What is tonic in music? The answer is quite simple: tonic - this is the first step of the major or minor mode, its most stable sound, which, like a magnet, attracts all other steps to itself. I must say that "all other steps" also behave quite interesting.
As you know, in the major and minor scale there are only 7 steps, which in the name of general harmony must somehow “get along” with each other. This is helped by the division into: first, steady and unstable steps; Secondly, main and side steps.
Stable and unstable steps
The stable steps of the frets are the first, third, and fifth (I, III, V), and the unstable ones are the second, fourth, sixth and seventh (II, IV, VI, VII).
Unstable steps always tend to resolve to steady ones. For example, the seventh and second steps "want" to go to the first step, the second and fourth steps go to the third, and the fourth and sixth steps go to the fifth. For example, consider the lack of life in the foundations of C major:
Main steps and side steps
Each step in the fret performs some particular function (role) and is called in its own way. For example, dominant, subdominant, introductory tone, etc. In this regard, naturally there are questions: "What is a dominant, and what is a subdominant ???".
Dominant - this is the fifth step of the mode, subdominant - the fourth. Tonic (I), subdominant (IV) and dominant (V) is main steps of the mode. Why are these steps called the main? Yes, because it is on these steps that the triads are built that best characterize this mode. In the major - they are major, in the minor - minor:
Of course, there is another reason why these steps stand out among all the others. It is associated with some acoustic patterns. But we will not go into the details of physics right now. It is enough to know that it is on I, IV and V steps that the triad-identifiers of the mode are built (that is, the triad detecting or determining the mode - it is major or minor).
The functions of each of the main stages are very interesting, they are closely related to the logic of musical development. So, tonic in music, it is the main foundation, the carrier of balance, a sign of completeness, appears at moments of peace, and also, being the first step, determines the tonality itself, that is, the elevation position of the mode. Subdominant - it is always a departure, evasion of the tonic, a moment of development, a movement towards greater instability. Dominant expresses extreme instability and tends to resolve in tonic.
Oh, by the way, I almost forgot. Tonic, dominant and subdominant in all digicams are denoted by Latin letters: T, D and S respectively. If the tonality is major, then these letters are written large (T, S, D), and if the tonality is minor, then small (t, s, d).
In addition to the main fret treads, there are also side ones - this median and input tones. Mediants are intermediate steps (middle). The medianta is the third (third) step, which is intermediate on the way from tonic to dominate. There is also a submediant - this is the sixth (sixth) step, an intermediate link on the way from tonic to subdominant. The introductory stages are those that surround the tonic, that is, the seventh (VII) and second (II).
Let's now put all the steps together and see what comes of it. And it turns out a beautiful symmetrical picture-scheme, which just perfectly demonstrates the functions of all the steps in the mode.
We see that in the center we have a tonic, along the edges: on the right is the dominant, and on the left is the subdominant. The path from the tonic to the dominant lies through the medianta (middle), and the closest steps to the tonic surrounding it are the introductory stages.
Well, the information is, in fact, extremely useful and relevant (perhaps, of course, not for those who are right on their first day in music, but on those who are on the second day, such knowledge is already necessary). If anything is not clear - ask, do not hesitate. The question can be written directly in the comments.
I remind you that today you have learned what a tonic is, what a subdominant and a dominant is, and you have dismantled steady and unstable steps. In the end, perhaps, I emphasize that the main steps and stable steps are not the same thing! The main steps are I (T), IV (S) and V (D), and the stable ones are I, III and V steps. So please do not confuse!
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