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Timbre and consonance

Peter Harrison, University of Cambridge
Tuesday November 1, 12-1pm
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Abstract: The phenomenon of ‘consonance’ in Western tonal music is traditionally considered to be a function of the underlying frequency ratios between chord tones. Here we explore the sense in which consonance also depends on the spectral properties of the chord tones themselves. Through large-scale behavioural experiments combined with computer modelling we show that this relationship between tone spectra and chordal consonance runs deep, and provides valuable new perspectives on the psychoacoustic and cognitive mechanisms underlying consonance perception.