science

Tonality flux

Tonality flux is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Tonality flux rather than just read about it. In short: Tonality flux is Harry Partch's term for the kinds of subtle harmonic changes that can occur in a microtonal context from notes moving from one chord to another by tiny increments of voice leading. For instance, within a major third G-B, there can be a minor third G to B, such that in moving from one to the other each line shifts less than a half-step.

Key takeaways

Tonality flux belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Tonality flux to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Tonality flux from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Tonality flux is Harry Partch's term for the kinds of subtle harmonic changes that can occur in a microtonal context from notes moving from one chord to another by tiny increments of voice leading. For instance, within a major third G-B, there can be a minor third G to B, such that in moving from one to the other each line shifts less than a half-step. Within a just intonation scale, this could be represented (, indicates an approximate quarter-tone sharp, an approximate quarter-tone flat) by

moving to

like so:

One voice slides down from 386 cents to 347, the other slides up from 0 cents to 32, yet the harmonic shift can be dramatic. The best-known example of tonality flux, and one of the two Partch uses as illustration, is the beginning of his composition The Letter, in which the kithara alternates between two chords, one major and one minor, with the minor third of one nestled inside the major third of the other (given here in Ben Johnston's pitch notation):

In this notation, which assumes G as the tonic or 1/1, a 7 lowers a pitch from a just intonation value by 35/36, or 48.77 cents; an upside-down 7 raises a pitch by the same amount. The first chord is a major triad and, relative to G, contains the notes 8/7 (231 cents above G), 10/7 (617 cents), and 12/7 (933 cents); the second chord is a minor triad comprising the pitches 7/6 (267 cents), 7/5 (583 cents), and 7/4 (969 cents). Notice that while the outer notes ascend from the first chord to the second, the middle note descends. Such subtle movements were among the attractions that Partch found in an expanded just intonation of more than 12 pitches per octave. Tonality flux is a special instance of the principle of parsimonious (most direct) voice leading.

See also Enharmonic and enharmonic progression Identity (tuning) Tonality diamond

References

Illustrations

Tonality flux: Interlocked movement from a major to a minor triad. Playⓘ — Interlocked movement from a major to a minor triad. Playⓘ

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Tonality flux

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Tonality flux claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Tonality flux before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Tonality flux ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Tonality flux

In research: Tonality flux appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Tonality flux in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Tonality flux is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Harry Partch, Musical tuning, Voice leading, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Tonality flux outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Tonality flux in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Tonality flux means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Tonality flux out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tonality flux in simple terms?

Why does Tonality flux matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Tonality flux?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Tonality flux.