| Head tone, Kopfton. The primary melodic note of a composition. It is established near the beginning of a piece, or follows an initial ascent, and serves at the first note of the Urlinie. It usually forms the focal point for subordinate linear progressions and arpeggiations and is often prolonged at great length. The Kopfton of Brahms Op. 24 is F, the fifth note of the scale. Kopfton remains untranslated in the text since it is in common use among Schenkerian analysts. |
