tonality (ton¦al|ity)

noun (plural tonalities)

• 1the character of a piece of music as determined by the key in which it is played or the relations between the notes of a scale or key: the sonata is noteworthy for its extensive variations of mood and tonality
• [count noun] the harmonic effect of being in a particular key: the first bar would seem set to create a tonality of C major
• the use of conventional keys and harmony as the basis of musical composition: these pieces are more dissonant than my earlier works, yet I did not give up tonality

• 2the colour scheme or range of tones used in a picture: the five canvases are predominantly blue in tonality [count noun]: she incorporates brilliant colours with enormously varied tonalities