A tonal system is a framework used in music that defines the relationships between different pitches and notes. It organizes these pitches into scales, which serve as the foundation for melodies and harmonies. The most common tonal system in Western music is the major-minor system, which includes seven notes in a scale and emphasizes the tonic, or home note. In contrast, some cultures use different tonal systems, such as pentatonic scales or microtonal systems, which incorporate fewer or more than the standard twelve pitches found in Western music. These systems influence how music is composed, performed, and perceived across various genres and traditions.