the twelve-tone row to understand how the composer structured the piece.

How to Use twelve-tone

twelve-tone technique (collocation): The specific musical system using twelve tones. — "He mastered the twelve-tone technique during his studies in Vienna."
twelve-tone row (collocation): The specific ordering of the twelve notes used in a piece. — "The entire symphony is derived from a single twelve-tone row."

Synonyms of twelve-tone

Words with a similar meaning to twelve-tone:

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