Consonance & Dissonance
Every interval falls somewhere on a spectrum from restful to restless — and that single spectrum is the engine behind almost all tonal harmony.
Stable vs. restless
Consonance describes a stable, restful sound — an interval that feels complete on its own. Unisons, 3rds, 5ths, 6ths, and octaves generally fall into this category. Dissonance describes tension — an interval that feels unresolved and wants to move somewhere else. 2nds, 7ths, and the tritone are the classic dissonant intervals in tonal music.
Why this matters
Almost every satisfying moment in tonal music is a dissonance resolving into a consonance. A dominant 7th chord's dissonant tritone pulls into the tonic's consonant 3rd; a suspended 4th pulls down into a consonant 3rd; a melody's dissonant passing tone resolves onto a consonant chord tone. Composers don't avoid dissonance — they use it to create the sense of motion and arrival that makes music feel alive.
Common questions
What is consonance?
A stable, restful sound — unisons, 3rds, 5ths, 6ths, and octaves are generally heard as consonant.
What is dissonance?
A tense sound that pulls toward resolution — 2nds, 7ths, and the tritone are the classic dissonant intervals.
Is dissonance a mistake?
No — it's an essential tool. Tonal harmony is largely built on setting up dissonance and resolving it into consonance.
Does consonance and dissonance depend on genre?
The basic hierarchy holds broadly, but how much dissonance a style tolerates before resolving varies a lot between classical, jazz, and pop.
Hear tension and resolution
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