tone row

noun

: the chosen sequence of tones that serves as the basis for a work of serial music
specifically : twelve-tone row

Examples of tone row in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In the early 1920s Schoenberg introduced the 12-tone method, in which all 12 pitches of the chromatic scale are arranged into a specific sequence, or tone row, that serves as the basis for an entire composition. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tone row was in 1936

Browse Nearby Words

toner
tone row
tone-setter
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Cite this Entry

“Tone row.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tone%20row. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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