Discuss tonality, tonicity and tone with examples and also briefly comment on the role of intonation in tonal languages.

Tonality, Tonicity, and Tone:

• Tonality refers to the overall system of musical organization based on a central pitch or key, called the tonic. It creates a sense of hierarchy and resolution in music, with other pitches relating to the tonic in varying degrees of stability.  

• Tonicity is the quality of being the most stable and central pitch within a musical key. The tonic is the "home base" to which other pitches gravitate and where musical phrases often resolve.  

• Tone has a few different meanings in music:

  • Pitch: The specific frequency of a sound, perceived as high or low.  
  • Timbre: The quality or color of a sound, distinguishing different instruments or voices even when playing the same pitch.  
  • Tone of a piece: The overall emotional or expressive character of a musical work.

Examples:

• In the key of C major, the tonic is C. All other notes in the scale (D, E, F, G, A, B) have a specific relationship to C, creating a sense of tension and resolution.  
• The final chord of a piece in C major will often be a C major chord, providing a feeling of closure and stability.
• A flute and a clarinet playing the same note will sound different due to their distinct timbres.
• A minor key piece might have a melancholic or introspective tone, while a major key piece might feel bright and cheerful.  

Intonation in Tonal Languages:

Intonation, or the rise and fall of pitch in speech, plays a crucial role in tonal languages. In these languages, the pitch contour of a word can change its meaning entirely, even if the consonants and vowels remain the same. Intonation patterns act as additional phonemes, distinguishing words and conveying grammatical information.  

For example, in Mandarin Chinese, the syllable "ma" can have several different meanings depending on its tone:

• Mā (high level tone): mother
• Má (rising tone): hemp
• Mǎ (falling-rising tone): horse  
• Mà (falling tone): to scold

Intonation is therefore essential for accurate communication in tonal languages, as even subtle changes in pitch can alter the intended meaning of a sentence.  

Brief comment:

Intonation in tonal languages functions similarly to how different vowels or consonants change the meaning of words in non-tonal languages. It adds another layer of complexity and richness to the language, allowing for greater expressiveness and nuance. Mastering intonation is a key challenge for learners of tonal languages, but it also opens up a fascinating world of linguistic diversity.