Tonic VS Finalis
Two similar concepts—but profoundly different.
Is the Finalis of a Tonus or Modus the same as the Tonic of a key?
Musici Prattici who study music today as if they had lived in the Renaissance or the Baroque cannot afford to overlook these differences. They are essential elements for deeply understanding the music of our ancient masters, and for performing, composing, and recreating it authentically.
Two terms, one final note?
Both Finalis and Tonic are commonly used to refer to the final note of a melody or piece.
But take note:
Finalis refers specifically to the final note of a Cantus Firmus melody (i.e., Gregorian chant);
Tonic refers to the first degree of a tonal scale.
They both indicate the note on which a piece ends, but there are crucial differences.
The Tonic: tonal gravitational center
In the Baroque tonal system, the Tonic is the note around which all other notes revolve. It represents the tonal center.
It is a specific pitch, but not tied to any particular octave.
Moreover, the tonic may appear in any voice of a piece, whether monophonic or polyphonic.
The Finalis: the destination of the Cantus Firmus
The Finalis, by contrast, is the note on which a monophonic Cantus Firmus melody ends.
But beware: we’re speaking of monody, not polyphony.
Unlike the tonic, the Finalis is not necessarily the tonal (or modal) center of the Tonus or Modus.
In Cantus Firmus, what determines whether a chant belongs to the 3rd Tonus, the 5th, or the 8th, are the species of Diapente and Diatessaron (i.e., fourth and fifth intervals), or the reciting tone of the Psalm.
It can even happen that a Tonus has more than one Finalis:
3rd Tonus: may end on Elami or Alamire
5th Tonus: may end on Ffaut or Alamire
7th Tonus: may end on Gsolreut or Dlasolre
In Cantus Firmus, then, there is much more flexibility, and while the Finalis may seem close to the Tonic in concept, its nature is quite different.
What about Renaissance polyphony?
In Renaissance polyphony as well, there is only one Finalis.
That’s why the Tenor, the voice that leads the others, is expected to end on the Finalis, performing the so-called Clausula Tenorizans—just like in Cantus Firmus melodies.
But here’s an even more important distinction:
While the Tonic of D Minor is simply any D on the harpsichord keyboard,
the Finalis of a Tonus is not just any D.
The Finalis of the 1st Tonus, for instance, is not generically a D, but specifically the D below middle C, which is correctly named Dsolre.
Want to go deeper? Watch the video!
To help you understand this topic even better, I’ve prepared a special video in which I answer the question of a very curious Musicus Practicus—and it might just be the same question you have.
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