Sympathetic Vibratory Physics | dissonance (original) (raw)

In music, a consonance (Latin con-, "with" + sonare, "to sound") is a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable (at ), as opposed to a dissonance (Latin dis-, "apart" + sonare, "to sound"), which is considered unstable (or temporary, transitional). In more general usage, a consonance is a combination of notes that sound pleasant to most people when played at the same time; dissonance is a combination of notes that sound harsh or unpleasant to most people.

The definition of consonance has been variously based on experience, , and both physical and psychological considerations. These include:

Perception
Blend/fusion: perception of unity or tonal fusion between two notes (Stumpf)

Frequency ratios: with ratios of lower simple numbers being more consonant than those that are higher (). Many of these definitions do not require exact integer tunings, only approximation.

Coincidence of partials: with consonance being a greater coincidence of partials (called harmonics or overtones when occurring in harmonic timbres) (Hermann Helmholtz, 1877/1954). By this definition, consonance is dependent not only on the width of the interval between two notes (i.e., the musical tuning), but also on the combined spectral distribution and thus sound quality (i.e., the ) of the notes (see the entry under critical band). Thus, a note and the note one octave higher are highly because the partials of the higher note are also partials of the lower note. Although Hermann Helmholtz's work focused almost exclusively on harmonic timbres and tunings, subsequent work has generalized his findings to embrace non-harmonic tunings and timbres.

Fusion or pattern matching: fundamentals may be perceived through pattern matching of the separately analyzed partials to a best-fit exact-harmonic template (Gerson & Goldstein, 1978) or the best-fit (Terhardt, 1974). Harmonics may be perceptually fused into one entity - consonances being those that include:

Perfect consonances:
unisons and octaves
perfect fourths and perfect fifths
Imperfect consonances:
major thirds and minor sixths
minor thirds and major sixths
Both
"Continuity: consonances are continuous and dissonances are intermittent in sensation, determined by coincidence of partials." (Hermann Helmholtz) Wikipedia, Consonance and Dissonance

The key-note C sounding from within itself its six tones to and fro in trinities, the tones written as notes in musical
—The trinities hereafter termed and
—The of each of the twelve key notes developing their tones
—The in which the tones meet, avoiding consecutive fifths
—Dissonance is not or
—The use of the chasms and double tones is seen
—The isolated sound the twelve notes
—Each double tone develops only one perfect major harmony, with the exception of F#-G?; F# as the sounds F? as E#, and G? as the sounds B? as C?
—The of the twelve key-notes are shown to sound the same tones as the of each third harmony below, but in a different
—All harmonies are linked into each other, . 23 [Harmonies of Tones and Colours, Table of Contents2 - Harmonies]

combinations of dissonance, rests, sounding neither scale nor chords. Dissonance does not express or , for there is no in musical tones which is productive of ; the dissonances follow the attraction of the , or key-note, and the of the musical is implied in the disagreement in their with the of the , or key-note. So far is this from producing , that the apparent is simply a preparation for , the life of harmony causing an inherent towards closer . [Harmonies of Tones and Colours, Combinations of dissonance, rests, page 24]