What is the purpose of 12 tone music?

The purpose of 12-tone music is to use a predetermined set of 12 different pitches within a piece. This compositional technique, developed by Arnold Schoenberg, ensures that all 12 notes of the chromatic scale are treated equally, avoiding the dominance of any single note or key. This approach allows for a structured and systematic way of organizing music, which contrasts with traditional tonal music that typically emphasizes major or minor scales. Each of the 12 pitches in the series can be arranged in various ways—such as inverting, retrograding, or transposing the original series—while still maintaining the integrity of the entire set. Thus, it creates a unique sound world that is free from the conventions of tonality, offering opportunities for exploration in both melody and harmony.