Why is the tonic so important for melodies?

Y

YoungCapone

New member
I made a simple melody in FL studio that was in C Major. The melody consisted of two phrases both of which started on D. The only difference between the two is the second phrase ended on C (the tonic of C major). The only problem is it didn’t feel resolved ending on the tonic like I thought it would. When I changed the last note of the tonic to a D it sounded resolved even though D is not the tonic of C Major. I’m assuming it has something to do with the context in which I’m using it. For reference, I didn’t use C at all until I tried to resolve the second phrase and the other notes used we’re D,F,G,A and E. Any insight into why it didn’t sound resolved even though I used the tonic? Is there a fundamental concept I’m missing here?
 
I suppose it's the money shot. Try playing a melody but ending it on something other than the tonic - it sounds like there's more to come, it leaves you in suspense.

I remember at a pub gig, some guy played a self-penned song and ended it on a non-root chord. Nobody clapped because they clearly didn't realise it was the end of the song. Then he started sarcastically clapping at the audience, making a bit of a tit of himself.

It didn't sound bad at all, but I can see why the audience were confused.

I suppose that doesn't really answer your question as to *why* we have the tonic but I think it's just down to the music system we're all used to. But there's plenty of atonal stuff out there - Bartok springs to mind, but without even going to that extreme, there are plenty of rock/pop songs that have strange and unpredictable chord changes. They're still "tonal" to a large extent but they definitely push outside the blueprint of three major chords, three minor chords and a diminished (that nobody uses).
 
You can leave it out or keep it in, for some it sounds off ending it on something other than a tonic.
 
Well for me having a good closing of the song is important .. The tonic must be according to the rhythm of the same song
 
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