Dissonance

General

– Frequencies that Match up at Irregular Intervals are “Non-Pleasant” Sounds 

– We Focus the Appearance of “Dissonance” when we Play certain Notes together

– A Dis-Chorded Sound produced by 2 or more Notes and is “Displeasing” or “Rough” 

– Sort of Tonal Tension that either Composers use for a Short Time before Resolving into Consonance or a Way to Compose as Avantgarde Music comes into Place

– describes: An Acoustical Phenomenon useful in Tuning Instruments, resulting from the Interference of 2 Sound Waves of slightly different Frequencies 

– in Helmotz Theory called “Beats”, when 2 Equal Notes come closer together the Beat is Slower & when 2 Equal Notes drift away in Tune the Beat gets Faster 

– in Pythagorean Years, everything Sounded Consonance that had a Ratio of Frequencies in Small Numbers and Dissonance is anything but that

– Locrian is a good Example of a Basic Dissonant Scale that meets a lot of respective Characteristics (B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B)

– those Subtle Changes in Pitches have let in Big Changes in Compositions

– the Modern Way to Mix such Pitches is a Electronic Tuner that tells you “Differences” but Historically through “Dampening” Strings of Piano and Tune Note vs another Note and Listening to “Beats” 

– so to Speak, this Technique can be used to Compose a Song Not based on Chord Progressions but on such Combinations

–  Charles Yves Usage used them a lot

– more Dissonance occurs when Using different Combinations of Dissonant Intervals

– Try them on different Octaves as well

4 Basic Dissonant Intervals

– these serve as the Foundation for all Possibilities

m2 

– Minor 2nd

– for Example Ab and A (any 2 Notes directly together

Aug4 (or b5) 

– Augmented 4th also called the Flatted 5th 

– for Example Ab and D (known as Tritone)

M7 

– Major 7th

– for Example Ab and G

b9 

– Flatted 9th 

– for Example Ab and A 

– Notice that these are the same Notes as “m2” but taken from different Octaves and Not directly together

– every 9th Scale Step is Flatted (just before Root) and Builds the 1 Extended Note of a Scale

Classification of Dissonant Intervals

Middle Dissonant

C, E, F#, B 

– No “G” but the “B” as the Dissonant M7 Major 7 from C

– plus a also very Close Major 2nd from E to F#

D, Eb, G, C 

– a Minor2nd Interval from D to Eb

– plus a rather Close 4th from G to C 

– such a Interval may also serve as a “Bite” to a Passage without Counting as too much Dissonant

F, Gb, B, E 

– a Minor2nd Interval from F to Gb

– plus a rather Close 4th from B to E 

Dissonant Combos

G, D, F#, Ab 

– three Consecutive Notes F#, G, Ab, where F# is the Flatted 9th and Ab is the Minor 2nd

– G is Played a Octave below in this Example

D, Eb, F, Gb 

– two Close Minor 2nd Intervals together

D, Eb, A, Bb  

– two Minor 2nd Intervals together

– plus is the A is a Augmented 4th from Db away

A, Eb, E, Bb 

– two Minor 2nd Intervals together

– plus is the Bb a Flatted 9th away from the A

– try this also Octave Lower

Stacked Dissonant Intervals

– this is about Playing a rather Standard Chord with a Stacked Dissonant Chord together

– Ives used this Technique to Create bigger Dissonant Chords

– Changing One Note Changes Degree of Dissonance

Major and Minor 3rds Stacks

C E G# B/D F# Bb D

C Eb G Bb/D F# A C#

F A C# E/G bb D F

Ab C E/Ab B D Gb Bb

3rds and 2nds Stacks

C E G B/Db Eb F G A

C Eb F Ab B/Db E F#

Eb G A Db/E F# A B

F G A C/E F# G# B

3rds and 4ths Stacks

F Bb Eb/Gb B D F

F B E/G C Eb Gb

Ab Db F/Ab Db Gb A

2nds Stacks

G A B Db/D Eb Gb Ab

G# A B/Db Eb F

D E Ab/Bb Eb F