The tonal center is the target toward which all other tones lead and the note at which the melody feels at rest in a section of tonal music or in an entire tonal work. It is the same as the first note in the scale being used and thus the same as the tonic. The tonal center can change within a work as a result of a change in the scale, which sometimes occurs especially in longer works. Music in the common practice period typically started and ended on the tonal center, although it is sometimes advantageous to start or end on other notes.