tonality

/toʊˈnæləti/
noun
  1. The quality of a piece of music that is based on a particular key or scale, or the overall character of sound in music.
    • The composer's use of minor tonality gave the piece a sad feeling.
    • The shift in tonality from major to minor surprised the audience.
    • Students learned to identify the tonality of different classical works.
  2. The overall mood, character, or quality of something, such as a color, voice, or written work.
    • The tonality of the novel shifted from hopeful to dark in the final chapters.
    • The warm tonality of the painting made the room feel cozy.
    • Her voice had a gentle tonality that calmed everyone around her.