Article
Dissonance for triads compared to two-tone sounds (en)
* Presenting author
Abstract:
In Western music theory, different musical intervals evoke the sensation of consonance or dissonance. Applying this concept to a psychoacoustical analysis of environmental sounds, however, demands a description of consonance and dissonance that is not limited to distinct musical intervals and equal level ratios. In the previous study, we observed that altering the number or level of the harmonic overtones influences the human dissonance perception. In this listening experiment, we were trying to reduce dissonance level by adding a 3rd tone component to the dissonant interval. This paradigm has been inspired by jazz music. Jazz chords, like for example a major 7 chord, are usually not connected to dissonance or said to create tension, even though they do contain dissonant intervals. The simultaneous presence of non-dissonant intervals in such a chord seems to weaken the perceived dissonance of the dissonant components. For a possible application of this principle for product sounds, an improved understanding of the main mechanisms underlying this phenomenon is needed. In an explorative experiment, the dissonance of artificial sounds could be reduced for only some combinations of musical tones by adding an additional component. This observation is in line with principles used in established auditory models.