What is a 12 tone system?

• 12-TONE SYSTEM (noun) The noun 12-TONE SYSTEM has 1 sense: 1. a type of serial music introduced by Arnold Schoenberg ; uses a tone row formed by the twelve semitones of the chromatic scale (and inverted or backward versions of the row)

What is a 12 tone row?

Definition of twelve-tone row. : the 12 chromatic tones of the octave placed in a chosen fixed order and constituting with some permitted permutations and derivations the melodic and harmonic material of a serial musical piece.

What is 12 tone music?

12-tone music – a type of serial music introduced by Arnold Schoenberg ; uses a tone row formed by the twelve semitones of the chromatic scale (and inverted or backward versions of the row) 12-tone system, twelve-tone music, twelve-tone system.