tonally
In sound quality
Tonally describes something in terms of tone—whether musical pitch, color value, or expressive quality.
A piece may be tonally complex, shifting between keys.
In visual arts, a painting might be tonally muted.
Critics describe films or novels as tonally inconsistent when mood shifts feel jarring.
The word modifies how something sounds, looks, or feels in terms of its overall character.
Word form alteration
- frequencyRate of recurrence
- tuningAdjusting pitch accuracy
- noteShort written record
- scaleMeasure of relative size
sharp · flat · octave · hertz · vibration · soundwave · acoustics · register
In a musical manner
- harmonicallyIn musical agreement
- rhythmicallyWith measured, regular timing
- dynamicsStudy of forces
- timbreSound's distinctive character
phrasing · legato · staccato · forte · piano · crescendo · diminuendo · expressively
Word form alteration
- accentRegional speech pattern
- prosodyStudy of verse rhythm
- cadenceRhythmic pulse or pattern
- modulationVarying signals to transmit
emphasis · stress · contour · rising · falling · expressive · flat · animated
Regarding air or mood
- emotionallyRegarding inner feelings
- expressivelyWith outward emotion
- sentimentFelt attitude or view
- feelingSensed inner state
nuance · ambiance · tenor · character · temperament · disposition · undercurrent · affect
inflection
Word form alteration
scale · sharp · flat · octave · hertz · vibration · soundwave · acoustics · register · modulation
melodically
In a musical manner
- harmonicallyIn musical agreement
- rhythmicallyWith measured, regular timing
- dynamicsStudy of forces
timbre · phrasing · legato · staccato · forte · piano · crescendo · diminuendo · expressively · lyrically
inflection
Word form alteration
modulation · emphasis · stress · contour · rising · falling · expressive · flat · animated · clipped
atmospherically
Regarding air or mood
- emotionallyRegarding inner feelings
- expressivelyWith outward emotion
- sentimentFelt attitude or view
feeling · nuance · ambiance · tenor · character · temperament · disposition · undercurrent · affect · coloring
tonallyrhythmically
With measured, regular timing
percussively · temporally · metrically · dynamically · texturally
tonallyatonally
Without a home pitch
chromatically · serially · twelve-tone · dissonantly · modally
tonallymonotonously
In unvarying repetition
harshly · discordantly · tunelessly · flatly · gratingly
- tonal shiftsChanges in emotional register
- tonal qualityCharacter of a sound
- tonal valuesDegrees of lightness
- tonal languageSystem where pitch distinguishes words