For other uses of this term, see Fundamental.
In music, within the tonal system, it is called a fundamental note (from the Italian basse fondamentale) or simply fundamental to the main note of a chord, from which the following notes of the chord are constructed. The fundamental note coincides with the bass note of the chord only if the chord is in its basic position or ground state, ie it is not inverted.
Conventionally the fundamental is the note that gives the name to the chord. For example, the major chord constructed by superposition of thirds from the note Do as fundamental is called the C major chord. From Rameau, the analysis of tonal music usually considers the fundamental as the main characteristic that defines the chords and can obtain much information of the progression of fundamentals, even when the investments are not known in which they are. The characteristics of the basic chords of a particular key depends on the degree to which the fundamental of each key within it.
The fundamental gives the name to the chord; for example, the fundamental of the chord of E flat major is the note mi ♭. Do not confuse the fundamental with the tonic. For example, if we consider the major chord within the major chord, the note f is the root of the chord; however tonic of the tonality is do.
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